Class 3A Bartlett Sectional preview
(2) St. Charles North at (1) St. Charles East, 5 p.m.
By Curt Herron
(2) St. Charles North at (1) St. Charles East, 5 p.m.
St. Charles East hopes that its unbeaten season can be extended into the final week but their players and coaches realize all too well that district rival St. Charles North has its own goals of once again being a sectional champion.
The winner advances to Tuesday's supersectional in Barrington.
East won its first 16 matches before tying Naperville North 1-1 on May 22 and then won the next five matches to bring a 21-0-1 mark into the contest. North is 14-4-2 after winning 12 of its last 14 matches with its only defeats during that stretch coming against the Saints.
Coach Vince DiNuzzo's Saints won 3-0 on the road when the squads first met on May 1 and then claimed a 2-0 victory in their second meeting on May 20.
While East is seeking its first sectional title since 2014, coach Brian Harks' North Stars are hoping that the third time will be the charm for them against their rivals. The reward would be a fifth-consecutive appearance in the supersectionals.
The North Stars have had the upper hand over the Saints in their last two sectional meetings with a 3-1 win in the 2019 sectional finals and claiming a 1-0 win in the semifinal round the year before that.
Whichever side prevails, another major hurdle faces them in the supersectional. Host Barrington will be the opponent if the Fillies beat Hononegah on Friday. Barrington obviously has its own lofty plans after winning state championships in 2017 and 2018 and then falling just short of another title in 2019.
Leading the St. Charles East attack are seniors Hannah Miller (19 goals, 18 assists), Jenna Sitta (21, 12) and Megan Sreniawski (16, 8) and juniors Ashley Stellon (11, 18) and McKenna Gahagan (18, 12). The team has scored 110 goals this season.
The defense of the DuKane Conference champions that features seniors Megan Stout, Jessica Stepien and Lindsey Rzeszutko and junior Anna Champine and junior goalkeeper Sofia Iora has limited opponents to just nine goals while posting 16 shutouts.
"The Saints are looking forward to the challenge of the last two weeks of the season and hope to play their style of soccer," DiNuzzo said.
St. Charles North is led in scoring by sophomore Bella Najera (19, 9). Others in the mix include seniors Maddie Rossi (8, 2), Makenna Collins (5, 5) and Bridget Wolf (5, 2), freshman Rian Spaulding (7, 2) and junior Sophie Sutherland (6, 1).
Sophomore keeper Kara Claussner has recorded eight shutouts for the North Stars, who've only allowed three goals during their last nine matches. St. Charles East scored two of those and Wheaton Warrenville South the other in the North’s 2-1 sectional semifinal win.
(2) St. Charles North at (1) St. Charles East, 5 p.m.
By Curt Herron
(2) St. Charles North at (1) St. Charles East, 5 p.m.
St. Charles East hopes that its unbeaten season can be extended into the final week but their players and coaches realize all too well that district rival St. Charles North has its own goals of once again being a sectional champion.
The winner advances to Tuesday's supersectional in Barrington.
East won its first 16 matches before tying Naperville North 1-1 on May 22 and then won the next five matches to bring a 21-0-1 mark into the contest. North is 14-4-2 after winning 12 of its last 14 matches with its only defeats during that stretch coming against the Saints.
Coach Vince DiNuzzo's Saints won 3-0 on the road when the squads first met on May 1 and then claimed a 2-0 victory in their second meeting on May 20.
While East is seeking its first sectional title since 2014, coach Brian Harks' North Stars are hoping that the third time will be the charm for them against their rivals. The reward would be a fifth-consecutive appearance in the supersectionals.
The North Stars have had the upper hand over the Saints in their last two sectional meetings with a 3-1 win in the 2019 sectional finals and claiming a 1-0 win in the semifinal round the year before that.
Whichever side prevails, another major hurdle faces them in the supersectional. Host Barrington will be the opponent if the Fillies beat Hononegah on Friday. Barrington obviously has its own lofty plans after winning state championships in 2017 and 2018 and then falling just short of another title in 2019.
Leading the St. Charles East attack are seniors Hannah Miller (19 goals, 18 assists), Jenna Sitta (21, 12) and Megan Sreniawski (16, 8) and juniors Ashley Stellon (11, 18) and McKenna Gahagan (18, 12). The team has scored 110 goals this season.
The defense of the DuKane Conference champions that features seniors Megan Stout, Jessica Stepien and Lindsey Rzeszutko and junior Anna Champine and junior goalkeeper Sofia Iora has limited opponents to just nine goals while posting 16 shutouts.
"The Saints are looking forward to the challenge of the last two weeks of the season and hope to play their style of soccer," DiNuzzo said.
St. Charles North is led in scoring by sophomore Bella Najera (19, 9). Others in the mix include seniors Maddie Rossi (8, 2), Makenna Collins (5, 5) and Bridget Wolf (5, 2), freshman Rian Spaulding (7, 2) and junior Sophie Sutherland (6, 1).
Sophomore keeper Kara Claussner has recorded eight shutouts for the North Stars, who've only allowed three goals during their last nine matches. St. Charles East scored two of those and Wheaton Warrenville South the other in the North’s 2-1 sectional semifinal win.