Healthy Loyola sees big things ahead
By Patrick Z. McGavin
A year ago nothing went according to hope for Loyola. The best player, Riley Burns, suffered a foot injury on the eve of the first game and was declared lost for the season. The collective mood was subdued, even downcast.
Loyola had a history of winning and success. Suddenly the Ramblers were a bit lost. Playing a typically high-end schedule only magnified the early difficulties. Loyola lost its first three games. Worst of all, the team failed to score in any of those games.
Then one day, almost unexpectedly at practice, a loose and spontaneous riff by some of the players eased everything.
“After the early games and what we were going through, losing Riley, it was really frustrating for everybody,” keeper Maggie Avery said. “Then in our practice, we started the training as we usually do, with drills, but then we just allowed ourselves to have fun. We just kind of played some games. It just seemed to block out the pressure. It brought the whole team closer. That day, we said, ‘We don’t have Riley but we have each other.’ That allowed us to springboard.”
A retreat to Wisconsin and getting two one-sided shutout victories lifted the darker curtain and erased the doubts. The team adjusted to the absence of Burns. New faces and players came to the forefront. By the end, Loyola was Loyola, ripping off 11 victories in a row until a Class 3A sectional championship loss to New Trier.
They defeated two soccer signature programs, Maine South and Evanston, in the state tournament. The season trajectory was certainly nonlinear. By most metrics, it was a successful one, with a final record of 18-7-0 and a GCAC Red conference title to go with the deep state tournament push.
Cue 2018. Loyola is healthy, enthused and ready for the start of something bold. Loyola returns nine starters, five rotation players and four other players, like Burns, who missed part or all of the season with injuries. Rated no. 6 in Chicagoland Soccer’s preseason Top 25, Loyola opened the year with a 3-0 win against three-time defending city champion and 19th-ranked Lane on Thursday (March 15).
“This is (our) best overall and the first totally healthy team on the field since 2013,” coach Craig Snower said. “Being healthy is such a great thing. When we we have a large roster, with everybody healthy, you do not have to worry about having to fill in spots. Unlike other programs, we did not lose anybody to club. This is very exciting for us.”
The volatility of a year ago had unexpected consequences. By necessity, the absence of Burns made the ascension possible of a new star -- Maggie Brett. She showed flashes during her freshman year. Brett took her game to another level and solidified her standing as one of the best players in her class. In her first full year as a starter, Brett ran with her expanded opportunities. She scored 23 goals and recorded nine assists. She earned Chicagoland Soccer's all-state distinction.
“I think I’d attribute to what I did last year by finally getting comfortable with the team and getting used to the speed of play of varsity high school soccer,” Brett said. “It was not just me. Everyone on the team helped me get used to that.”
Snower predicted Brett’s emergence after she had a standout club season in the summer heading into her sophomore year. She combines excellent footwork, balance, field of vision and creative shotmaking. She has deceptive speed -- a crazy closing burst that helps her get to balls and create the necessary space.
“Going into my sophomore year, I was forced to get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Coach Snower put me in a lot of uncomfortable positions, and I had to adapt. I’m not the most skilled player. Somebody like Steph (Stephanie Ramsay) has all the skills. I think what I have worked hard on is to be more than a one-trick pony, somebody who just uses my speed to get around girls.”
Snower said Brett’s emergence was the result of her deepening confidence.
“Her skill progression has always been great,” he said. “It was just a matter of her getting the opportunity. When she started to have some success, her confidence level just grew.”
She even overshadowed the otherwise exceptional play of Ramsay, who’s now a senior. Ramsay also earned all-state Chicagoland Soccer recognition with 15 goals and 13 assists. Her game forms a striking combination with Brett. The two are excited about the next stage in their evolution. “We work really well together,” Brett said.
A Carnegie-Mellon recruit, Ramsay is the savvy veteran who brings moxie and a calm presence. Snower said last year the team learned how to adjust on the fly. Ramsay was the stabilizing force. Everything has come full circle for her.
“I just want to play as well as I can and make the most of my senior year,” Ramsay said. “I want everything to matter, every practice, every game. It’s a thrill to play my last year with my best friends,” she said. “Being captain this year I have gone through more of a leadership role, and the sophomore and juniors feel more comfortable around me, because I can lead by example.”
For the first time in Snower’s 15 years, Loyola has no freshmen on the roster. Forward Vanessa Murray leads a strong sophomore class. “The junior class is the biggest it has ever been,” Snower said. “The senior class is smaller than in the past, but very talented.”
Burns, following in the path of her older sisters, is an Iowa recruit. She has been playing club since last fall and is ready to go. A midfielder for her club program, she is the force in the Ramblers’ back. Snower had to alter his formation last year, adding a fifth defender and using Brett and Ramsay in his counterattack.
“Now we are going to go back to playing how did in the past, possessing the ball 60 to 70 percent of the time,” he said.
Maggie Avery is the third Chicagoland Soccer all-state player returning for the Ramblers. She combines excellent quickness with balance, vision and sharp reflexes. She is not playing soccer in college. This is her last go-round in organized play. She means to make the most of it.
“We have the potential to end my soccer career in a really amazing way,” she said. “I’d say this year, our focus is a collective group and team play. We are not focused on who’s the best player or anything like that. We’re all good players, and we know how to play with each other and for each other.”
Of all the players, she is most excited at the return of Burns. Avery knows it is going to make the Ramblers’ back even more formidable. Snower said other players to watch are senior midfielder Cate Shellenback and junior defender Emily Chrisman.
“Ninety-five percent of the goal scoring we had last year is back,” Snower said. The cornerstones of early training has been technical proficiency, tactical knowledge and physical fitness. Loyola is ready to roll.
“Our preseason has been great, and we are excited to see what we have out there,” Brett said. “Everybody is really working hard. We have 17 returners. Everybody is comfortable. Sometimes you have that period where everybody has to get used to each other. We are already past that point.
“We are ready for the games to start.”
By Patrick Z. McGavin
A year ago nothing went according to hope for Loyola. The best player, Riley Burns, suffered a foot injury on the eve of the first game and was declared lost for the season. The collective mood was subdued, even downcast.
Loyola had a history of winning and success. Suddenly the Ramblers were a bit lost. Playing a typically high-end schedule only magnified the early difficulties. Loyola lost its first three games. Worst of all, the team failed to score in any of those games.
Then one day, almost unexpectedly at practice, a loose and spontaneous riff by some of the players eased everything.
“After the early games and what we were going through, losing Riley, it was really frustrating for everybody,” keeper Maggie Avery said. “Then in our practice, we started the training as we usually do, with drills, but then we just allowed ourselves to have fun. We just kind of played some games. It just seemed to block out the pressure. It brought the whole team closer. That day, we said, ‘We don’t have Riley but we have each other.’ That allowed us to springboard.”
A retreat to Wisconsin and getting two one-sided shutout victories lifted the darker curtain and erased the doubts. The team adjusted to the absence of Burns. New faces and players came to the forefront. By the end, Loyola was Loyola, ripping off 11 victories in a row until a Class 3A sectional championship loss to New Trier.
They defeated two soccer signature programs, Maine South and Evanston, in the state tournament. The season trajectory was certainly nonlinear. By most metrics, it was a successful one, with a final record of 18-7-0 and a GCAC Red conference title to go with the deep state tournament push.
Cue 2018. Loyola is healthy, enthused and ready for the start of something bold. Loyola returns nine starters, five rotation players and four other players, like Burns, who missed part or all of the season with injuries. Rated no. 6 in Chicagoland Soccer’s preseason Top 25, Loyola opened the year with a 3-0 win against three-time defending city champion and 19th-ranked Lane on Thursday (March 15).
“This is (our) best overall and the first totally healthy team on the field since 2013,” coach Craig Snower said. “Being healthy is such a great thing. When we we have a large roster, with everybody healthy, you do not have to worry about having to fill in spots. Unlike other programs, we did not lose anybody to club. This is very exciting for us.”
The volatility of a year ago had unexpected consequences. By necessity, the absence of Burns made the ascension possible of a new star -- Maggie Brett. She showed flashes during her freshman year. Brett took her game to another level and solidified her standing as one of the best players in her class. In her first full year as a starter, Brett ran with her expanded opportunities. She scored 23 goals and recorded nine assists. She earned Chicagoland Soccer's all-state distinction.
“I think I’d attribute to what I did last year by finally getting comfortable with the team and getting used to the speed of play of varsity high school soccer,” Brett said. “It was not just me. Everyone on the team helped me get used to that.”
Snower predicted Brett’s emergence after she had a standout club season in the summer heading into her sophomore year. She combines excellent footwork, balance, field of vision and creative shotmaking. She has deceptive speed -- a crazy closing burst that helps her get to balls and create the necessary space.
“Going into my sophomore year, I was forced to get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Coach Snower put me in a lot of uncomfortable positions, and I had to adapt. I’m not the most skilled player. Somebody like Steph (Stephanie Ramsay) has all the skills. I think what I have worked hard on is to be more than a one-trick pony, somebody who just uses my speed to get around girls.”
Snower said Brett’s emergence was the result of her deepening confidence.
“Her skill progression has always been great,” he said. “It was just a matter of her getting the opportunity. When she started to have some success, her confidence level just grew.”
She even overshadowed the otherwise exceptional play of Ramsay, who’s now a senior. Ramsay also earned all-state Chicagoland Soccer recognition with 15 goals and 13 assists. Her game forms a striking combination with Brett. The two are excited about the next stage in their evolution. “We work really well together,” Brett said.
A Carnegie-Mellon recruit, Ramsay is the savvy veteran who brings moxie and a calm presence. Snower said last year the team learned how to adjust on the fly. Ramsay was the stabilizing force. Everything has come full circle for her.
“I just want to play as well as I can and make the most of my senior year,” Ramsay said. “I want everything to matter, every practice, every game. It’s a thrill to play my last year with my best friends,” she said. “Being captain this year I have gone through more of a leadership role, and the sophomore and juniors feel more comfortable around me, because I can lead by example.”
For the first time in Snower’s 15 years, Loyola has no freshmen on the roster. Forward Vanessa Murray leads a strong sophomore class. “The junior class is the biggest it has ever been,” Snower said. “The senior class is smaller than in the past, but very talented.”
Burns, following in the path of her older sisters, is an Iowa recruit. She has been playing club since last fall and is ready to go. A midfielder for her club program, she is the force in the Ramblers’ back. Snower had to alter his formation last year, adding a fifth defender and using Brett and Ramsay in his counterattack.
“Now we are going to go back to playing how did in the past, possessing the ball 60 to 70 percent of the time,” he said.
Maggie Avery is the third Chicagoland Soccer all-state player returning for the Ramblers. She combines excellent quickness with balance, vision and sharp reflexes. She is not playing soccer in college. This is her last go-round in organized play. She means to make the most of it.
“We have the potential to end my soccer career in a really amazing way,” she said. “I’d say this year, our focus is a collective group and team play. We are not focused on who’s the best player or anything like that. We’re all good players, and we know how to play with each other and for each other.”
Of all the players, she is most excited at the return of Burns. Avery knows it is going to make the Ramblers’ back even more formidable. Snower said other players to watch are senior midfielder Cate Shellenback and junior defender Emily Chrisman.
“Ninety-five percent of the goal scoring we had last year is back,” Snower said. The cornerstones of early training has been technical proficiency, tactical knowledge and physical fitness. Loyola is ready to roll.
“Our preseason has been great, and we are excited to see what we have out there,” Brett said. “Everybody is really working hard. We have 17 returners. Everybody is comfortable. Sometimes you have that period where everybody has to get used to each other. We are already past that point.
“We are ready for the games to start.”