Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The eight-week regular season is best understood incrementally, or through blocks of games.
We are already one-fourth of the way through the regular-season. Typically in the early season, chaos will manifest itself.
Naperville North’s dramatic 3-2 victory over previously top-ranked Plainfield North further stirred the polling pot.
Among the cluster of teams under consideration at the top of the rankings, consider the following: Plainfield North beat Naperville Central, who beat Morton. Plainfield North lost to Naperville North, who beat Benet, but lost to Lyons and Morton.
Lyons tied Sandburg, which beat Naperville Central in penalty kicks but lost to Plainfield North.
So who moves to the top? Let's go with Lyons, based on their Northside College Showcase win over New Trier, by a hair over Oak Park and River Forest.
This is another reminder that teams that drop in the ranks can be passed due to another team's superlative week of play.
The poll in its current state definitely says something about the Silver Division of the West Suburban Conference. Besides the top pair, no. 7 York is unbeaten (4-0-1) and captured the round-robin Hillner Classic at Lake Park (but not without a scare from Lake Park), and defending Silver champion Hinsdale Central vaulted into the poll at no. 14 from the honorable mention list.
York, the defending Class 3A state champions have not faced the schedule of Naperville North, Plainfield North, Naperville Central, Lyons or New Trier. The Dukes were the rare state champion that did not win its own conference; they tied with Lyons and Oak Park and River Forest for the second best record at 4-2-x, but finished fourth on tiebreakers.
This past weekend offered quite the range of matchups and performances, with championship or tournament games decided in the Best of the West (Naperville North), Northside College Showcase (Lyons), St. Charles Invitational (West Chicago), Hillner (York), Barrington Classic (Conant), Titan Invitational (Stevenson), Novy Classic (Glenbard North) and Alonso Sanchez Memorial (Zion-Benton).
The Windy City Ram Classic (Lockport) concluded Thursday night
What a wild and mad week. It shows that the race to the top will continue to be fun and exhilarating, and it's far from over.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The eight-week regular season is best understood incrementally, or through blocks of games.
We are already one-fourth of the way through the regular-season. Typically in the early season, chaos will manifest itself.
Naperville North’s dramatic 3-2 victory over previously top-ranked Plainfield North further stirred the polling pot.
Among the cluster of teams under consideration at the top of the rankings, consider the following: Plainfield North beat Naperville Central, who beat Morton. Plainfield North lost to Naperville North, who beat Benet, but lost to Lyons and Morton.
Lyons tied Sandburg, which beat Naperville Central in penalty kicks but lost to Plainfield North.
So who moves to the top? Let's go with Lyons, based on their Northside College Showcase win over New Trier, by a hair over Oak Park and River Forest.
This is another reminder that teams that drop in the ranks can be passed due to another team's superlative week of play.
The poll in its current state definitely says something about the Silver Division of the West Suburban Conference. Besides the top pair, no. 7 York is unbeaten (4-0-1) and captured the round-robin Hillner Classic at Lake Park (but not without a scare from Lake Park), and defending Silver champion Hinsdale Central vaulted into the poll at no. 14 from the honorable mention list.
York, the defending Class 3A state champions have not faced the schedule of Naperville North, Plainfield North, Naperville Central, Lyons or New Trier. The Dukes were the rare state champion that did not win its own conference; they tied with Lyons and Oak Park and River Forest for the second best record at 4-2-x, but finished fourth on tiebreakers.
This past weekend offered quite the range of matchups and performances, with championship or tournament games decided in the Best of the West (Naperville North), Northside College Showcase (Lyons), St. Charles Invitational (West Chicago), Hillner (York), Barrington Classic (Conant), Titan Invitational (Stevenson), Novy Classic (Glenbard North) and Alonso Sanchez Memorial (Zion-Benton).
The Windy City Ram Classic (Lockport) concluded Thursday night
What a wild and mad week. It shows that the race to the top will continue to be fun and exhilarating, and it's far from over.
Rk | LW | Team | W | L | T | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Lyons | 4 | 0 | 2 | Patrick Kracker is a dynamic midfielder |
2 | 2 | OPRF | 5 | 0 | 0 | Bryce Richards is a very skilled sophomore |
3 | 7 | Morton | 4 | 1 | 0 | Deyair Ruiz sparks Young comeback win |
4 | 10 | Naperville North | 5 | 2 | 2 | Aidan McMahon comes up big against Plainfield N |
5 | 1 | Plainfield N | 5 | 1 | 0 | Timi Usikalu is a breathtaking forward |
6 | 4 | New Trier | 4 | 1 | 1 | Matthew Perchik is tough to contain |
7 | 3 | York | 4 | 0 | 1 | Ryder Kohl is a versatile two-way talent |
8 | 5 | Naperville C | 4 | 2 | 0 | Nathan Kwon is a gifted forward |
9 | 9 | Warren | 5 | 0 | 0 | Lucas Ahonen sparks the fast start |
10 | 13 | Grayslake C | 4 | 0 | 1 | Raymond Sereno is creative in the attack |
11 | 12 | Lockport | 5 | 0 | 0 | Captures the Windy City Ram Classic title |
12 | 14 | Benet | 4 | 1 | 0 | Brayden Fagbemi also plays soccer |
13 | 11 | St. Charles E | 5 | 1 | 0 | Elia Desario is skilled two-way talent |
14 | HM | Hinsdale C | 4 | 0 | 1 | Dayton DiTomasso is top two-way talent |
15 | NR | Conant | 5 | 0 | 1 | Instant classic title at Barrington |
16 | 18 | Stevenson | 6 | 0 | 1 | Beats Speer for Titan Invitational |
17 | HM | Barrington | 4 | 2 | 1 | Daniel Gawronski elevates the middle attack |
18 | 15 | Fremd | 2 | 0 | 2 | Owen Winegar unlocks the offense |
19 | 8 | Libertyville | 2 | 2 | 1 | Alek LeRoi is the king of the Wildcats’ attack |
20 | NR | Sandburg | 3 | 1 | 1 | Stuns Naperville C at Best of West |
21 | 19 | Zion-Benton | 5 | 0 | 1 | Winner at Wauconda |
22 | 16 | Elgin | 3 | 0 | 1 | Big Wednesday game at E Aurora |
23 | NR | W Aurora | 5 | 2 | 1 | Falls in Morton (Ill.) title on PKs |
24 | 21 | Evanston | 3 | 0 | 2 | Threat in CSL North |
25 | 25 | Lake Park | 3 | 1 | 1 | Devin Czeremuga is a big target |
Look out for: West Chicago, St. Charles North, Hersey, Maine South, Speer, Lane, Young, Glenbard North, Geneva, Fenwick, Metea Valley, Stagg, Reavis, North Shore Country Day, Oswego East.
Proudly powered by Weebly