Ayyy! Wheaton North’s
Winckler isn’t done yet
By Chris Walker
Riley Winckler assumed her happy days of playing soccer were over.
Then she scored a college team to send her playing career into overtime.
In the middle of the novel coronavirus pandemic that had ended the high school spring sports season in its tracks, the Wheaton North senior committed to the College of DuPage (COD), which she was already planning on attending to pursue a career in physical therapy.
“During the first week of practice, which didn’t last very long, my coach (Tim McEvilly) asked me where I was going and what I was going to do and I told him I was 99 percent sure I was going to COD,” she said. “So, he reached out to their coach, and I got offered a spot a couple of weeks ago.”
As the baby of her family, Winckler has seen her older sister and brother leave the area for school before coming back home and enrolling at COD.
Learning a bit from their experiences, as well as recognizing the advantages of more affordable tuition and the ability to live at home instead of coughing over thousands for room and board, played into her decision-making.
The same can be said about the forthcoming arrival of her first niece: older sister Allie is expecting a baby girl in August.
“I’m really excited, because I love kids, but this one will be my niece,” she said. “It’s just a special time. I’m so excited to be able to spoil her and just spend time with her.”
The next time Winckler plays soccer likely will be in the fall for the Chaparrals. It takes away some of the sting of losing her senior season.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play again, and now that I have that opportunity it means a lot to me,” she said. “I’m not getting my senior year, but I am feeling a lot better knowing I’m still going to be playing the game.”
McEvilly was first introduced to Winckler when she was just a fifth or sixth grader, standing on the sidelines watching her brother Cooper play for the Falcons.
“Cooper played for me since his freshman year, so I saw this kid on the sidelines juggling a soccer ball,” McEvilly said. “She would always be around the summer camps, and we were excited to get her in the program. I’m disappointed we lost a fourth year with her.
“She’s one of the program-first kids. We moved her around -- whatever the team needed. We’d have plugs here or there, and we were able to plug her right in where she could help most.”
Winckler trailed only sophomore Olivia Moreno last season in goals for the Falcons. She netted six goals and added six assists. She expected a strong season this spring with Moreno among the many talented players who returned.
“I think we would’ve had a really good season,” Winckler said. “We had a lot back including a lot of great underclassmen like Olivia (Moreno), Claudia (Kim) and Macy (Hutchenson). They brought a lot to the team, and we had a lot more scoring opportunities up-front.”
A team captain this season, Winckler has felt like she’s been able to bond well with her newer teammates. She’s taking a leadership role that certainly is relying heavily on technology to stay in touch with her squad.
“I’ve always been louder than most people, but I’m outgoing and have been able to make a nice connection through a lot of the younger girls,” she said.
“I know that sometimes you have to be quiet. I wasn’t a captain before, but last year I would put in my two cents as motivation in a way. Then this year as a captain with Rachel Brady, we’ve been leading most things, even though it’s through Zoom and texting. We’ve tried to keep everyone connected.”
Fortunately for Winckler, competing isn’t the sole reason why she’s continued to play the game. She’s thankful for that since she hasn’t been able to get on the field with her teammates. But boy oh boy, just imagine for a moment if the season were happening and what the Falcons would be doing right now.
Wheaton North was scheduled to finish their regular season schedule with a home game against Geneva on May 4 before traveling to St. Charles East on May 7 and then welcoming St. Charles North to Wheaton for a matinee on May 9. Then, they’d have a few days to recover before finishing up in Batavia on May 14.
Without a doubt, those games would have had implications in the race for the DuKane Conference, and there’s a good chance that the Falcons would’ve been in the mix.
“I looked at the schedule and that’s (similar to) the way we finished last year with that Murderers’ Row,” McEvilly said. “Last year we lost a tight one to Geneva (3-1 on April 30), and then we lost 2-1 to St. Charles East (May 2). Then we lost to Batavia with about 10 seconds left (1-0 May 9). But we were looking forward to that challenge.”
The final three teams the Falcons were going to play in the regular season averaged 19.3 wins a season ago.
“Judging how close our games were last year, I think we would’ve had a really good chance to be up there in the conference, if not having a chance to win it,” Brady said. “We had so many games decided by one goal, so we knew we were close.”
Those games were about as close as Brady and Winckler are thanks to playing the game together for so long. For all but five years of their respective lives, albeit the five years that each hadn’t played the game yet, the duo have been feeding their hunger for a sport that’s been a part of them since the days when Capri Suns and snacks were regularly handed out as postgame treats.
“I love the game because I have such a competitive drive, and I like to play and get out and show it,” Winckler said. “It also has built friendships. I’ve played with Rachel Brady for 13 years, and we’ve been together for most of them. For me, the game is good for my competitive drive. I just love playing, and I’ve made so many great friends through soccer.”
Brady recognizes that being teammates for so long is not the norm for most kids, and that makes her appreciate the friendship with Winckler even more.
“Not many people get to experience so many things, the highs and lows, with someone that’s constant in your life through all those years,” Brady said. “On the field we’ve had a lot of nice chemistry and know how to play together so well.
“It’s helped having the same coaches and training off the field. And we spend time with each other’s families. Her dad was a parent-coach for us for a long time, so he’s someone I know very well. It’s just been a lot of fun having someone through all those years.”
It’s no surprise that the two are very much alike on the field in the sense that they can be intense players but not overdo it. They still make sure to have fun while recognizing that they’re playing a game, not heading off to a dreaded 9-to-5 with a lengthy commute five days a week.
“We can get very intense and have heated moments where we’re quite serious when we need to,” Brady said. “We can also have a lot of fun, a lot of joy and have a good time with laughter with it. During game time we’re both focused, but there’s also times when we can laugh things off or mumble something under our breath.”
While no one will ever know how the Falcons would’ve fared this spring, there certainly was plenty of optimism.
“We were talking a lot about finishing stronger,” Winckler said. “We were close a lot last year in getting those wins, and I was liking our mentality and attitude going into the season. We had a lot we were looking forward to.”
She made an impression on Moreno last year while Moreno in turn made an impression in the DuKane Conference, leading the Falcons with 15 goals.
“I have learned so much from her these past two years,” Moreno said. “I love how confident she is on the ball. That is probably the main thing I have taken away from her, just learning to be confident especially as a freshman, because it was hard in the beginning. But she made it easier and was such an incredible role model.”
While Moreno still has a couple years left in school, she’s still going to be left wondering just what she could’ve done with Winckler and the rest of the seniors.
“I’m going to miss playing with her so much and being able to make runs for her,” Moreno said. “It’s going to be weird next year not having her on the field.”
Winckler is one of those rare kids who’s talented, humble and competitive, yet able to have a good time. That’s helped her make an impact on junior Kayla Shebar anywhere on the field.
“The thing I love most about her is that she is consistently unbothered,” Shebar said. “She doesn’t let things get to her. If anyone tries to bring her down, it does not affect her in any way.”
A fine example was last year’s Class 3A Conant regional title game where the hosts edged the Falcons in a shootout.
“It was getting super physical in the end and some girl on the other team said something extremely rude to her, and she did not say anything back,” Shebar said. “(Winckler) just looked at me and laughed.”
She’s able to recognize that it’s just a game, and while she wants to win it, she can appreciate that there are more important things in a life, and that likely will play in her pursuing a career where she’ll be able to help people fight their own adversities.
Winckler hopes to make her living helping others recover from injuries and surgeries as a physical therapist. While she’s been fortunate to avoid a serious knee injury that has required major surgery, she’s certainly tweaked a number of things over the years like any hard-nosed soccer player has.
“I’ve always been interested in ACLs even though I haven’t torn mine,” she said. “But I’ve been injury prone with pulled muscles, quads and hamstrings. I’ve spent a lot of time in the athletic training room so that’s always been an interest, and I want to do something that’s hands-on.”
Like holding her niece; just one of the many reasons why Winckler is smiling and excited about what lies ahead.
Winckler isn’t done yet
By Chris Walker
Riley Winckler assumed her happy days of playing soccer were over.
Then she scored a college team to send her playing career into overtime.
In the middle of the novel coronavirus pandemic that had ended the high school spring sports season in its tracks, the Wheaton North senior committed to the College of DuPage (COD), which she was already planning on attending to pursue a career in physical therapy.
“During the first week of practice, which didn’t last very long, my coach (Tim McEvilly) asked me where I was going and what I was going to do and I told him I was 99 percent sure I was going to COD,” she said. “So, he reached out to their coach, and I got offered a spot a couple of weeks ago.”
As the baby of her family, Winckler has seen her older sister and brother leave the area for school before coming back home and enrolling at COD.
Learning a bit from their experiences, as well as recognizing the advantages of more affordable tuition and the ability to live at home instead of coughing over thousands for room and board, played into her decision-making.
The same can be said about the forthcoming arrival of her first niece: older sister Allie is expecting a baby girl in August.
“I’m really excited, because I love kids, but this one will be my niece,” she said. “It’s just a special time. I’m so excited to be able to spoil her and just spend time with her.”
The next time Winckler plays soccer likely will be in the fall for the Chaparrals. It takes away some of the sting of losing her senior season.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play again, and now that I have that opportunity it means a lot to me,” she said. “I’m not getting my senior year, but I am feeling a lot better knowing I’m still going to be playing the game.”
McEvilly was first introduced to Winckler when she was just a fifth or sixth grader, standing on the sidelines watching her brother Cooper play for the Falcons.
“Cooper played for me since his freshman year, so I saw this kid on the sidelines juggling a soccer ball,” McEvilly said. “She would always be around the summer camps, and we were excited to get her in the program. I’m disappointed we lost a fourth year with her.
“She’s one of the program-first kids. We moved her around -- whatever the team needed. We’d have plugs here or there, and we were able to plug her right in where she could help most.”
Winckler trailed only sophomore Olivia Moreno last season in goals for the Falcons. She netted six goals and added six assists. She expected a strong season this spring with Moreno among the many talented players who returned.
“I think we would’ve had a really good season,” Winckler said. “We had a lot back including a lot of great underclassmen like Olivia (Moreno), Claudia (Kim) and Macy (Hutchenson). They brought a lot to the team, and we had a lot more scoring opportunities up-front.”
A team captain this season, Winckler has felt like she’s been able to bond well with her newer teammates. She’s taking a leadership role that certainly is relying heavily on technology to stay in touch with her squad.
“I’ve always been louder than most people, but I’m outgoing and have been able to make a nice connection through a lot of the younger girls,” she said.
“I know that sometimes you have to be quiet. I wasn’t a captain before, but last year I would put in my two cents as motivation in a way. Then this year as a captain with Rachel Brady, we’ve been leading most things, even though it’s through Zoom and texting. We’ve tried to keep everyone connected.”
Fortunately for Winckler, competing isn’t the sole reason why she’s continued to play the game. She’s thankful for that since she hasn’t been able to get on the field with her teammates. But boy oh boy, just imagine for a moment if the season were happening and what the Falcons would be doing right now.
Wheaton North was scheduled to finish their regular season schedule with a home game against Geneva on May 4 before traveling to St. Charles East on May 7 and then welcoming St. Charles North to Wheaton for a matinee on May 9. Then, they’d have a few days to recover before finishing up in Batavia on May 14.
Without a doubt, those games would have had implications in the race for the DuKane Conference, and there’s a good chance that the Falcons would’ve been in the mix.
“I looked at the schedule and that’s (similar to) the way we finished last year with that Murderers’ Row,” McEvilly said. “Last year we lost a tight one to Geneva (3-1 on April 30), and then we lost 2-1 to St. Charles East (May 2). Then we lost to Batavia with about 10 seconds left (1-0 May 9). But we were looking forward to that challenge.”
The final three teams the Falcons were going to play in the regular season averaged 19.3 wins a season ago.
“Judging how close our games were last year, I think we would’ve had a really good chance to be up there in the conference, if not having a chance to win it,” Brady said. “We had so many games decided by one goal, so we knew we were close.”
Those games were about as close as Brady and Winckler are thanks to playing the game together for so long. For all but five years of their respective lives, albeit the five years that each hadn’t played the game yet, the duo have been feeding their hunger for a sport that’s been a part of them since the days when Capri Suns and snacks were regularly handed out as postgame treats.
“I love the game because I have such a competitive drive, and I like to play and get out and show it,” Winckler said. “It also has built friendships. I’ve played with Rachel Brady for 13 years, and we’ve been together for most of them. For me, the game is good for my competitive drive. I just love playing, and I’ve made so many great friends through soccer.”
Brady recognizes that being teammates for so long is not the norm for most kids, and that makes her appreciate the friendship with Winckler even more.
“Not many people get to experience so many things, the highs and lows, with someone that’s constant in your life through all those years,” Brady said. “On the field we’ve had a lot of nice chemistry and know how to play together so well.
“It’s helped having the same coaches and training off the field. And we spend time with each other’s families. Her dad was a parent-coach for us for a long time, so he’s someone I know very well. It’s just been a lot of fun having someone through all those years.”
It’s no surprise that the two are very much alike on the field in the sense that they can be intense players but not overdo it. They still make sure to have fun while recognizing that they’re playing a game, not heading off to a dreaded 9-to-5 with a lengthy commute five days a week.
“We can get very intense and have heated moments where we’re quite serious when we need to,” Brady said. “We can also have a lot of fun, a lot of joy and have a good time with laughter with it. During game time we’re both focused, but there’s also times when we can laugh things off or mumble something under our breath.”
While no one will ever know how the Falcons would’ve fared this spring, there certainly was plenty of optimism.
“We were talking a lot about finishing stronger,” Winckler said. “We were close a lot last year in getting those wins, and I was liking our mentality and attitude going into the season. We had a lot we were looking forward to.”
She made an impression on Moreno last year while Moreno in turn made an impression in the DuKane Conference, leading the Falcons with 15 goals.
“I have learned so much from her these past two years,” Moreno said. “I love how confident she is on the ball. That is probably the main thing I have taken away from her, just learning to be confident especially as a freshman, because it was hard in the beginning. But she made it easier and was such an incredible role model.”
While Moreno still has a couple years left in school, she’s still going to be left wondering just what she could’ve done with Winckler and the rest of the seniors.
“I’m going to miss playing with her so much and being able to make runs for her,” Moreno said. “It’s going to be weird next year not having her on the field.”
Winckler is one of those rare kids who’s talented, humble and competitive, yet able to have a good time. That’s helped her make an impact on junior Kayla Shebar anywhere on the field.
“The thing I love most about her is that she is consistently unbothered,” Shebar said. “She doesn’t let things get to her. If anyone tries to bring her down, it does not affect her in any way.”
A fine example was last year’s Class 3A Conant regional title game where the hosts edged the Falcons in a shootout.
“It was getting super physical in the end and some girl on the other team said something extremely rude to her, and she did not say anything back,” Shebar said. “(Winckler) just looked at me and laughed.”
She’s able to recognize that it’s just a game, and while she wants to win it, she can appreciate that there are more important things in a life, and that likely will play in her pursuing a career where she’ll be able to help people fight their own adversities.
Winckler hopes to make her living helping others recover from injuries and surgeries as a physical therapist. While she’s been fortunate to avoid a serious knee injury that has required major surgery, she’s certainly tweaked a number of things over the years like any hard-nosed soccer player has.
“I’ve always been interested in ACLs even though I haven’t torn mine,” she said. “But I’ve been injury prone with pulled muscles, quads and hamstrings. I’ve spent a lot of time in the athletic training room so that’s always been an interest, and I want to do something that’s hands-on.”
Like holding her niece; just one of the many reasons why Winckler is smiling and excited about what lies ahead.