Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Timing is everything. Playing in the PepsiCo Showdown meant Waukegan had to change its schedule around, moving games up or pushing them back, depending on the circumstances.
Arguably the regular season game of the year unfolds Thursday afternoon, on a natural surface and natural light, as top-ranked Libertyville travels to no. 5 Waukegan for the championship of the North Suburban Conference.
Waukegan’s games have a great atmosphere. Bulldogs’ coach Peter Valdez said they are erecting a special tent to accommodate the media and the college coaches who are expected.
Given what Naperville North accomplished at the Go 4 for the Goal Fall Classic, in Burlington, Iowa, the Huskies are worthy top billing in the poll. Playing three games in three days, Naperville North dominated Cherry Creek (Colo.), registered a shutout over over Notre Dame (Peoria) and trailed 3-0 at half before clipping St. Thomas Aquinas 4-3 to capture the top bracket.
Bradley-Bourbonnais saw its nearly two-year perfect run in the regular season end with losses to national no. 10 Whitefish Bay (Wis.) and no. 37 Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.) at the same tournament. The Boilermakers are the top-ranked team from Illinois (no. 3) in the current Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. Libertyville is ranked fifth with Waukegan 43rd.
Dundee-Crown knocked off previously unbeaten Prairie Ridge 1-0 in double overtime which means St. Edward and Woodstock are the last of the untied and unbeaten programs.
The state tournament seeds and hosting sites were also announced. We will get into that as we move closer to the start of the state tournament. With formal and informal conference championships being decided this week, the regular season end is no longer an abstraction. It is within view, creating even more high-stakes drama as we get closer to the top prizes.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Timing is everything. Playing in the PepsiCo Showdown meant Waukegan had to change its schedule around, moving games up or pushing them back, depending on the circumstances.
Arguably the regular season game of the year unfolds Thursday afternoon, on a natural surface and natural light, as top-ranked Libertyville travels to no. 5 Waukegan for the championship of the North Suburban Conference.
Waukegan’s games have a great atmosphere. Bulldogs’ coach Peter Valdez said they are erecting a special tent to accommodate the media and the college coaches who are expected.
Given what Naperville North accomplished at the Go 4 for the Goal Fall Classic, in Burlington, Iowa, the Huskies are worthy top billing in the poll. Playing three games in three days, Naperville North dominated Cherry Creek (Colo.), registered a shutout over over Notre Dame (Peoria) and trailed 3-0 at half before clipping St. Thomas Aquinas 4-3 to capture the top bracket.
Bradley-Bourbonnais saw its nearly two-year perfect run in the regular season end with losses to national no. 10 Whitefish Bay (Wis.) and no. 37 Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.) at the same tournament. The Boilermakers are the top-ranked team from Illinois (no. 3) in the current Top Drawer Soccer national rankings. Libertyville is ranked fifth with Waukegan 43rd.
Dundee-Crown knocked off previously unbeaten Prairie Ridge 1-0 in double overtime which means St. Edward and Woodstock are the last of the untied and unbeaten programs.
The state tournament seeds and hosting sites were also announced. We will get into that as we move closer to the start of the state tournament. With formal and informal conference championships being decided this week, the regular season end is no longer an abstraction. It is within view, creating even more high-stakes drama as we get closer to the top prizes.
Rank | LW | School | W | L | T | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Libertyville | 10 | 0 | 1 | Thursday showdown with Waukegan |
2 | 2 | Naperville N | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jack Barry, Huskies prove national worth |
3 | 8 | Glenbrook N | 13 | 2 | 1 | Alex Kahn is lightning off the bench |
4 | 5 | New Trier | 13 | 3 | 0 | Midfielder Matteo Blair is offensive stabilizer |
5 | 6 | Waukegan | 12 | 2 | 1 | Libertyville biggest regular season game ever |
6 | 7 | Morton | 12 | 1 | 2 | Hosts Leyden Wednesday for Gold title |
7 | 3 | Bradley-B | 12 | 2 | 0 | Two-year regular season win streak over |
8 | 14 | Dundee-Cr | 14 | 0 | 2 | Ended Prairie Ridge winning streak |
9 | 11 | Prairie R | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1-0 double OT loss to Dundee-Crown |
10 | 9 | OPRF | 12 | 2 | 1 | Midfielder James McGuire sparks offense |
11 | 4 | SC North | 9 | 2 | 4 | Bernard Elegbede is dynamic offensive player |
12 | 10 | Naperville C | 11 | 4 | 1 | Zack Kokes gives the offense lift |
13 | 12 | Lyons | 11 | 4 | 1 | Sam DeBoer is another top flight defender |
14 | 15 | Evanston | 10 | 3 | 3 | Dangerous "out" in state tournament |
15 | 16 | Barrington | 15 | 3 | 0 | Showdown with Buffalo Grove Tuesday |
16 | 17 | Streamwood | 10 | 4 | 1 | Kristian Niemiec is exciting to watch |
17 | 13 | St. Edward | 20 | 0 | 0 | Favorite for Class A state tournament |
18 | 20 | Woodstock | 18 | 0 | 0 | Top Class AA threat |
19 | 18 | Mt Carmel | 13 | 3 | 0 | Competitive showing in Burlington, Iowa |
20 | 19 | Carmel | 10 | 2 | 0 | Sr Carsten Murgas an emerging offensive threat |
21 | 22 | Plainfield C | 14 | 1 | 1 | Making bid for best team in program history |
22 | 25 | Leyden | 13 | 1 | 2 | D Daniel Kulawiak is brilliant two-way player |
23 | HM | Round Lake | 11 | 2 | 2 | Played Morton to 1-1 draw |
24 | HM | W Aurora | 15 | 2 | 1 | Secures coveted seed at Naperville N. sectional |
25 | NR | Buffalo Gr | 13 | 4 | 0 | Sr. F Kevin Loiza keys Bison 10-game win skein |
Look out for: Wheaton Academy, Glenbrook South, Lane, St. Ignatius, Reavis, Bremen, Young, Elgin, Loyola, Latin, Lockport, Bulls, Solorio, St. Patrick, University (Chicago)