Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year
Colin Iverson, D, Naperville North
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Soccer is highly ritualized and individuated by feel or touch. Every player has a carefully developed or preferred place and style to work the ball. For example, the particular manner they use their hip or chest to control the ball and take it to their feet.
These natural comfort zones extend to physical locations on the field, like the ideal place for a forward to unleash his shot, a keeper to patrol his box or a defender to declare his own air space.
Colin Iverson has made a home for himself at the north edge of the field at Hoffman Estates High School. Playing in the northwest suburban village denotes importance and value for large-school prep soccer teams. It has been the location for the Class 3A state tournament since 2014, and the field conjures its own outsized value.
As a three-year starting defender for national juggernaut Naperville North, Iverson has made his favorite spot on the Hoffman Estates pitch into his own private platform and showcase for his versatile game.
As a 6-foot-4 defender, Iverson excels at nullifying space and depriving an offense of any consistency or natural rhythm. For teams who have played against the Huskies, especially in the state tournament, the matchup has meant watching your state championship dreams wither and die.
The first Saturday of November has been Iverson's moment. In the 37th minute of the Class 3A state championship game, Iverson saw his opportunity. With junior Huskies’ forward Ty Konrad serving a corner kick from the northwest edge, Iverson darted toward the Libertyville goal and smashed home a beautifully executed header that powered the Huskies’ 1-0 victory over Libertyville in an historic game.
In the first-ever state championship featuring two untied and unbeaten programs, Iverson was the difference-maker again as Naperville North (26-0-0) staked its claim to the greatest three-year run in the 47-year history of Illinois boys’ soccer.
The Huskies third-consecutive state title swelled their state-best winning streak to 45 games and finished a 74-3-4 run over the span. A year before, Iverson scored on a diving header off a throw in from Jack Barry in the 66th minute to beat an undefeated Libertyville team 1-0.
“I felt like it hit me even harder this year,” Iverson said. “Both years were a huge accomplishment, especially this being our senior year and going out with an undefeated season, that was really cool.”
A Bowling Green recruit, Iverson ended the year with a team-best 18 goals along with eight assists. He finished his remarkable career with 43 goals and 21 assists and established a new Naperville North record for goals by a defender.
Iverson proved a hybrid, next-generation player -- a natural defender blessed with the extraordinary timing, patience and skill of a great scorer. That combination proved untouchable. Iverson was the architect of the most dominant defense in state history.
The Huskies conceded just five goals in 26 games in 2018.
“He wants to win,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “That leads to him being such a good defender. At the other end of the field (it's) his willingness to put himself in tough physical situations, crash the ball and ball hunt.”
All-American keeper Tommy Welch, a Loyola basketball recruit, is the most dominant keeper in state history. He posted 20 shutouts and 0.16 goals against average this season. After setting a state championship record of 13 saves in the 2017 final against Libertyville, Welch followed up with a 12-save masterpiece against the Wildcats.
If Welch belongs in a class by himself, Iverson was his equal as a two-way star who elevated the Huskies to a different level.
For his accomplishments, Colin Iverson is the Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year. He edged out Welch, last year’s recipient, and fellow nominees junior forward Alex Canfield, of Class AA state champion Crystal Lake South, junior forward Ty Konrad, of Naperville North, and senior forward-midfielder Evan Rasmussen, of Libertyville.
“Colin is a great defender but also a great scorer,” junior defender Myles Barry said. “Not only is he a great player in the back, but he did so much for us as a finisher. He is probably one of the best defenders to ever come out of Naperville North.”
The most important record for the Huskies is the 21-0-0 mark they have posted in state tournament competition the past three years. Iverson’s evolution has been a critical factor of that success, which has not come easy. Nine of those wins were one-goal decisions; and six of the late wins in the last two seasons have been 1-0 results.
“I think I have become more of a leader since my sophomore year,” Iverson said. “I was always a target for restarts because of my size, but as it went on I became the main target.”
Iverson was at his best in the biggest moments. He scored three goals, all in the second half, in the Huskies’ 3-0 victory over Neuqua Valley in the regional championship.
His conviction, ferocity and willingness to do whatever necessary is what has set him apart.
“Defense has always been my passion,” he said. “Obviously scoring is really fun, but I always loved getting physical and getting into the nitty-gritty of the game and being able to organize the rest of the team from the back.”
Iverson started playing organized soccer as a five-year-old in youth leagues in Naperville. By the time he was in third grade, he started playing youth travel with Welch. By the sixth grade, he began his fortuitous connection with the elite Naperville-based club program Galaxy.
With Ty Konrad part of the nine-man Naperville North nucleus joined by some of the best players from the western suburbs, Iverson helped Galaxy capture the U-17 national title at the U.S. Youth Soccer national championships in August in Frisco, Texas.
His connection with Galaxy eased his promotion to the varsity program at North in 2016. He made an immediate impression, scoring 10 goals and adding five assists on a veteran team that defeated Barrington 3-1 in the state championship game.
“The [transition] was pretty seamless since most of the guys on the varsity I’d already played with on Galaxy,” Iverson said. “The ones who were a year older than me, I’d played on the club since I was in sixth grade. It didn’t feel like a huge step up. It felt like I was just walking on to another club season.”
Even as that group experienced significant graduation losses, most significantly all-state forward Chris Sullivan, Iverson helped the Huskies maintain elite status with an equally extraordinary 2017 season that finished 27-1-1. That team did not permit a goal in the seven-game, state tournament run.
Iverson’s game-winning goal delivered that state title. It was his 15th of a season that included eight assists.
“I am not super technical, but I am pretty physical, and I like to throw my body and do anything I can to help the team,” he said. “I sit back when it comes to working the ball around. When it comes to organization I am a very vocal player.”
Iverson always had natural abilities with the ball. He played volleyball up until his freshman year, and he showed great dexterity and coordination. His size already made him a deeply inviting target.
He turned himself into an elite situational goal scorer. By his estimate, Iverson scored 15 of his 18 goals this year on headers.
“Colin grew tremendously in his ability to defend 1-v.-1,” Jim Konrad said. “He is a great leader and a great organizer on the defensive end. At the attacking end, he really worked hard at the timing of his runs. He became much more aggressive and hit the ball harder.”
Iverson was the only returning starter in the back for the Huskies -- he was joined by Barry, junior Christian Romano and senior Cam Ferus. With his savvy, experience and feel for the game, Iverson molded the group into an untouchable squad.
He set the tone.
“I think we all came into it playing for the team,” Iverson said. “Nobody was into it for individual accolades or anything like that. We all liked playing for each other. As guys went through the program, no matter what, the mentality stayed the same -- giving everything they had, not playing for themselves but for the team.”
Of the five goals the Huskies surrendered, two came at the end of 5-1 victories over Geneva in August and West Aurora in the sectional championship. National-power Morton scored a first half goal in a 2-1 Huskies win in August, and Milwaukee power Marquette scored twice in a tournament championship game that Naperville North won in a penalty shootout Sept. 29.
Otherwise, teams only dreamed about scoring against the Huskies.
Iverson and Welch concluded their high school careers in an All-American game Dec. 1 in Winter Park, Fla.
It becomes almost cumbersome to catalog Iverson's accomplishments: three state championships, three-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state player and now its Player of the Year, All-American and a national club champion.
But now Colin Iverson is looking ahead and preparing for the next challenge as a high-level college athlete.
“I think the success I have experienced is only going to push me to continue chasing that winning feeling,” Iverson said. “There’s nothing like it. I love the sport, but I think it is the guys I have been around and the coaches who have brought me up. The environment they have created for me is something I will never forget.
“I think, ultimately, we were successful because of how we cared for each other and nobody put themselves above anybody else. I think as a team we achieved way more success that way, and now we are going to apply that to life.”
Colin Iverson, D, Naperville North
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Soccer is highly ritualized and individuated by feel or touch. Every player has a carefully developed or preferred place and style to work the ball. For example, the particular manner they use their hip or chest to control the ball and take it to their feet.
These natural comfort zones extend to physical locations on the field, like the ideal place for a forward to unleash his shot, a keeper to patrol his box or a defender to declare his own air space.
Colin Iverson has made a home for himself at the north edge of the field at Hoffman Estates High School. Playing in the northwest suburban village denotes importance and value for large-school prep soccer teams. It has been the location for the Class 3A state tournament since 2014, and the field conjures its own outsized value.
As a three-year starting defender for national juggernaut Naperville North, Iverson has made his favorite spot on the Hoffman Estates pitch into his own private platform and showcase for his versatile game.
As a 6-foot-4 defender, Iverson excels at nullifying space and depriving an offense of any consistency or natural rhythm. For teams who have played against the Huskies, especially in the state tournament, the matchup has meant watching your state championship dreams wither and die.
The first Saturday of November has been Iverson's moment. In the 37th minute of the Class 3A state championship game, Iverson saw his opportunity. With junior Huskies’ forward Ty Konrad serving a corner kick from the northwest edge, Iverson darted toward the Libertyville goal and smashed home a beautifully executed header that powered the Huskies’ 1-0 victory over Libertyville in an historic game.
In the first-ever state championship featuring two untied and unbeaten programs, Iverson was the difference-maker again as Naperville North (26-0-0) staked its claim to the greatest three-year run in the 47-year history of Illinois boys’ soccer.
The Huskies third-consecutive state title swelled their state-best winning streak to 45 games and finished a 74-3-4 run over the span. A year before, Iverson scored on a diving header off a throw in from Jack Barry in the 66th minute to beat an undefeated Libertyville team 1-0.
“I felt like it hit me even harder this year,” Iverson said. “Both years were a huge accomplishment, especially this being our senior year and going out with an undefeated season, that was really cool.”
A Bowling Green recruit, Iverson ended the year with a team-best 18 goals along with eight assists. He finished his remarkable career with 43 goals and 21 assists and established a new Naperville North record for goals by a defender.
Iverson proved a hybrid, next-generation player -- a natural defender blessed with the extraordinary timing, patience and skill of a great scorer. That combination proved untouchable. Iverson was the architect of the most dominant defense in state history.
The Huskies conceded just five goals in 26 games in 2018.
“He wants to win,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “That leads to him being such a good defender. At the other end of the field (it's) his willingness to put himself in tough physical situations, crash the ball and ball hunt.”
All-American keeper Tommy Welch, a Loyola basketball recruit, is the most dominant keeper in state history. He posted 20 shutouts and 0.16 goals against average this season. After setting a state championship record of 13 saves in the 2017 final against Libertyville, Welch followed up with a 12-save masterpiece against the Wildcats.
If Welch belongs in a class by himself, Iverson was his equal as a two-way star who elevated the Huskies to a different level.
For his accomplishments, Colin Iverson is the Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year. He edged out Welch, last year’s recipient, and fellow nominees junior forward Alex Canfield, of Class AA state champion Crystal Lake South, junior forward Ty Konrad, of Naperville North, and senior forward-midfielder Evan Rasmussen, of Libertyville.
“Colin is a great defender but also a great scorer,” junior defender Myles Barry said. “Not only is he a great player in the back, but he did so much for us as a finisher. He is probably one of the best defenders to ever come out of Naperville North.”
The most important record for the Huskies is the 21-0-0 mark they have posted in state tournament competition the past three years. Iverson’s evolution has been a critical factor of that success, which has not come easy. Nine of those wins were one-goal decisions; and six of the late wins in the last two seasons have been 1-0 results.
“I think I have become more of a leader since my sophomore year,” Iverson said. “I was always a target for restarts because of my size, but as it went on I became the main target.”
Iverson was at his best in the biggest moments. He scored three goals, all in the second half, in the Huskies’ 3-0 victory over Neuqua Valley in the regional championship.
His conviction, ferocity and willingness to do whatever necessary is what has set him apart.
“Defense has always been my passion,” he said. “Obviously scoring is really fun, but I always loved getting physical and getting into the nitty-gritty of the game and being able to organize the rest of the team from the back.”
Iverson started playing organized soccer as a five-year-old in youth leagues in Naperville. By the time he was in third grade, he started playing youth travel with Welch. By the sixth grade, he began his fortuitous connection with the elite Naperville-based club program Galaxy.
With Ty Konrad part of the nine-man Naperville North nucleus joined by some of the best players from the western suburbs, Iverson helped Galaxy capture the U-17 national title at the U.S. Youth Soccer national championships in August in Frisco, Texas.
His connection with Galaxy eased his promotion to the varsity program at North in 2016. He made an immediate impression, scoring 10 goals and adding five assists on a veteran team that defeated Barrington 3-1 in the state championship game.
“The [transition] was pretty seamless since most of the guys on the varsity I’d already played with on Galaxy,” Iverson said. “The ones who were a year older than me, I’d played on the club since I was in sixth grade. It didn’t feel like a huge step up. It felt like I was just walking on to another club season.”
Even as that group experienced significant graduation losses, most significantly all-state forward Chris Sullivan, Iverson helped the Huskies maintain elite status with an equally extraordinary 2017 season that finished 27-1-1. That team did not permit a goal in the seven-game, state tournament run.
Iverson’s game-winning goal delivered that state title. It was his 15th of a season that included eight assists.
“I am not super technical, but I am pretty physical, and I like to throw my body and do anything I can to help the team,” he said. “I sit back when it comes to working the ball around. When it comes to organization I am a very vocal player.”
Iverson always had natural abilities with the ball. He played volleyball up until his freshman year, and he showed great dexterity and coordination. His size already made him a deeply inviting target.
He turned himself into an elite situational goal scorer. By his estimate, Iverson scored 15 of his 18 goals this year on headers.
“Colin grew tremendously in his ability to defend 1-v.-1,” Jim Konrad said. “He is a great leader and a great organizer on the defensive end. At the attacking end, he really worked hard at the timing of his runs. He became much more aggressive and hit the ball harder.”
Iverson was the only returning starter in the back for the Huskies -- he was joined by Barry, junior Christian Romano and senior Cam Ferus. With his savvy, experience and feel for the game, Iverson molded the group into an untouchable squad.
He set the tone.
“I think we all came into it playing for the team,” Iverson said. “Nobody was into it for individual accolades or anything like that. We all liked playing for each other. As guys went through the program, no matter what, the mentality stayed the same -- giving everything they had, not playing for themselves but for the team.”
Of the five goals the Huskies surrendered, two came at the end of 5-1 victories over Geneva in August and West Aurora in the sectional championship. National-power Morton scored a first half goal in a 2-1 Huskies win in August, and Milwaukee power Marquette scored twice in a tournament championship game that Naperville North won in a penalty shootout Sept. 29.
Otherwise, teams only dreamed about scoring against the Huskies.
Iverson and Welch concluded their high school careers in an All-American game Dec. 1 in Winter Park, Fla.
It becomes almost cumbersome to catalog Iverson's accomplishments: three state championships, three-time Chicagoland Soccer all-state player and now its Player of the Year, All-American and a national club champion.
But now Colin Iverson is looking ahead and preparing for the next challenge as a high-level college athlete.
“I think the success I have experienced is only going to push me to continue chasing that winning feeling,” Iverson said. “There’s nothing like it. I love the sport, but I think it is the guys I have been around and the coaches who have brought me up. The environment they have created for me is something I will never forget.
“I think, ultimately, we were successful because of how we cared for each other and nobody put themselves above anybody else. I think as a team we achieved way more success that way, and now we are going to apply that to life.”