Tournament preview:
4th annual Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic
By Patrick Z. McGavin
and Michael Wojtychiw
The girls’ soccer season has been defined lately by absence and disruption.
A lost season two years ago and a compromised, put-together season last year restricted the most valuable in-season tournaments.
For the first time since 2019, one of the most important and consequential in-season tournaments returns.
The 4th Annual Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic begins Saturday with group play at Evanston, New Trier and Lake Forest.
To put it simply, the field is a knockout. Nine of the 12 teams are ranked in the top 20 of Chicagoland Soccer’s weekly poll Top 25 poll.
It’s a murderers’ row of elite programs that have achieved privileged status and typically challenge for state championships and deep tournament runs every year.
Group play continues on Monday and Wednesday. Schools alternate home dates so each program is guaranteed to host a game.
The championship highlights the final day April 16 at New Trier.
Like the Naperville Invitational, the Classic typically functions as a preview of the state tournament.
Three years ago, New Trier edged Stevenson in group play. The Patriots made the semifinals as a wild card and upset Naperville North and then New Trier in a revenge match in the title game.
New Trier topped Stevenson in a supersectional final. Naperville North ended up winning the 3A state championship, and New Trier finished third.
Here are the Saturday matchups. The first games are at 11 a.m.; second games start at 1 p.m.
Group A at New Trier
No. 20 Carmel at no. 12 New Trier
No. 14 Lane vs. no. 13 Stevenson
Group B at Evanston
No. 4 Naperville North at no. 8 Evanston
St. Francis vs. no. 1 Libertyville
Group C at Lake Forest
No. 2 Lyons at Lake Forest
No. 15 Loyola vs. Glenbrook South
Group A has four ranked teams, Group B three, and Group C two.
Group B has the best top-end talent. Naperville North (7-0-0) is arguably the best team in the state. The Huskies posted commanding victories over now nos. 9 Barrington and 16 St. Charles East.
They have given up two goals on the season.
Libertyville (3-0-0) is unscored upon and has posted three lopsided wins over less formidable competition.
Evanston (5-0-1) has been an offensive machine. Their highlights include a dramatic 80th-minute win against Loyola and a 3-3 tie with Young.
Here is a look at the teams by group membership. Players likely to have the greatest impact on the tournament are highlighted.
Group A
Carmel (4-1-0) had the ideal preparation for the tournament. A tough and scintillating East Suburban Catholic Conference matchup saw no. 17 Benet edge Carmel 1-0 on Wednesday.
That was a quality result.
The Corsairs have scored at least four goals in three games this season.
Sophomore forward Anna Hartman is an elite two-sport athlete. Days after helping the Corsairs capture the Class 3A in basketball, she made a seamless transition to soccer.
A Watch List player as a freshman last year, she blends speed, agility and creativity with shot creation and a great finishing touch.
Zkylah Barnes is the stabilizing force in the back. Carmel has also been very good in the middle, with another significant young talent in midfielder Bella D’Amore. Also watch Jilian Miller and Lauren Jenkins in the middle.
Emily Fix is another dynamic attacking player.
Fourteenth-ranked Lane (5-2-0) comes off a bit of a rude awakening in a 3-0 loss against top rival and 25th-ranked Young. It was the first loss to a city program in seven years for the six-time defending city tournament champion.
Lane has played a ferocious schedule with games against no. 5 Glenbrook North and a victory over no. 15 Loyola in addition to Premier games against Young and Jones.
Chicagoland Soccer all-state midfielder Scout Murray is the headliner. She scored four goals Monday against Jones and has seven for the season.
Junior forward Mary Rau is another dynamic talent. Her size and physical play is a crucial part of the Lane attack.
“I think the biggest thing is we just came into the season with a lot of new players, or players who haven’t played a lot on this team,” Rau said.
“We are here to win. With our team dynamic, we actually flow pretty well because about half of us play on the same club team. We also have a connection off the field.”
Lane’s other attacking players to watch are Maya Martinez-Bates, Dale Sink and Gabriela Pop.
The most intriguing newcomer is sophomore midfielder Kristi Sevova.
“She has youthful energy, a good sense of humor, and she is always very cheerful,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “She is also a hard worker. When she comes to play, she is coming play.”
Jocelyn Ramirez, Lane’s most athletic and skilled defender, leads a backline that has posted four shutouts.
No. 12 New Trier (3-2-2) is coming off an uncharacteristic week with a tie against Maine South and a 4-1 loss against no. 21 Deerfield on Thursday.
Coach Jim Burnside predicted a volatile and up-and-down start to the Trevians’ season after New Trier graduated 11 players from its supersectional team.
“I think we have a great group of kids,” Burnside said. “We’re pretty young. We have a great core of seniors. We have a group of kids who are kind of gym rats, the kind of kids who are out on the field, fooling around, having fun, and loving to play the game.”
The team needs some time to cohere, and establish its own order.
The team has a signature talent, junior midfielder Lida Dodge, a Purdue recruit in her first year of high school soccer. Other offensive standouts include forwards Josie Noble and Kendall Sierens. Elizabeth Marquardt is another player worth watching.
In the middle, Watch List players Annie Paden and Lauren Caldwell provide experience and talent to play off of the attention that Dodge commands.
Ava Shah and Sadie-Grace Richardson are the defensive standouts. Charlotte Dellin is a two-way force, a natural offensive player moved to the back with her athleticism and toughness.
Thirteenth-ranked Stevenson (4-0-0) is the wild card in the group. The Patriots have a solid core back from a sectional finalist. They have yet to concede a goal, and have a compelling 1-0 victory over Glenbrook South.
The attack scored five goals apiece in victories over Buffalo Grove and Nazareth.
Group B
This is the tournament's Group of Death. It features three of the top eight teams in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, including top-ranked Libertyville and fourth-ranked Naperville North. Those two will battle it out on the tournament's second day (Monday, April 11), but both teams face stiff tests in their first-round matchups as well.
Top-ranked Libertyville comes into the tournament having played only three games but have made statements in each of their games, combining to blank their opponents by a 21-0 margin.
Libertyville, the third place finishers in the state's Class 3A tournament last season, is led by a balanced attack of midfielder Jenna Krakowski, who has a team-high five goals and nine assists, and Sally Rogers and Chicagoland Soccer all-stater Avery Gleason, both of whom have four goals apiece. Two other Wildcats have three goals each.
"We have only had a few games so far but I am encouraged by the players that we have in the sense that they are really coming together, working hard together, and most importantly they want to spend the time together," Libertyville manager Daniel DePaz said.
"We are really beginning to mesh as a team and getting more familiar with each other on the field. We have quite a few new players to the team this year so we are just focused on getting better each day.
"Having many seniors is also encouraging. We have a lot of players that have big-game experience and should be able to take on the challenges the season will bring."
The Wildcats are making their Lou Malnati's debut and will face off against St. Francis in the second game at Evanston on Saturday.
"This tournament is loaded with great teams," Libertyville's manager said. "We are eager to see how we match up with some of the best teams in the state. This is early in the season so we will definitely use it as a learning experience no matter what the outcomes of each game are. As I said above, we are just focused on getting better each day."
St. Francis is coming into the tournament on a high after defeating Rosary for its first victory this season, bringing home a 3-1 decision Thursday. The Spartans carry a young squad this year with 16 of their players either freshmen (8) or sophomores.
The learning curve can be steep, but manager Jim Winslow is happy with what he's seeing.
"We have a brand new back four and they have done a nice job so far considering their youth of doing the right things at the right times," he said.
The Spartans have been a staple in this tournament, even pulling off a couple wins against some of the larger schools in previous seasons. The squad is led by midfielder Sara Dziengel, forward Lauren Bruce and midfielder Claire Reinke, all seniors who made last season's Chicagoland Soccer Watch List after last season.
"My hope is that they grind a bit more and that their consistency improves," Winslow said.
Saturday's other first-round game at Evanston features the battle between no. 4 Naperville North and the eighth-ranked Wildkits. Both teams come in with unblemished records and have been commanding the action on the defensive side of the ball.
Naperville North, which carries a 7-0-0 record, has given up only two goals all season while scoring 20.
"Returning a large part of our defensive group from last season has allowed us to hit the ground running a bit more than usual," Naperville North manager Steve Goletz said. "We have great senior leaders back there that communicate well and hold each other accountable to the little details of defending. Our goalkeeper Abby Haskell has made big saves when called upon and continues to impress game after game.
“Our midfield unit has done a fantastic job of tracking runners and providing a defensive block of seven that has been very hard to breakdown.
"As a coach I am super fortunate to have a senior-laden team that continues to uphold and take pride in continuing the tradition of being a hard-working, tough bunch of players game in and game out."
Olivia Anderson leads the Huskies with six goals, showcasing why the North Alabama recruit is one of the more dynamic players in the area. Anderson is one of 10 players who have scored this season for Naperville North.
"This tournament is one that allows us to test ourselves against great programs that have great players and coaches," Goletz said. "These games will be high-level state tournament-type caliber and a great midseason check on where we are at and what we need to continue to focus on before the state tournament begins.
“It is also great to get a chance to compete against some schools outside of our area in a great event put together by Jim Burnside."
No. 8 Evanston has allowed one or fewer goals in four of their six matches, including three clean-sheets.
Twenty of the 22 players on this year's roster are juniors or seniors, including all of the defenders. With five of the seven listed defenders being seniors, it's easy to see why the defense has been so stout.
"We have many veteran players in our backline, including Lucinda (Lindland), Sarah (Sollinger), (CS all-stater) Carly (Menocal), Ellie (Oif) and our keeper Ariel (Kite)," Evanston manager Stacy Salgado said. "They have kept us in games and also give us the ability to get forward."
Evanston will be looking to make its second run to the title game in the past three classics, after making it there in 2018 before falling to conference foe Glenbrook South.
"We are excited to be back in more tournaments this year, including this one," Salgado said. "It's always fun to see talented teams we wouldn't otherwise see. It's a great opportunity to play for a trophy."
Group C
Glenbrook South (4-4-0) has had a bifurcated season, divided by a busy slate during its spring break where many of its best players were not available.
The Titans snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Vernon Hills on Thursday.
The record deceives, and the Titans are formidable with the full complement of their roster. Lilly O’Rourke is one of the state’s best players, a creative and athletic midfielder.
Midfielder Bella Gemignagi is another dynamic force who is skilled and athletic. Anna Durow is a two-way force, a Watch List player who has come of age as her role has expanded.
“My leadership role has changed,” Durow said. “Last year I was a junior, and my voice was out there. Now that I’m a captain and a senior, I have a bigger role on the team.
“There is more pressure in some ways, but this year we are going to have a stronger plan and playing style.”
In the absence of some of the top seniors, junior forward Payton Davidson showed exceptional promise as an attacking talent. Bella Crist plays anywhere on the field, either as a keeper or forward.
Lake Forest (2-3-0) has also gone through the early gauntlet with games against Evanston and Carmel.
The Scouts are a young team charting their own path. The team has clear talent, most significantly Watch List standout Emerson Waddle, who provides a signature presence in the middle. Lainey Tabor and Kathy Person-Ross are other players worth tracking in the middle.
Ava Walsh and Ashleigh Rupprecht are the top forwards.
Sarah Constantine is a skilled keeper, with strong play from Charlotte Andress, Lyla Walsh and Hanna Sands in the back.
No. 15 Loyola has had a busy schedule.
“These games are going to pay off,” forward Kaitlyn Kurtz said of the Ramblers’ early vicious schedule that included games against ranked opponents Young, Evanston and Lane.
Now the Ramblers (6-2-1) are riding a four-game winning streak with a 27-1 goal differential. Midfielder and 2021 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater Grace Ehlert has scored a goal in seven different games; she also leads the team in assists.
Loyola has size, speed and athleticism at all three levels of the team. Forward Kathryn Diblik is another intriguing talent at the top. Also watch Tess O’Bryan, Lauren Couri and Maria Nikas in the middle.
Emily Pikarski is a lockdown defender and a weapon with her free and corner kicks. Eva Pattison is one of the state’s best defenders.
Even during the 0-2-1 stretch against Evanston, Lane and Young, Loyola outshot the opposition 27-6 in those games.
The only downside to the recent strong play is the knee injury suffered by four-year starter Molly Sipe that will force her to miss the rest of the season.
It can be said that the hardest thing to recover from is a loss in the state title game.
Lyons (4-0-0) is showing no ill effects of its heartbreaking defefat against O’Fallon in the 3A final that deprived the team of a perfect season.
“I think we have a lot of young attacking players who are stepping up in their roles,” all-state midfielder and Air Force recruit Eleanor Musgrove said. “We have Riley Wengerd, Chandler Lay, Caroline Mortonson, and some of our younger players are learning as we grow.
“I think they are going to just grow into their roles.”
The second-ranked Lions have two superstars in the crucial roles, Chicagoland all-ster and Illinois-bound keeper Izzy Lee is an annihilating force in the back, and Musgrove fills that role in the middle.
They also have an emerging star in sophomore two-way talent Izzi Wirtz, who has already twice been named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
Rielly Chesna is another weapon in the middle who teams must account for. At the top of the attack, watch out for Lay, precocious freshman Mortonson and Katie O’Malley.
Kate Fulscher is the lockdown defender in the back who is also great on set pieces.
4th annual Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic
By Patrick Z. McGavin
and Michael Wojtychiw
The girls’ soccer season has been defined lately by absence and disruption.
A lost season two years ago and a compromised, put-together season last year restricted the most valuable in-season tournaments.
For the first time since 2019, one of the most important and consequential in-season tournaments returns.
The 4th Annual Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Classic begins Saturday with group play at Evanston, New Trier and Lake Forest.
To put it simply, the field is a knockout. Nine of the 12 teams are ranked in the top 20 of Chicagoland Soccer’s weekly poll Top 25 poll.
It’s a murderers’ row of elite programs that have achieved privileged status and typically challenge for state championships and deep tournament runs every year.
Group play continues on Monday and Wednesday. Schools alternate home dates so each program is guaranteed to host a game.
The championship highlights the final day April 16 at New Trier.
Like the Naperville Invitational, the Classic typically functions as a preview of the state tournament.
Three years ago, New Trier edged Stevenson in group play. The Patriots made the semifinals as a wild card and upset Naperville North and then New Trier in a revenge match in the title game.
New Trier topped Stevenson in a supersectional final. Naperville North ended up winning the 3A state championship, and New Trier finished third.
Here are the Saturday matchups. The first games are at 11 a.m.; second games start at 1 p.m.
Group A at New Trier
No. 20 Carmel at no. 12 New Trier
No. 14 Lane vs. no. 13 Stevenson
Group B at Evanston
No. 4 Naperville North at no. 8 Evanston
St. Francis vs. no. 1 Libertyville
Group C at Lake Forest
No. 2 Lyons at Lake Forest
No. 15 Loyola vs. Glenbrook South
Group A has four ranked teams, Group B three, and Group C two.
Group B has the best top-end talent. Naperville North (7-0-0) is arguably the best team in the state. The Huskies posted commanding victories over now nos. 9 Barrington and 16 St. Charles East.
They have given up two goals on the season.
Libertyville (3-0-0) is unscored upon and has posted three lopsided wins over less formidable competition.
Evanston (5-0-1) has been an offensive machine. Their highlights include a dramatic 80th-minute win against Loyola and a 3-3 tie with Young.
Here is a look at the teams by group membership. Players likely to have the greatest impact on the tournament are highlighted.
Group A
Carmel (4-1-0) had the ideal preparation for the tournament. A tough and scintillating East Suburban Catholic Conference matchup saw no. 17 Benet edge Carmel 1-0 on Wednesday.
That was a quality result.
The Corsairs have scored at least four goals in three games this season.
Sophomore forward Anna Hartman is an elite two-sport athlete. Days after helping the Corsairs capture the Class 3A in basketball, she made a seamless transition to soccer.
A Watch List player as a freshman last year, she blends speed, agility and creativity with shot creation and a great finishing touch.
Zkylah Barnes is the stabilizing force in the back. Carmel has also been very good in the middle, with another significant young talent in midfielder Bella D’Amore. Also watch Jilian Miller and Lauren Jenkins in the middle.
Emily Fix is another dynamic attacking player.
Fourteenth-ranked Lane (5-2-0) comes off a bit of a rude awakening in a 3-0 loss against top rival and 25th-ranked Young. It was the first loss to a city program in seven years for the six-time defending city tournament champion.
Lane has played a ferocious schedule with games against no. 5 Glenbrook North and a victory over no. 15 Loyola in addition to Premier games against Young and Jones.
Chicagoland Soccer all-state midfielder Scout Murray is the headliner. She scored four goals Monday against Jones and has seven for the season.
Junior forward Mary Rau is another dynamic talent. Her size and physical play is a crucial part of the Lane attack.
“I think the biggest thing is we just came into the season with a lot of new players, or players who haven’t played a lot on this team,” Rau said.
“We are here to win. With our team dynamic, we actually flow pretty well because about half of us play on the same club team. We also have a connection off the field.”
Lane’s other attacking players to watch are Maya Martinez-Bates, Dale Sink and Gabriela Pop.
The most intriguing newcomer is sophomore midfielder Kristi Sevova.
“She has youthful energy, a good sense of humor, and she is always very cheerful,” Lane coach Michelle Vale said. “She is also a hard worker. When she comes to play, she is coming play.”
Jocelyn Ramirez, Lane’s most athletic and skilled defender, leads a backline that has posted four shutouts.
No. 12 New Trier (3-2-2) is coming off an uncharacteristic week with a tie against Maine South and a 4-1 loss against no. 21 Deerfield on Thursday.
Coach Jim Burnside predicted a volatile and up-and-down start to the Trevians’ season after New Trier graduated 11 players from its supersectional team.
“I think we have a great group of kids,” Burnside said. “We’re pretty young. We have a great core of seniors. We have a group of kids who are kind of gym rats, the kind of kids who are out on the field, fooling around, having fun, and loving to play the game.”
The team needs some time to cohere, and establish its own order.
The team has a signature talent, junior midfielder Lida Dodge, a Purdue recruit in her first year of high school soccer. Other offensive standouts include forwards Josie Noble and Kendall Sierens. Elizabeth Marquardt is another player worth watching.
In the middle, Watch List players Annie Paden and Lauren Caldwell provide experience and talent to play off of the attention that Dodge commands.
Ava Shah and Sadie-Grace Richardson are the defensive standouts. Charlotte Dellin is a two-way force, a natural offensive player moved to the back with her athleticism and toughness.
Thirteenth-ranked Stevenson (4-0-0) is the wild card in the group. The Patriots have a solid core back from a sectional finalist. They have yet to concede a goal, and have a compelling 1-0 victory over Glenbrook South.
The attack scored five goals apiece in victories over Buffalo Grove and Nazareth.
Group B
This is the tournament's Group of Death. It features three of the top eight teams in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, including top-ranked Libertyville and fourth-ranked Naperville North. Those two will battle it out on the tournament's second day (Monday, April 11), but both teams face stiff tests in their first-round matchups as well.
Top-ranked Libertyville comes into the tournament having played only three games but have made statements in each of their games, combining to blank their opponents by a 21-0 margin.
Libertyville, the third place finishers in the state's Class 3A tournament last season, is led by a balanced attack of midfielder Jenna Krakowski, who has a team-high five goals and nine assists, and Sally Rogers and Chicagoland Soccer all-stater Avery Gleason, both of whom have four goals apiece. Two other Wildcats have three goals each.
"We have only had a few games so far but I am encouraged by the players that we have in the sense that they are really coming together, working hard together, and most importantly they want to spend the time together," Libertyville manager Daniel DePaz said.
"We are really beginning to mesh as a team and getting more familiar with each other on the field. We have quite a few new players to the team this year so we are just focused on getting better each day.
"Having many seniors is also encouraging. We have a lot of players that have big-game experience and should be able to take on the challenges the season will bring."
The Wildcats are making their Lou Malnati's debut and will face off against St. Francis in the second game at Evanston on Saturday.
"This tournament is loaded with great teams," Libertyville's manager said. "We are eager to see how we match up with some of the best teams in the state. This is early in the season so we will definitely use it as a learning experience no matter what the outcomes of each game are. As I said above, we are just focused on getting better each day."
St. Francis is coming into the tournament on a high after defeating Rosary for its first victory this season, bringing home a 3-1 decision Thursday. The Spartans carry a young squad this year with 16 of their players either freshmen (8) or sophomores.
The learning curve can be steep, but manager Jim Winslow is happy with what he's seeing.
"We have a brand new back four and they have done a nice job so far considering their youth of doing the right things at the right times," he said.
The Spartans have been a staple in this tournament, even pulling off a couple wins against some of the larger schools in previous seasons. The squad is led by midfielder Sara Dziengel, forward Lauren Bruce and midfielder Claire Reinke, all seniors who made last season's Chicagoland Soccer Watch List after last season.
"My hope is that they grind a bit more and that their consistency improves," Winslow said.
Saturday's other first-round game at Evanston features the battle between no. 4 Naperville North and the eighth-ranked Wildkits. Both teams come in with unblemished records and have been commanding the action on the defensive side of the ball.
Naperville North, which carries a 7-0-0 record, has given up only two goals all season while scoring 20.
"Returning a large part of our defensive group from last season has allowed us to hit the ground running a bit more than usual," Naperville North manager Steve Goletz said. "We have great senior leaders back there that communicate well and hold each other accountable to the little details of defending. Our goalkeeper Abby Haskell has made big saves when called upon and continues to impress game after game.
“Our midfield unit has done a fantastic job of tracking runners and providing a defensive block of seven that has been very hard to breakdown.
"As a coach I am super fortunate to have a senior-laden team that continues to uphold and take pride in continuing the tradition of being a hard-working, tough bunch of players game in and game out."
Olivia Anderson leads the Huskies with six goals, showcasing why the North Alabama recruit is one of the more dynamic players in the area. Anderson is one of 10 players who have scored this season for Naperville North.
"This tournament is one that allows us to test ourselves against great programs that have great players and coaches," Goletz said. "These games will be high-level state tournament-type caliber and a great midseason check on where we are at and what we need to continue to focus on before the state tournament begins.
“It is also great to get a chance to compete against some schools outside of our area in a great event put together by Jim Burnside."
No. 8 Evanston has allowed one or fewer goals in four of their six matches, including three clean-sheets.
Twenty of the 22 players on this year's roster are juniors or seniors, including all of the defenders. With five of the seven listed defenders being seniors, it's easy to see why the defense has been so stout.
"We have many veteran players in our backline, including Lucinda (Lindland), Sarah (Sollinger), (CS all-stater) Carly (Menocal), Ellie (Oif) and our keeper Ariel (Kite)," Evanston manager Stacy Salgado said. "They have kept us in games and also give us the ability to get forward."
Evanston will be looking to make its second run to the title game in the past three classics, after making it there in 2018 before falling to conference foe Glenbrook South.
"We are excited to be back in more tournaments this year, including this one," Salgado said. "It's always fun to see talented teams we wouldn't otherwise see. It's a great opportunity to play for a trophy."
Group C
Glenbrook South (4-4-0) has had a bifurcated season, divided by a busy slate during its spring break where many of its best players were not available.
The Titans snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Vernon Hills on Thursday.
The record deceives, and the Titans are formidable with the full complement of their roster. Lilly O’Rourke is one of the state’s best players, a creative and athletic midfielder.
Midfielder Bella Gemignagi is another dynamic force who is skilled and athletic. Anna Durow is a two-way force, a Watch List player who has come of age as her role has expanded.
“My leadership role has changed,” Durow said. “Last year I was a junior, and my voice was out there. Now that I’m a captain and a senior, I have a bigger role on the team.
“There is more pressure in some ways, but this year we are going to have a stronger plan and playing style.”
In the absence of some of the top seniors, junior forward Payton Davidson showed exceptional promise as an attacking talent. Bella Crist plays anywhere on the field, either as a keeper or forward.
Lake Forest (2-3-0) has also gone through the early gauntlet with games against Evanston and Carmel.
The Scouts are a young team charting their own path. The team has clear talent, most significantly Watch List standout Emerson Waddle, who provides a signature presence in the middle. Lainey Tabor and Kathy Person-Ross are other players worth tracking in the middle.
Ava Walsh and Ashleigh Rupprecht are the top forwards.
Sarah Constantine is a skilled keeper, with strong play from Charlotte Andress, Lyla Walsh and Hanna Sands in the back.
No. 15 Loyola has had a busy schedule.
“These games are going to pay off,” forward Kaitlyn Kurtz said of the Ramblers’ early vicious schedule that included games against ranked opponents Young, Evanston and Lane.
Now the Ramblers (6-2-1) are riding a four-game winning streak with a 27-1 goal differential. Midfielder and 2021 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater Grace Ehlert has scored a goal in seven different games; she also leads the team in assists.
Loyola has size, speed and athleticism at all three levels of the team. Forward Kathryn Diblik is another intriguing talent at the top. Also watch Tess O’Bryan, Lauren Couri and Maria Nikas in the middle.
Emily Pikarski is a lockdown defender and a weapon with her free and corner kicks. Eva Pattison is one of the state’s best defenders.
Even during the 0-2-1 stretch against Evanston, Lane and Young, Loyola outshot the opposition 27-6 in those games.
The only downside to the recent strong play is the knee injury suffered by four-year starter Molly Sipe that will force her to miss the rest of the season.
It can be said that the hardest thing to recover from is a loss in the state title game.
Lyons (4-0-0) is showing no ill effects of its heartbreaking defefat against O’Fallon in the 3A final that deprived the team of a perfect season.
“I think we have a lot of young attacking players who are stepping up in their roles,” all-state midfielder and Air Force recruit Eleanor Musgrove said. “We have Riley Wengerd, Chandler Lay, Caroline Mortonson, and some of our younger players are learning as we grow.
“I think they are going to just grow into their roles.”
The second-ranked Lions have two superstars in the crucial roles, Chicagoland all-ster and Illinois-bound keeper Izzy Lee is an annihilating force in the back, and Musgrove fills that role in the middle.
They also have an emerging star in sophomore two-way talent Izzi Wirtz, who has already twice been named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
Rielly Chesna is another weapon in the middle who teams must account for. At the top of the attack, watch out for Lay, precocious freshman Mortonson and Katie O’Malley.
Kate Fulscher is the lockdown defender in the back who is also great on set pieces.