Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year
Alex Canfield, F, Crystal Lake South
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Some players are born, others are made over time. Alex Canfield exists in a space of his own devising.
The early stages involved a particular brand of trial and error. In the quest to find himself and develop his personal style, he was humbled more than once trying to fashion his game to match his larger ambitions.
“When I was younger, playing a lot in club, I used to get made fun of, in a joking manner, because of my finishing abilities,” Canfield said.
“I missed a lot of breakaways.”
Hard, early lessons often lead to a breakthrough down the line, especially for those players with the sense about aspects of their game that require constant attention and self-appraisal.
“I worked specifically at finishing, because that is my role as the striker,” he said. “I worked on that, and it improved as I got older, stronger. And I really developed my game.”
Fast forward and the larger portrait is truly something to behold. Canfield just completed one of the most remarkable two-year stretches in the 48-year history of Illinois boys soccer.
A senior forward at Crystal Lake South, Canfield scored a combined 67 goals and contributed 31 assists against elite competition.
He played big in the games that were most consequential.
He scored a goal and added an assist in the Gators’ victory over Notre Dame (Peoria) in the Class AA state championship game last year.
On the first weekend of November at Hoffman Estates, Canfield returned to the state finals with a magnificent individual performance against Triad in the first Class AA state semifinal.
Triad appeared to have the clear edge in possession time and accumulating dangerous chances throughout the first half. The Knights influenced tempo and pace, and the Gators were reacting.
Then Canfield, Crystal Lake South's one-man wrecking crew took over.
In a riveting four-minute stretch, he scored two highlight reel goals that beautifully crystallized his elite combination of speed, athleticism and flair for the dramatic moment.
“I am very quick with the ball,” he said. “I am able to get around the defense very swiftly. Typically a defender’s going to be a little slower, unless he is an outside back. A lot of times when players find me through the seams I am able to break away from the defense.
“When I am running down the wing, I am able to put a little move on and get past the defender.”
Canfield was neutralized as the Gators’ bid for consecutive state championships. Benet's defense for the ages double-teamed him in the Redwings’ 2-0 state championship victory.
Losing his final high school game was a bit jolting. Still, context is everything.
Led by Canfield, Crystal Lake South made a significant statement.
“It definitely hurt to lose, especially considering it was a state title game,” Canfield said. “But given how many seniors were graduated the previous year and how hard we worked throughout the season to make it back, we are all super proud of each other.
“You could just see the improvement we made throughout the entire season.”
Canfield scored 34 goals and added 18 assists in marking the Gators as a singular program with the back-to-back state title game appearances.
For his accomplishments, Alex Canfield is the Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year.
He won out over one of the strongest classes in state history. The finalists included (in alphabetic order): Ty Konrad, of Naperville North; Noah Madrigal, of Notre Dame (Peoria); Moises Morfin, of West Chicago Joshua Torres, of St. Patrick; and Edwin Zizumbo, of Morton (Cicero).
After the finals, Canfield was one of five Illinois players selected to play in the national All-American game in Orlando.
“Words can’t describe what Alex has meant to the Crystal Lake South program,” coach Brian Allen said. “Beyond his ability on the field, he is a first-class, character guy who always wants to talk about his teammates and the team before himself.
“We have had some phenomenal individual players in the program, like Paul Lekics, whose records Alex broke, and Charlie Oliver. Alex is without question the greatest soccer player to ever put on a Crystal Lake South uniform.”
The Illinois-Chicago recruit was a finalist for Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year Award in 2018 but was overshadowed by Naperville North's high-scoring defender Colin Iverson and the Huskies third-consecutive Class 3A state championship. This year he came back and did even more on the field with far fewer pieces around him.
He is the first Class AA player to win the award, and the first who was not on a state championship team.
His 204 career points on 85 goals and 34 assists is a program record. His senior year assist total, 18, surpassed his career mark leading into his junior year.
His trajectory was not always a straight line to greatness. As a freshman, he was a situational specialist who played primary as an attacking midfielder.
“His evolution as a player stems from his hard work-rate,” Allen said. “He worked extremely hard as a freshman to impress and make the varsity.”
In his sophomore year, Canfield felt ready to flourish after Allen shifted him to his preferred position -- forward/striker at the top of the attack.
“My sophomore year I had to suffer through a back injury through most of the year,” he said. “It was a tough situation, because I did not get as many playing minutes as I could.
“My coach played me as much as he could, but with a back injury, it was just very difficult.”
The team in his sophomore year had only a plus-1 differential of wins and losses. More than anything, that part of the equation — the relative lack of team success — haunted Canfield.
By the start of his junior year, the back injury was a thing of the past. Now he was able to optimize his gifts. At 6-feet, Canfield combined ideal size, power, speed and athleticism.
Canfield welcomed the challenge of the heightened offensive role. As a freshman he had to assimilate the speed the power of the game.
No longer inhibited physically, he was ready.
“That’s where everything peaked,” he said.
Canfield never shirked from the responsibilities of the position. He felt it was an honor to play there and was energized by the shift.
The parts all seemed to coalesce.
“I definitely like being at the top, because it gives me more freedom to use my ability to exploit all of my talents. I don’t feel compressed with space all the time.
“I feel like I could use my speed more efficiently.”
As a junior, Canfield scored 33 goals and contributed seven assists for the Gators, who finished 22-2-3.
It created an interesting dynamic for what the next stage held.
“He could have coasted this year and still been one of the best players in the area,” Allen said. “He is never satisfied with a performance. He worked harder as a senior than ever before.
“He ended up with a goal or assist in every one of our state playoff games, except the final.”
Canfield was named a first-time captain for the Gators. He served in that role with teammates Sabien Raymond, Garrett Schneider, Danny Ciezadlo, Colton Weidner and Evan Carlson.
Now he prepares for the next stage of his life in making the transition from high school to Division I soccer.
“Right now I am just working on continuing to develop my game,” said Canfield, who is training with FC 1974 Libertyville. “I need to be in peak condition before I start playing, because the competition is much better at the Division I stage.
“It’s like playing a state championship game but harder every single day.”
Canfield will bring meaningful memories with him to the next level.
“What we accomplished means a lot,” Canfield said. “I really could not have done anything I did without my teammates.
“It was a really cool experience and something I am going to remember every day for the rest of my life.”
Alex Canfield, F, Crystal Lake South
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Some players are born, others are made over time. Alex Canfield exists in a space of his own devising.
The early stages involved a particular brand of trial and error. In the quest to find himself and develop his personal style, he was humbled more than once trying to fashion his game to match his larger ambitions.
“When I was younger, playing a lot in club, I used to get made fun of, in a joking manner, because of my finishing abilities,” Canfield said.
“I missed a lot of breakaways.”
Hard, early lessons often lead to a breakthrough down the line, especially for those players with the sense about aspects of their game that require constant attention and self-appraisal.
“I worked specifically at finishing, because that is my role as the striker,” he said. “I worked on that, and it improved as I got older, stronger. And I really developed my game.”
Fast forward and the larger portrait is truly something to behold. Canfield just completed one of the most remarkable two-year stretches in the 48-year history of Illinois boys soccer.
A senior forward at Crystal Lake South, Canfield scored a combined 67 goals and contributed 31 assists against elite competition.
He played big in the games that were most consequential.
He scored a goal and added an assist in the Gators’ victory over Notre Dame (Peoria) in the Class AA state championship game last year.
On the first weekend of November at Hoffman Estates, Canfield returned to the state finals with a magnificent individual performance against Triad in the first Class AA state semifinal.
Triad appeared to have the clear edge in possession time and accumulating dangerous chances throughout the first half. The Knights influenced tempo and pace, and the Gators were reacting.
Then Canfield, Crystal Lake South's one-man wrecking crew took over.
In a riveting four-minute stretch, he scored two highlight reel goals that beautifully crystallized his elite combination of speed, athleticism and flair for the dramatic moment.
“I am very quick with the ball,” he said. “I am able to get around the defense very swiftly. Typically a defender’s going to be a little slower, unless he is an outside back. A lot of times when players find me through the seams I am able to break away from the defense.
“When I am running down the wing, I am able to put a little move on and get past the defender.”
Canfield was neutralized as the Gators’ bid for consecutive state championships. Benet's defense for the ages double-teamed him in the Redwings’ 2-0 state championship victory.
Losing his final high school game was a bit jolting. Still, context is everything.
Led by Canfield, Crystal Lake South made a significant statement.
“It definitely hurt to lose, especially considering it was a state title game,” Canfield said. “But given how many seniors were graduated the previous year and how hard we worked throughout the season to make it back, we are all super proud of each other.
“You could just see the improvement we made throughout the entire season.”
Canfield scored 34 goals and added 18 assists in marking the Gators as a singular program with the back-to-back state title game appearances.
For his accomplishments, Alex Canfield is the Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year.
He won out over one of the strongest classes in state history. The finalists included (in alphabetic order): Ty Konrad, of Naperville North; Noah Madrigal, of Notre Dame (Peoria); Moises Morfin, of West Chicago Joshua Torres, of St. Patrick; and Edwin Zizumbo, of Morton (Cicero).
After the finals, Canfield was one of five Illinois players selected to play in the national All-American game in Orlando.
“Words can’t describe what Alex has meant to the Crystal Lake South program,” coach Brian Allen said. “Beyond his ability on the field, he is a first-class, character guy who always wants to talk about his teammates and the team before himself.
“We have had some phenomenal individual players in the program, like Paul Lekics, whose records Alex broke, and Charlie Oliver. Alex is without question the greatest soccer player to ever put on a Crystal Lake South uniform.”
The Illinois-Chicago recruit was a finalist for Chicagoland Soccer Player of the Year Award in 2018 but was overshadowed by Naperville North's high-scoring defender Colin Iverson and the Huskies third-consecutive Class 3A state championship. This year he came back and did even more on the field with far fewer pieces around him.
He is the first Class AA player to win the award, and the first who was not on a state championship team.
His 204 career points on 85 goals and 34 assists is a program record. His senior year assist total, 18, surpassed his career mark leading into his junior year.
His trajectory was not always a straight line to greatness. As a freshman, he was a situational specialist who played primary as an attacking midfielder.
“His evolution as a player stems from his hard work-rate,” Allen said. “He worked extremely hard as a freshman to impress and make the varsity.”
In his sophomore year, Canfield felt ready to flourish after Allen shifted him to his preferred position -- forward/striker at the top of the attack.
“My sophomore year I had to suffer through a back injury through most of the year,” he said. “It was a tough situation, because I did not get as many playing minutes as I could.
“My coach played me as much as he could, but with a back injury, it was just very difficult.”
The team in his sophomore year had only a plus-1 differential of wins and losses. More than anything, that part of the equation — the relative lack of team success — haunted Canfield.
By the start of his junior year, the back injury was a thing of the past. Now he was able to optimize his gifts. At 6-feet, Canfield combined ideal size, power, speed and athleticism.
Canfield welcomed the challenge of the heightened offensive role. As a freshman he had to assimilate the speed the power of the game.
No longer inhibited physically, he was ready.
“That’s where everything peaked,” he said.
Canfield never shirked from the responsibilities of the position. He felt it was an honor to play there and was energized by the shift.
The parts all seemed to coalesce.
“I definitely like being at the top, because it gives me more freedom to use my ability to exploit all of my talents. I don’t feel compressed with space all the time.
“I feel like I could use my speed more efficiently.”
As a junior, Canfield scored 33 goals and contributed seven assists for the Gators, who finished 22-2-3.
It created an interesting dynamic for what the next stage held.
“He could have coasted this year and still been one of the best players in the area,” Allen said. “He is never satisfied with a performance. He worked harder as a senior than ever before.
“He ended up with a goal or assist in every one of our state playoff games, except the final.”
Canfield was named a first-time captain for the Gators. He served in that role with teammates Sabien Raymond, Garrett Schneider, Danny Ciezadlo, Colton Weidner and Evan Carlson.
Now he prepares for the next stage of his life in making the transition from high school to Division I soccer.
“Right now I am just working on continuing to develop my game,” said Canfield, who is training with FC 1974 Libertyville. “I need to be in peak condition before I start playing, because the competition is much better at the Division I stage.
“It’s like playing a state championship game but harder every single day.”
Canfield will bring meaningful memories with him to the next level.
“What we accomplished means a lot,” Canfield said. “I really could not have done anything I did without my teammates.
“It was a really cool experience and something I am going to remember every day for the rest of my life.”