April 2008 Archives

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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.

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.

The Payton girls soccer team is probably the most talented team in the Public League.

But guess what...they've played in two tournaments this season - the Pepsi Showdown and the Glenbrook North tournament. I guess that means Payton won't be involved in the Public League tournament at the end of the season. Was this done because the program wanted to play on better fields throughout the season or was this an oversight?

You make the call.

But that's just one thing...

You can cross Whitney Young principal Dr. Joyce Kenner off the useful list.

Back on Jan. 25, Kenner wrote this in regards to a blog I wrote about the poor state of soccer facilities in Chicago: "I agree we must address the concerns many people have about soccer and other issues pertaining to benefiting our athletes within Chicago Public Schools. As the president of the Principal's Athletic Association Executive Board I invite you to address the board and the concerns you have. We would not view this as adversarial, but a way to address the issue in a transparent forum. Our next meeting will be held on February 25, 2008. Calvin Davis is a member of this board and will be at the meeting. I am also a member of the IHSA board."

Well, three months and two meetings later, still no plan, no action. I've seen this same, lazy story since I first started at the Sun-Times in Oct. 2000.

I hate to write this, because there are a lot of great, hardworking people that do so much for basically free throughout the Public League.

Is there a high school coach in Illinois that watches more soccer than Waubonsie Valley's Julie Bergstrom? I see her everywhere. But I wouldn't expect anything less from the NSCAA National Coach of the Year.

It wouldn't be a blog without an IHSA-YSO comment. Thank you IHSA-YSO for starting the girls soccer season earlier instead of adding the extra week to the end of the season. Instead of having teams play three or four games a week, we now have teams playing five or six like last week because of all the rescheduled events.

A well-known girls soccer coach is stepping down at the end of the season. The sport will not be the same without his passion and character. Any idea who it is? I do, and you'll know soon, too.

Have you seen this story - http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/899921,CST-NWS-Latin17.article. Are you kidding me? A month ago, people were complaining that kids were playing soccer in a local city park and ripping up the grass. Now, we have Protect Our Parks, Inc. suing to stop a turf soccer field from being built in Lincoln Park. Where is Woodsy Owl when need him? I have a feeling he would tell this group - "I don't give a Hoot - get lost."

One of my favorite people, Naperville Central boys soccer coach Jay Konrad , said he was walking away from coaching girls soccer a few years back (three I think) to spend more time with his family. But on April 2, Konrad was named the Director of the Eclipse Select West-Naperville.

A couple coaches forwarded me Paul LaTour's article from the Naperville Sun today, and the first thing I said is that some people just don't get it.

But then I was like, wow, I mean, the Naperville Invite is the premier girls tournament around. I just hope the Pepsi Showdown is mention in the same sentence. What an honor.

Here's the start of LaTour's story:

"When the inaugural Pepsi Showdown girls soccer tournament sprung onto the scene this spring, it appeared to be a direct challenge to the Naperville Invitational. The new 32-team event is bigger, uses a different format and has the support of corporate sponsors, including the Chicago Sun-Times. But Ed Watson, who co-founded the Naper Invite with Al Harris 11 years ago, isn't worried as his tournament gets under way today.

"They certainly want to make their tournament the biggest," said Watson, the Naperville Central coach. "But everybody knows it's not the best. We have the best tournament that there is. Some people could even argue that our tournament is better than the state tournament because there are just no easy games."

I don't know if Ed Watson's comment come off more arrogant or just plain stupid? Let me explain...

Here is the latest blog from Katie Uyenishi, who attends Lake Zurich and plays club in the spring for Eclipse Select.

Some people called me crazy for wanting to start a 32-team high school boys and girls soccer tournament. Some have said I'm nuts when I say they will expand to 64 teams (it's only a matter of time).

But now here's something else that will be part of future Pepsi Showdowns, which are presented by the Chicago Sun-Times - a local club tournament, at the same time and location.

The Pepsi Showdowns were created to promote the sport, the programs and most of all the players. While others will continue to fight over high school vs. club, the Pepsi Showdowns will promote the sport, the programs and most of all the players.

Stay tuned, because it's only the beginning of exciting things to come with the Pepsi Showdowns - http://www.pepsishowdown.us

Today's random thoughts:

* Is there anyone not ready for spring and summer to actually arrive? For the 32 teams competing in the Pepsi Showdown last Saturday at Oak Park-River Forest High School and Concordia University, I think everyone realized the guy upstairs like Pepsi over Coke - seeing that it was the warmest day since last fall (mid-60s and sunny).

* The top three seeds held their spots in the Pepsi Showdown, while No. 5 York knocked off No. 4 Maine South in another quarterfinal to advanced to Saturday's semis at Oak Park. Surprised? You shouldn't be. This is girls soccer, where upsets are as rare as the Cubs winning the World Series - I know, I'm a Cubs fan.

* I've always said there are some great, great athletic directors out there. Each year when the Pepsi Showdown rolls around - whether it's the boys or girls event - I'm reminded that their jobs are tough. So next time you see your athletic director - whether you like them or not - just say thanks...they deserve it.

* Dear Maine South school board: Everyone at the school wants to turf the stadium field, but you and your old age thinking have stood in the way. I know, I know, you are worried what the other schools in the district are going to say if Maine South has turf and they don't. Can you say socialism? I can.

* Common sense alert...If I move by an airport, I can expect to hear planes. If I move by a school, I can expect to hear activity around the school. Can someone please explain this to the folks around Oak Park-River Forest High School? First, they are afraid of lights - for more reasons than one - and now they are afraid of human sound on a bright Saturday afternoon. Please note folks, the mental health bus is just a phone call away.

There have been times when I've taken some heat for my nickname for the IHSA - the IHSA-YSO. But if you sit back and look at what the IHSA-YSO has done and its stance on sports, you'll realize it's a money game.

Many of you may recall a number of blogs talking about how the IHSA-YSO was trying to limit photos shot at state finals events.

Well, the Illinois state senate sent the IHSA-YSO a message yesterday...