Notebook: Plainfield South
By Dave Owen
Few if any soccer programs can match the rapid rise of Plainfield South.
After the Cougars produced a combined 17-19-1 record over the course of 2015 and 2016, the past two springs have been a major reversal – a 29-15-1 record, including a 14-5-1 mark this season.
A deep and talented senior class was around as underclassmen for the early struggles. But they'll leave the program on sound footing under second-year coach Alfonso Lopez.
The senior nucleus starts in the back with goalkeeper Nicole Trenholm.
“Nicole Trenholm has been unbelievable,” Lopez said. “She has 10 shutouts this year and has been a key factor to our great season. She has made a lot of saves and has kept us in a lot of games.”
Trenholm and the Cougars also have a 2-0 record in penalty kick shootouts this spring.
“Nicole has been a cornerstone to our success the past two years,” Lopez said. “She has improved more and more each year. And not only is she a phenomenal goalkeeper, she is a great student and person.”
Ciara Coneset has been a consistent impact player as a defender or midfielder since making the Plainfield South varsity as a freshman.
“Ciara has been a staple in the Cougar defense for four years,” Lopez said. “She controls the midfield and is a tremendous player. She is a huge reason why we have been successful this year.
“She can shut down the best players on the other team and her drive is unmatched. She is without a doubt one of the best players around.”
In her third year on varsity, Amaya Silvar is wrapping up her Cougars career in style.
“Amaya Silver has been one of our most improved players this year,” Lopez said. “She put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it shows.
“She has been an important part of the Cougar defense that has done a great job this season.”
The Cougars have also been able to depend on veteran talent up the field.
“Isabel Cerda is our workhorse,” Lopez said of the third-year starting forward. “She goes all out every game. There is absolutely no quit in her.
That maximum effort has produced a team-high 12 goals this season, plus seven assists.
“Isa has been a major contributor to Plainfield South in her four years here,” Lopez said. “She sparks the team in so many ways. She is also an amazing student who will have great success in the future.”
Despite battling injuries this spring, Gianna Dodaro has been another varsity standout since sophomore year.
“Gianna Dodaro is a game-changer,” Lopez said. “She is by far one of the best forwards in the area, if not the state. She has great awareness and knowledge of the game.
“Whenever Gianna is in the game, we are very dangerous. She’s one of the main reasons we started the season on a tear (a 12-2-1 record into late April).”
But Dodaro has been either out of the lineup or limited in minutes for stretches of the season, including of late.
“She’s been dealing with injuries all year long,” Lopez said. “We lost her in week three for a few weeks, and we missed her scoring in some big games. We hope to have her back for regionals.”
Also among the Cougars’ huge 15-member senior class on the varsity, Tracy Metcalf, Cameron Graham and Adanelly Escamilla have been starters and Jocelyn Esquivel a key reserve.
Plainfield South foreshadowed its rise in the 2016 regionals, upsetting Oswego 1-0 to reach the regional finals. That taste of success has developed into a feast.
By the numbers
Besides Cerda’s strong production in goals (12) and assists (seven), several other Cougars have been major offensive threats.
Metcalf and Coneset each have seven goals, and Emily DeVivo has been a solid finisher and distributor with five goals and a team-high 13 assists. Dodaro and freshman Alyssa Grigg have three goals apiece.
Finishing strong
About the only piece of bad news for Plainfield South in the past two years has come at the very end.
The Cougars started 15-4-0 last season, only to close the spring on a losing streak.
This year, a 4-0 loss to Plainfield East on April 26 began a cooldown from a 12-2-1 record to the current 14-5-1 mark.
But with a rematch against Plainfield East awaiting in Tuesday’s Metea Valley regional semifinal, the Cougars hope to catch fire again.
“Our regional has four solid teams who can be very dangerous,” Lopez said of a field that also includes defending regional champion Metea Valley, which is ranked no. 25 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, and Yorkville.
“We’re looking forward to playing East again. They have had a good run (including a 1-0 win on May 3 over Plainfield North).
“They have some good players,” Lopez added, “but if we defend the way we know we can, we will be successful.”
May has been a series of ups and downs for the Cougars, with strong defensive efforts against Bolingbrook (a 3-0 win) and Oswego (a PK win after the teams couldn't break at 1-1 stalemate) interspersed with losses to conference c-champs Plainfield North and Minooka.
“In order to get back to peak form, we need to continue to stay focused on the defensive end and score when we have opportunities,” Lopez said. “If we do, we will be just fine. That will be the key.”
By Dave Owen
Few if any soccer programs can match the rapid rise of Plainfield South.
After the Cougars produced a combined 17-19-1 record over the course of 2015 and 2016, the past two springs have been a major reversal – a 29-15-1 record, including a 14-5-1 mark this season.
A deep and talented senior class was around as underclassmen for the early struggles. But they'll leave the program on sound footing under second-year coach Alfonso Lopez.
The senior nucleus starts in the back with goalkeeper Nicole Trenholm.
“Nicole Trenholm has been unbelievable,” Lopez said. “She has 10 shutouts this year and has been a key factor to our great season. She has made a lot of saves and has kept us in a lot of games.”
Trenholm and the Cougars also have a 2-0 record in penalty kick shootouts this spring.
“Nicole has been a cornerstone to our success the past two years,” Lopez said. “She has improved more and more each year. And not only is she a phenomenal goalkeeper, she is a great student and person.”
Ciara Coneset has been a consistent impact player as a defender or midfielder since making the Plainfield South varsity as a freshman.
“Ciara has been a staple in the Cougar defense for four years,” Lopez said. “She controls the midfield and is a tremendous player. She is a huge reason why we have been successful this year.
“She can shut down the best players on the other team and her drive is unmatched. She is without a doubt one of the best players around.”
In her third year on varsity, Amaya Silvar is wrapping up her Cougars career in style.
“Amaya Silver has been one of our most improved players this year,” Lopez said. “She put in a lot of work in the offseason, and it shows.
“She has been an important part of the Cougar defense that has done a great job this season.”
The Cougars have also been able to depend on veteran talent up the field.
“Isabel Cerda is our workhorse,” Lopez said of the third-year starting forward. “She goes all out every game. There is absolutely no quit in her.
That maximum effort has produced a team-high 12 goals this season, plus seven assists.
“Isa has been a major contributor to Plainfield South in her four years here,” Lopez said. “She sparks the team in so many ways. She is also an amazing student who will have great success in the future.”
Despite battling injuries this spring, Gianna Dodaro has been another varsity standout since sophomore year.
“Gianna Dodaro is a game-changer,” Lopez said. “She is by far one of the best forwards in the area, if not the state. She has great awareness and knowledge of the game.
“Whenever Gianna is in the game, we are very dangerous. She’s one of the main reasons we started the season on a tear (a 12-2-1 record into late April).”
But Dodaro has been either out of the lineup or limited in minutes for stretches of the season, including of late.
“She’s been dealing with injuries all year long,” Lopez said. “We lost her in week three for a few weeks, and we missed her scoring in some big games. We hope to have her back for regionals.”
Also among the Cougars’ huge 15-member senior class on the varsity, Tracy Metcalf, Cameron Graham and Adanelly Escamilla have been starters and Jocelyn Esquivel a key reserve.
Plainfield South foreshadowed its rise in the 2016 regionals, upsetting Oswego 1-0 to reach the regional finals. That taste of success has developed into a feast.
By the numbers
Besides Cerda’s strong production in goals (12) and assists (seven), several other Cougars have been major offensive threats.
Metcalf and Coneset each have seven goals, and Emily DeVivo has been a solid finisher and distributor with five goals and a team-high 13 assists. Dodaro and freshman Alyssa Grigg have three goals apiece.
Finishing strong
About the only piece of bad news for Plainfield South in the past two years has come at the very end.
The Cougars started 15-4-0 last season, only to close the spring on a losing streak.
This year, a 4-0 loss to Plainfield East on April 26 began a cooldown from a 12-2-1 record to the current 14-5-1 mark.
But with a rematch against Plainfield East awaiting in Tuesday’s Metea Valley regional semifinal, the Cougars hope to catch fire again.
“Our regional has four solid teams who can be very dangerous,” Lopez said of a field that also includes defending regional champion Metea Valley, which is ranked no. 25 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, and Yorkville.
“We’re looking forward to playing East again. They have had a good run (including a 1-0 win on May 3 over Plainfield North).
“They have some good players,” Lopez added, “but if we defend the way we know we can, we will be successful.”
May has been a series of ups and downs for the Cougars, with strong defensive efforts against Bolingbrook (a 3-0 win) and Oswego (a PK win after the teams couldn't break at 1-1 stalemate) interspersed with losses to conference c-champs Plainfield North and Minooka.
“In order to get back to peak form, we need to continue to stay focused on the defensive end and score when we have opportunities,” Lopez said. “If we do, we will be just fine. That will be the key.”