Week 2 standouts from Illinois girls soccer

Here’s a look at some of the top performers from the Illinois girls high school season during the second week of play. <strong>M Paige Gleason, Libertyville, Sr</strong> The Wildcats are off to a surging start to the season. Gleason has done the most damage to opponents for Libertyville. She scored in the season opener last week en route to an 8-0 win over Lakes. This week, she scored twice and added an assist vs a solid Grayslake Central group. Libertyville won 8-0. <strong>D Lucy Iverson, Naperville North, Sr</strong> Iverson’s 6-foot-1 size as a center back has allowed her to dominate so far. The Huskies have only allowed one goal so far. The Calvin commit has also contributed heavily to the offensive game plan. She opened the week by scoring and assisting against Downers Grove South. She added two more assists against St. Charles East and another goal over Batavia. Expect Iverson to be winning lots of 50-50 balls. <strong>F Olivia Anderson, Naperville North, Sr</strong> Anderson has been the main offensive force for Naperville North so far. She scored a goal in four of the five games her team has played so far. The Huskies are off to a 5-0 start and are a top contender in their conference and region. <strong>F Adriana Merriam, Evanston, Jr</strong> Merriam has established herself as one of the top goal scorers in Chicagoland. Has an incredible left-foot shot that always makes it a challenge for goalkeepers to handle. She scored and assisted in the season opener against a tough Highland Park team. But her hat trick against Catholic powerhouse Loyola was shocking. Her third goal was the game-winner in the closing minutes. Merriam recently committed to Baylor. <strong>F [player_tooltip player_id="32977" first="Avery" last="Christopher"], O’Fallon, Sr</strong> Christopher has become an early favorite to win player of the year in Illinois. She’s doubled her goal-scoring total in two games this past week. Her week started with two goals in a 7-0 rout over Mascoutah. She then scored a hat trick in a 5-1 win over Edwardsville. O’Fallon has established themselves as the team to beat in 3A down near St. Louis. <strong>M [player_tooltip player_id="23494" first="Kiley" last="McMinn"], O’Fallon, Jr</strong> Like her teammate, [player_tooltip player_id="32977" first="Avery" last="Christopher"], McMinn has established herself as a difference-maker for the Panthers. She added two goals last week against Rochester. McMinn also added a goal and an assist in each game against Mascoutah and Edwardsville. McMinn recently committed to Marquette. <strong>GK Corinne Myket, Timothy Christian, Sr</strong> Myket is an under-the-radar keeper to watch this season. Has made an outstanding 23 saves in three matches while only conceding three goals. Made ten saves on St. Patricks Day against fellow small-school power Wheaton Academy in a 2-1 thriller. Before that, she made six saves against Glenbard South in a 1-0 win. <strong>GK Shannon Clark, Benet, Jr</strong> Clark has been one of the bight spots on a Redwing team not off to their hottest start. Made five saves against Plainfield north as Benet prevailed 3-0. Despite the tough 1-0 loss at Glenbard West, she was one of the top players on the field; making four saves. She concluded her strong week by making five saves against a tough Wheaton North squad Thursday evening. <strong>F Autumn Diduch, Freeport, So</strong> Diduch is the early favorite to win NIC-10 player of the year. Had a massive five-goal outing last Thursday against belvedere while also dishing an assist. The sophomore standout has nine goals and two assists to her early season. Freeport is a sleeper team in 2A.