Loyola, New Trier ready
for neighborhood battle
By Michael Wojtychiw
The girls soccer community has grown accustomed to seeing New Trier toward the top of the state rankings pretty much every year. The Trevians, after all, have gone to North Central College and the state's final four in each of the last six seasons -- 2020 withstanding after the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One thing that's different in 2021 than in previous years, however, is manager Jim Burnside's top-ranked Chicagoland Soccer squad, though quite talented, is inexperienced. Only a handful of players have seen extensive playing time on the varsity level.
That, however, isn't something that Burnside and his staff are worried about -- quite the contrary actually.
"I think on our team, Ava Shah, Mia Sedgwick, Jenna Birdsell, they're really the only ones with extensive playing time in their careers," Burnside said. "Selfishly I'm excited for me, but I'm so excited for the kids. They all want to do well, and that's fun to see."
Like many teams, the Trevians have a next-woman-up mentality, where any player at any time can be the one who steps in to make a big play. This year, it's been the play of some of the newcomers.
Senior midfielder Morgan Fagan would have made her New Trier debut last season after coming over from playing club ball her first two years. She has two goals. Senior defender Kate Dobsch, who comes over after playing club, has three goals on the year.
Ann Paden, a freshman midfielder, scored her first career goal in the team's win over Vernon Hills, and Elizabeth Marquardt, who would have played on last year's team as a sophomore, also added her first career goal in the first four games.
While a number of the newcomers have stepped up, it's been some of the returnees who have really improved their game and helped ease the transition.
"I've never seen a group of girls want to get back on the field as much as these girls," Burnside said. "Jenna Birdsell is a someone who we've seen grow so much as a player and a leader and is one of the best defenders we've coached in a long time.
"There's nobody that's improved more on the field than Caroline Finnigan. She's put so much work into everything and is an engine that doesn't stop. Alex Wirth is another player that's really come on since her sophomore year two years ago.
"I love our senior class, they're really the ones that are going to lead us."
With the regular season a seven-week sprint before the playoffs, New Trier loaded up its nonconference schedule with games against no. 5 Barrington (0-0 tie), no. 14 Loyola, no. 22 Lane and no. 4 Libertyville. They also conference foes no. 16 Glenbrook North and Maine South all in a 17-day span.
All of that is not only to get the team and players as much exposure as possible in their return to the field, but also prepare them for the state playoff run in June.
"We've had some games where our bench will play more than our starters and that's what you need to build depth and experience," Burnside said. "We've never shied away from games. We're excited. We go out and play, we get to go to practice and train. It's really exciting."
Loyola started its season with a 2-1 win over 21st-ranked Whitney Young squad. The Ramblers suffered their first defeat in a 3-2 setback to no. 12 Evanston before bouncing back with a 3-0 shutout of 22nd-ranked Lane.
The loss to Evanston saw the Ramblers battle back numerous times. That helped the squad understand some things.
"For us, we took that Evanston game and wanted to learn as much as we could from playing a tough opponent," Loyola manager Shannon Hartinger said. "Some of the things we took away from that game was defensively being more organized behind the ball, especially in the midfield. Also making sure we notice big moments in the game and recognizing we have to be on point all 80 minutes of the game."
Like New Trier, Loyola hasn't relied on just one or two primary scorers.
At least four different players have scored in the Ramblers' three games, something that Hartinger sees as a quality trait for the squad.
"We're really pleased with the balance we've had in our scoring off of set pieces and from the flow of the game," she said. "It's coming from a lot of people in a lot of different ways, and we're excited about that."
It isn't every year that the neighborhood rivals get to take the pitch against each other, other than a potential state playoff battle or regular-season tournament matchup. This game will be a challenge but a fun one between schools with campuses just down the road from each other.
"The girls are excited about what the rivalry brings and what it means to … the schools," Hartinger said. "The girls are looking forward to not only the opportunity to play a very, very good opponent who will test us and challenge us in so many ways, but also being part of the rivalry that means so much in the community."
Game time is 2 p.m. at New Trier.
for neighborhood battle
By Michael Wojtychiw
The girls soccer community has grown accustomed to seeing New Trier toward the top of the state rankings pretty much every year. The Trevians, after all, have gone to North Central College and the state's final four in each of the last six seasons -- 2020 withstanding after the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One thing that's different in 2021 than in previous years, however, is manager Jim Burnside's top-ranked Chicagoland Soccer squad, though quite talented, is inexperienced. Only a handful of players have seen extensive playing time on the varsity level.
That, however, isn't something that Burnside and his staff are worried about -- quite the contrary actually.
"I think on our team, Ava Shah, Mia Sedgwick, Jenna Birdsell, they're really the only ones with extensive playing time in their careers," Burnside said. "Selfishly I'm excited for me, but I'm so excited for the kids. They all want to do well, and that's fun to see."
Like many teams, the Trevians have a next-woman-up mentality, where any player at any time can be the one who steps in to make a big play. This year, it's been the play of some of the newcomers.
Senior midfielder Morgan Fagan would have made her New Trier debut last season after coming over from playing club ball her first two years. She has two goals. Senior defender Kate Dobsch, who comes over after playing club, has three goals on the year.
Ann Paden, a freshman midfielder, scored her first career goal in the team's win over Vernon Hills, and Elizabeth Marquardt, who would have played on last year's team as a sophomore, also added her first career goal in the first four games.
While a number of the newcomers have stepped up, it's been some of the returnees who have really improved their game and helped ease the transition.
"I've never seen a group of girls want to get back on the field as much as these girls," Burnside said. "Jenna Birdsell is a someone who we've seen grow so much as a player and a leader and is one of the best defenders we've coached in a long time.
"There's nobody that's improved more on the field than Caroline Finnigan. She's put so much work into everything and is an engine that doesn't stop. Alex Wirth is another player that's really come on since her sophomore year two years ago.
"I love our senior class, they're really the ones that are going to lead us."
With the regular season a seven-week sprint before the playoffs, New Trier loaded up its nonconference schedule with games against no. 5 Barrington (0-0 tie), no. 14 Loyola, no. 22 Lane and no. 4 Libertyville. They also conference foes no. 16 Glenbrook North and Maine South all in a 17-day span.
All of that is not only to get the team and players as much exposure as possible in their return to the field, but also prepare them for the state playoff run in June.
"We've had some games where our bench will play more than our starters and that's what you need to build depth and experience," Burnside said. "We've never shied away from games. We're excited. We go out and play, we get to go to practice and train. It's really exciting."
Loyola started its season with a 2-1 win over 21st-ranked Whitney Young squad. The Ramblers suffered their first defeat in a 3-2 setback to no. 12 Evanston before bouncing back with a 3-0 shutout of 22nd-ranked Lane.
The loss to Evanston saw the Ramblers battle back numerous times. That helped the squad understand some things.
"For us, we took that Evanston game and wanted to learn as much as we could from playing a tough opponent," Loyola manager Shannon Hartinger said. "Some of the things we took away from that game was defensively being more organized behind the ball, especially in the midfield. Also making sure we notice big moments in the game and recognizing we have to be on point all 80 minutes of the game."
Like New Trier, Loyola hasn't relied on just one or two primary scorers.
At least four different players have scored in the Ramblers' three games, something that Hartinger sees as a quality trait for the squad.
"We're really pleased with the balance we've had in our scoring off of set pieces and from the flow of the game," she said. "It's coming from a lot of people in a lot of different ways, and we're excited about that."
It isn't every year that the neighborhood rivals get to take the pitch against each other, other than a potential state playoff battle or regular-season tournament matchup. This game will be a challenge but a fun one between schools with campuses just down the road from each other.
"The girls are excited about what the rivalry brings and what it means to … the schools," Hartinger said. "The girls are looking forward to not only the opportunity to play a very, very good opponent who will test us and challenge us in so many ways, but also being part of the rivalry that means so much in the community."
Game time is 2 p.m. at New Trier.