One team to watch this postseason is Hersey. And yes, I thought that even before they beat Fremd two weeks ago. As I watched them against Lyons, St. Charles North and Maine South this spring, I've thought the same thing - very consistent.

Senior Jackie Drees leads the team with 10 goals, while defender Rosie White is a big reason why Hersey has recorded 10 shutouts in its 11 wins this season.

"Rosie has been the heart and soul of this program the last four years," said Hersey coach Brad Abel, whose team is 11-2-4 overall.

Posted by Corner Kicks at 10:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

St. Ignatius entered this week with a record of 16-1-1, its lone loss coming to St. Charles North 1-0 in the Sweet 16 play of the Pepsi Showdown. Despite the outstanding record, the jury is still out on the Wolfpack...and here's why:

Can St. Ignatius win the big game? That's the question that will be answered in a few weeks when it battles New Trier in the Class AA New Trier Supersectional on May 26 at 7 p.m.

With Nicole Denenberg, who earned Pepsi Showdown All-Tournament and GCAC Red Player of the Year honors, leading the way, things look good for St. Ignatius to make that next step in Class AA. The Wolfpack advanced to the Class A state finals in 2005 and has lost in the Class AA supers each of the past two years.

Denenberg has 15 goals and 11 assists this spring. According to coach Aaron Carpenter , she will more than likely break the most assists in a career this year and should break most goals in a career next year. "Nicole has a competitive spirit that has enabled her to go from being a great athlete to a great soccer player," Carpenter said.

Jayne Eslinger, a junior defender, has been a pivotal part of the Wolfpack defense which allows only three shots a game on average. She has five goals and nine assists. "Jayne has the tools to technically and tactically defend at an elite level," Carpenter said. "She has a firecracker strike, and she consistently threads the needle to her targets."

Posted by Corner Kicks at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Over the past decade, there are two things that can be said about the Sandburg soccer programs. The Eagles have always seemed to produce great defensive stars, but have always been lacking the true attacking offensive player.

Since the days of Katie Hertz and Tim Regan in the late 1990s, you would be hard pressed to find a standout offensive player that played at the Orland Park school.

But this spring, Sandburg forward Taylor Moesle has been rising to the occasion. The junior currently has 10 goals and 13 assists, and recently scored twice and assisted three times in the first 15 minutes against Stagg.

And to no surprise, the Eagles have another rising defensive star in goalie Victoria Kappel. The freshman has seven shutouts in 10 games.

Posted by Corner Kicks at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

When it begins in the middle of May? Someone, anyone please give me a reason?

We live in the 21st century where communication is just a click away right? You need host sites and officials to be set, but you don't need to have the teams seeded before May 1. The tournament begins on May 9.

Someone, anyone please tell me how the IHSA does it for football one week before, and the NCAA does it less than a week out. But for high school soccer, we need to do it a month before when some teams have only played a handful of games. This is just another case showing that the IHSA has not changed or advanced with the times.

Seriously, maybe Add A. Tude - now sponsored by Walgreens (shameless plug, but I own Walgreens stock) - needs a friend at the IHSA offices - Get A. Clue.

- Joe Trost

Posted by Corner Kicks at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here we go...

SEARCHING FOR A CLUE: Homewood-Flossmoor beat St. Charles North at the Brine Tournament of Champions in Burlington, Iowa over the weekend. St. Charles North also played Lake Forest during one of its three tournament games. Wow, travel to a different state and the tournament makes them play against two local, Illinois teams. Wow - enough said.

PAYTON MAKES IT CHOICE: As reported here last week, Payton played in two tournaments during the regular season - the Pepsi Showdown and the Glenbrook North Invite. So that forced Payton to either pick the Public League Tournament or the state tournament to play in. Keep in mind, Payton is the best city team and probably would've faced St. Ignatius for the sectional crown next month. But it elected to play in the Public League tournament, which they will be a heavy favorite to win.

IT FIGURES: Maine South battles New Trier; Downers South takes on Wheaton Warrenville South; and Lincoln-Way East and H-F will meet up this week. And guess what? Cold, rain and snow are in the forecast. Lovely. Thank God for turf.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Now before you get all fired up, seriously think about this question: Is high school down this year again or is Waubonsie Valley that good? I really believe it's combination of both....and that's the first time I've ever thought it's a little bit of both.

AND FINALLY - JOE TROST'S GIRLS SOCCER RANKINGS:

1. Waubonsie Valley 12-0-1 (1)
Outscored opponents 44-3

2. Wheaton North 12-1 (2)
Paige Fowler will always remember Toyota Park

3. York 10-1-1 (6)
Opposing coaches raving about Michelle Corbett

4. Wheaton Warrenville South 8-1-2 (7)
Another year, another solid Tigers' squad

5. Fremd 9-2-1 (3)
Fell to Waubonsie for Naperville title

6. New Trier 13-2 (5)
Lost to No. 1 and No. 2 last week

7. Maine South 11-1-2 (9)
Conference showdown with New Trier this week

8. Homewood-Flossmoor 14-3 (10)
Kelly Lewers a freshman to watch

9. St. Charles North 10-3 (8)
Traven, Manski split time in goal

10. St. Ignatius 16-1-1 (NR)
State-bound season for the Wolfpack?

Others: Neuqua Valley, Hersey, Carmel, Naperville Central, Mundelein, Lake Forest, St. Charles East

- Joe Trost

Posted by Corner Kicks at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Latin School will be able to continue construction on new soccer fields at Lincoln Park, a judge ruled Friday.

Judge: Latin School can build soccer fields

BY STEVE PATTERSON

Latin School will be able to continue construction on new soccer fields at Lincoln Park, a judge ruled Friday.

Work to install an Astroturf field, landscaping, drainage and fencing can continue in the face of neighborhood opposition, Cook County Judge Dorothy Kinnaird ruled. However, the judge expressed great concern about whether the Chicago Park District followed all public notice rules before beginning the construction last year.

That’s why she’s preventing any lighting, scoreboard, goalposts, benches or signage from being installed in the north meadow of the south field at Lincoln Park. She granted a request that the work be halted until she can properly assess whether all public notice and lakefront protection rules were followed.

A neighborhood opposition group formed earlier this year and filed suit hoping to block all work from continuing at the fields.

Construction began in November and is now 56 percent complete, with a targeted completion date of May 26, Kinnaird said. She cited the field’s previously shoddy condition in allowing some work to continue.

Kinnaird also expressed concern about a clause that would require Chicago taxpayers to reimburse Latin School $2 million if the work isn’t completed.

All of those issues, she said, will be argued beginning May 20 — before she casts a final decision on all work.

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I had planned to hold on to this until the end of the season out of respect for his team. But now that another reporter has a sniff of it, I was given the OK to run it.

Lake Zurich girls soccer coach Pete Ternes will resign at the end of the season to spend more time with his family. Ternes will always be remember in my book for one of the greatest lines of all time - "I hope people pay attention to litte 'ole Lake Zurich."

He said that before the start of the 2003 season, knowing that his team was loaded. Ternes' squad, which earned the preseason No. 1 ranking that spring, finished 27-1-2. Its lone loss came to New Trier in a 2-1 two-overtime defeat in the Class AA state title game.

He is hands down one of the most honest and classy coaches I have ever met. Take a bow Pete, you deserve it.

Posted by Corner Kicks at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

One thing I love about this job is that I'm held accountable for everything. And in today's lovely age of where someone can hide behind a computer and just write anything, that isn't possible when your name is on everything and you are standing 6-foot-5 on the sidelines.

When I ranked Homewood-Flossmoor three weeks ago, I must have received close to 50 emails from people saying I had no idea what I was doing. Some said I was ranking the Vikings because they were in the Pepsi Showdown, while others said I didn't want to rank Lincoln-Way Central and I had to rank a south suburban team.

Those who know me well know that I've never had a problem voicing my thoughts. And oh, do I have plenty today...

Final score: Homewood-Flossmoor 3, Lincoln-Way Central 0

As I watched Homewood-Flossmoor during the Pepsi Showdown, I started to get a feeling they were just like York - a major win away from taking the next step. (Note: I was hammered from ranking York in the preseason, too.)

The Vikings almost took that next step during a 1-0 overtime loss to New Trier in the Pepsi Showdown quarterfinals. They may have taken it the next week during a 3-0 win over Wheaton Academy. And Wednesday night's shutout of the Knights will help them going into the Brine Classic in Iowa this weekend - the same tournament St. Charles North will be at.

Now remember, this is the same Lincoln-Way Central team that tied Waubonsie Valley this spring. Granted the Warriors were a little depleted, but still.

I've always said I rank teams based on talent - not on whether the coach likes me or the school's colors. H-F has one of the best goalies around in Emily Oliver and a bunch of young, talented players who are starting to believe in themselves. The H-F coaching staff of Todd Elkei and Vince Bove has worked with a number of these players for years, while also receiving a helping hand from one of the best trainers around - Alex Hernandez.

Yes, the same Hernandez that coached at Lyons, with the Chicago Magic and is now coaching with the Fire Academy.

Remember this name - sophomore midfielder Melanie Coderre. As teams are learning, she is a playmaker - whether it's scoring or assisting.

Who knows what is going to happen, but H-F deserved to be ranked when it was.

Remember folks, it always helps to actually see a team before you comment on it.

- Joe Trost

Posted by Corner Kicks at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Random thoughts today after talking to athletic directors, coaches, fans and parents:

AND THE WINNER IS: Should Wheaton be the new capital of high school soccer? From Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South, St. Francis and Wheaton Academy, it's safe to say that's a solid foursome. For years, people have always looked at Naperville. But is it time for Wheaton to wear the crown?

BLOG EMAIL: From Gerry Ukrin: "Joe, I thought you might want to know York beat Hinsdale Central and St. Charles North beat Neuqua Valley last night. I saw you wrote that Oak Park beat Naperville Central, so that would make Pepsi Showdown teams 3-0 against Naperville Invite teams." I'll ask again - since when did it become tournament vs. tournament?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: How many teams travel for games out-of-state these days? One person emailed me this morning and said Neuqua Valley plays in three tournaments a year - Downers Grove South, a St. Louis Tournament and Naperville Invite. The thing is about the St. Louis trip - it's considered a showcase, so those are single games - not a tournament.

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The Inaugural Pepsi Showdown, which was presented by the Chicago Sun-Times, finished up last Sunday when Wheaton North defeated New Trier 1-0 in overtime at Toyota Park. Led by tournament MVP Michelle Scandora of Wheaton North, here is the all-tournament team: Jessica Carlson, Hinsdale South; Leah DeMoss, St. Charles North; Michelle Corbett, York; Gabby Whittinghill, Maine South; Melanie Coderre, Homewood-Flossmoor; Kristen Gierman, Hersey; Leah Fortune, Wheaton Academy; Nicole Denenberg, St. Ignatius; Jaime Orewiler, Wheaton North; Jessie Wall, New Trier; and Hannah Perry, Wheaton North.

Posted by Corner Kicks at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)