Season preview: Loyola
By Michael Wojtychik
There's no doubt that Loyola has been one of the stronger girls programs in the state since the turn of the century. The Ramblers have won 15 regionals and two sectional titles during that time, showing that they're a group that others need to worry about on an annual basis.
That trend is not about to stop -- Loyola ranked eighth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 state-wide poll.
Click here to see the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll.
The team hopes for continued success in the 2022 season, and it's not only because of talent. To say the Ramblers have depth and experience is a vast understatement.
The team returns 21 players from last year's roster, including multiple players who have spent three years on the varsity level. A number of them would have been four-year varsity players if the 2020 season had not been canceled due to COVID-19.
Click here to see the 2022 Loyola team page.
Two of those players, Grace Ehlert and Kaitlyn Kurtz, were named to Chicagoland Soccer's All-State Team after leading the Ramblers to conference and regional titles.
"For us, we've been fortunate to have 21 players returning, so we've been able to build on the foundation that was established last year," Loyola manager Shannon Hartinger said. "The experience we bring is important for what we want to accomplish this year. We're fortunate to have that group of players who started with us as freshman, because they've really been able to grow in our program.
"They've really been able to establish what we want and what kind of community we want, not only in our varsity team but our entire program. They've really given us a good springboard for the season."
Ehlert and Kurtz are two of the five Loyola seniors who have played on Hartinger's varsity squad since freshman year. They join Chicagoland Soccer all-state Watch List members Molly Sipe (defender), Isabella Guzman (midfielder) and Kathryn Diblik (forward) in that elite club.
Having strong field players return is great for Loyola, which finished 16-2-2 after a loss to Evanston in the sectional semifinals, but they've also got the other key piece that is vital to every team's success -- an experienced keeper.
In her first year as the varsity starter, now-junior Ellie Bradley had a goals-against-average of 0.47 and shut out 15 opponents, while earning all-conference and Watch List honors. Having that experience in the net will help the Ramblers' defense rise to success.
"It's huge for us to have an experienced goalkeeper," Hartinger said. "Ellie, last year, grew into a leadership role. The girls and the coaches have seen that she performs really well in training, but we also saw she's a big-time game performer. She established herself on the field as a leader, both from her intensity on the field and the communication she brings from the back.
"Her having that entire year of experience last year will only continue to push us forward this year."
With so many players returning from last year's squad, it'd make sense that there might not be many opportunities for the newcomers on the squad, but Hartinger says that isn't true.
On the contrary, even.
The fourth-year manager said that she's looking forward to seeing what some of the new players, as well as some of the players who will be asked to fill bigger roles, bring this season.
"We're looking to see an expanded role from (junior defender) Emily Pikarski, who last year battled some injuries. We're hoping she can stay injury-free and have a bigger impact on the field," Hartinger said. "We're looking forward to the impact Lauren Couri (senior forward) can have on the field. She grew as the season went along last year and came back ready to go. So we're hoping she can come back and continue to help our attack."
Hartinger is also excited about the adaptability of her team. Multiple players have the ability to play all over the field.
"This year's roster brings us a lot of flexibility and versatility with how we want to play," she said.
A year after playing its entire schedule at the school’s Munz Campus in Glenview due to field scheduling with football and other sports, Loyola returns its home games to the football stadium on the school's campus in Wilmette. The only game at Munz this year will be the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division game with St. Ignatius.
The season gets off to a fast start when the Ramblers hosting Payton on Monday (March 14), the opening day for games on the Illinois High School Association calendar.
It'll be a busy first two weeks of the season for Loyola, which will play seven games in the first 15 days, including matchups with three of the top teams in the Chicago Public League in Payton, Young and Lane.
"The CPS teams are a great challenge for us to start the season," Hartinger said. "We definitely want to get good games right off the bat, and they'll give us that right off the bat and allow us to grow in each of those games.
The fourth game of the season, against Evanston on March 22, is circled. The Wildkits handed Loyola both of its losses, each by a goal, and ended its season last spring.
The Ramblers hope to spring from the gate this spring.
"Starting fast is important to us,” Hartinger said. “We just want to stay consistent with our performance, and hopefully the results will follow.
“That’s been our message to the girls in training – be consistent in all that we do. Having those early tests will hopefully prepare us for a deep playoff run.
“There's no question that our early games are challenging. But with such an experienced roster returning, we felt it'd be good for us to challenge our depth, challenge ourselves as we make it through that early part of our season."
If the Ramblers are going to make a deep run into the playoffs, it'll be the tough early schedule and playing in two of the state's top tournaments -- the Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic and the Naperville Invitational -- that will help get them there.
"Last year we set a great foundation of team defending. That was something we emphasized day-in and day-out, and it's continued this preseason," Hartinger said. "This group that I started with four years ago are now seniors, and I think that the process of us getting here has been so important. We're really hoping to send the seniors off in the best way possible."
By Michael Wojtychik
There's no doubt that Loyola has been one of the stronger girls programs in the state since the turn of the century. The Ramblers have won 15 regionals and two sectional titles during that time, showing that they're a group that others need to worry about on an annual basis.
That trend is not about to stop -- Loyola ranked eighth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 state-wide poll.
Click here to see the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll.
The team hopes for continued success in the 2022 season, and it's not only because of talent. To say the Ramblers have depth and experience is a vast understatement.
The team returns 21 players from last year's roster, including multiple players who have spent three years on the varsity level. A number of them would have been four-year varsity players if the 2020 season had not been canceled due to COVID-19.
Click here to see the 2022 Loyola team page.
Two of those players, Grace Ehlert and Kaitlyn Kurtz, were named to Chicagoland Soccer's All-State Team after leading the Ramblers to conference and regional titles.
"For us, we've been fortunate to have 21 players returning, so we've been able to build on the foundation that was established last year," Loyola manager Shannon Hartinger said. "The experience we bring is important for what we want to accomplish this year. We're fortunate to have that group of players who started with us as freshman, because they've really been able to grow in our program.
"They've really been able to establish what we want and what kind of community we want, not only in our varsity team but our entire program. They've really given us a good springboard for the season."
Ehlert and Kurtz are two of the five Loyola seniors who have played on Hartinger's varsity squad since freshman year. They join Chicagoland Soccer all-state Watch List members Molly Sipe (defender), Isabella Guzman (midfielder) and Kathryn Diblik (forward) in that elite club.
Having strong field players return is great for Loyola, which finished 16-2-2 after a loss to Evanston in the sectional semifinals, but they've also got the other key piece that is vital to every team's success -- an experienced keeper.
In her first year as the varsity starter, now-junior Ellie Bradley had a goals-against-average of 0.47 and shut out 15 opponents, while earning all-conference and Watch List honors. Having that experience in the net will help the Ramblers' defense rise to success.
"It's huge for us to have an experienced goalkeeper," Hartinger said. "Ellie, last year, grew into a leadership role. The girls and the coaches have seen that she performs really well in training, but we also saw she's a big-time game performer. She established herself on the field as a leader, both from her intensity on the field and the communication she brings from the back.
"Her having that entire year of experience last year will only continue to push us forward this year."
With so many players returning from last year's squad, it'd make sense that there might not be many opportunities for the newcomers on the squad, but Hartinger says that isn't true.
On the contrary, even.
The fourth-year manager said that she's looking forward to seeing what some of the new players, as well as some of the players who will be asked to fill bigger roles, bring this season.
"We're looking to see an expanded role from (junior defender) Emily Pikarski, who last year battled some injuries. We're hoping she can stay injury-free and have a bigger impact on the field," Hartinger said. "We're looking forward to the impact Lauren Couri (senior forward) can have on the field. She grew as the season went along last year and came back ready to go. So we're hoping she can come back and continue to help our attack."
Hartinger is also excited about the adaptability of her team. Multiple players have the ability to play all over the field.
"This year's roster brings us a lot of flexibility and versatility with how we want to play," she said.
A year after playing its entire schedule at the school’s Munz Campus in Glenview due to field scheduling with football and other sports, Loyola returns its home games to the football stadium on the school's campus in Wilmette. The only game at Munz this year will be the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division game with St. Ignatius.
The season gets off to a fast start when the Ramblers hosting Payton on Monday (March 14), the opening day for games on the Illinois High School Association calendar.
It'll be a busy first two weeks of the season for Loyola, which will play seven games in the first 15 days, including matchups with three of the top teams in the Chicago Public League in Payton, Young and Lane.
"The CPS teams are a great challenge for us to start the season," Hartinger said. "We definitely want to get good games right off the bat, and they'll give us that right off the bat and allow us to grow in each of those games.
The fourth game of the season, against Evanston on March 22, is circled. The Wildkits handed Loyola both of its losses, each by a goal, and ended its season last spring.
The Ramblers hope to spring from the gate this spring.
"Starting fast is important to us,” Hartinger said. “We just want to stay consistent with our performance, and hopefully the results will follow.
“That’s been our message to the girls in training – be consistent in all that we do. Having those early tests will hopefully prepare us for a deep playoff run.
“There's no question that our early games are challenging. But with such an experienced roster returning, we felt it'd be good for us to challenge our depth, challenge ourselves as we make it through that early part of our season."
If the Ramblers are going to make a deep run into the playoffs, it'll be the tough early schedule and playing in two of the state's top tournaments -- the Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic and the Naperville Invitational -- that will help get them there.
"Last year we set a great foundation of team defending. That was something we emphasized day-in and day-out, and it's continued this preseason," Hartinger said. "This group that I started with four years ago are now seniors, and I think that the process of us getting here has been so important. We're really hoping to send the seniors off in the best way possible."