Takeaways from the opening rounds of the BodyArmour Series

The opening weekend at the BodyArmour Series Showcase in Schaumburg, Ill., has concluded, which features some of the top programs in Illinois. There are more than 70 programs competing this year. There’s a lot to point out from the first weekend of the tournament. Here are some of my top notes from the event so far. <strong>Maine South has been severely slept on</strong> After taking downstate power Warren in a penalty shootout Sunday, there’s no doubt Maine South can make a run next month. The Redhawks are led by senior midfielder Molly Pistorius. The Northern Michigan commit scored two goals in each game this weekend. First against Hinsdale Central, one of the top programs in the near-west suburbs. And then two more against Warren, a far-north suburban powerhouse with five Division I commits. Pistorius has 20 goals in 11 games so far with five assists this season. Juniors Kailey Tripoli and Victoria Jelic are also making an impact in the midfield. Isabel Kiessel has been a strong suit and has displayed elite distribution with six assists to her name this season. The Redhawks are 9-1-1 with a draw at New Trier last week and a 2-1 loss at St. Charles North back in March. <strong>St. Viator still owns Deerfield</strong> In June 2021, ESCC power St. Viator took down Deerfield in the 2A sectional final. The Lions beat the Warriors 2-0 that day en route to a third-place finish in Illinois. Sunday morning, the two sides got to face off in a rematch of last year's sectional. Previously unbeaten Deerfield was on a roll after cruising past New Trier in a CSL crossover earlier in the week. Meanwhile, St. Viator was at the top of the East Suburban Catholic Conference. The Lions would eventually get the better hand of Deerfield as they squeaked away with a 3-2 win. <strong>De La Salle picks up statement wins</strong> The Meteors picked up two impressive wins over large suburban schools in the opening rounds of the BodyArmour Series. Saturday morning, they beat Waukegan 4-1. Sophomore standout Imani Coleman picked up a goal. Mia Ortega, Azucena Diaz, and Bella Brogan also scored. Ortega scored again the following day in a 3-1 win over Joliet West. Joanna Mullen and Jazzlyne Orosco also scored with Imani Coleman assisting. Last week, Imani Coleman was voted player of the week from the Chicago Tribune in Southern Chicagoland. Coleman’s recent successes also have the Meteors ranked No. 8 in that region. De La Salle is currently 8-2 and on a five-game winning streak. <strong>Metea Valley is (still) on a roll</strong> Metea Valley picked up two more quality wins in Schaumburg this weekend. On Saturday, the Mustangs went back and forth with Crystal Lake South. Tied 2-2 in the final minutes, junior [player_tooltip player_id="22221" first="Tyra" last="King"] found the back of the net. This sealed a comfortable 3-2 win over a solid northwest suburban team. Senior Addison Wargo (Northern Michigan) dished out two crucial assists this game, including the game winner. Lucy Burk and Jocie Grabow also scored. The following morning, [player_tooltip player_id="22221" first="Tyra" last="King"] struck again. King scored the game’s lone goal as the Mustangs took down Glenwood from the Springfield area. Metea Valley is now 7-0-1 on the year with big games awaiting in the coming weeks.