Teddy’s Illinois Soccer Notebook (10/28)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Been pretty busy with school and my own soccer season lately. Here's a notebook of some recent action around Illinois Soccer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Libertyville 1974 06 Girls Keeps Rolling</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 05-06 squad up in Libertyville remains hot. They're off to a 4-0 start in ECNL play while also advancing to the IL State Cup final. I'm very impressed with the depth of this team. Everyone's contributing and making their presence felt. Madeline Lewis is an underrated box-to-box midfielder with outstanding vision. Roos Van Roekel is a crafty defender with an excellent touch around the ball. She's also scored a handful of goals offensively. The goal-scoring attack has been led by Lauren Bailey, [player_tooltip player_id='33353' first='Piper' last='Lucier'], and Madelyn Kopala.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Full Team Effort for Inter 06 Girls </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chicago Inter's 05-06 girls squad has had a wide range of contributors. The whole back line has been an anchor. While [player_tooltip player_id='145214' first='Izzi' last='Wirtz'] has been a vocal presence in the midfield. She's outstanding at switching the field and getting her teammates involved. Plays with a high pace. Offensively, they picked up a big 4-1 win over Gretna Elite with four different goal scorers. The team is surrounded by several high major commits including [player_tooltip player_id='37577' first='Liz' last='Cardwell'], Ava Kodak, and Caroline Henige to name a few. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Several Upsets in Boys HS Playoffs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's been a handful of early upsets in the opening rounds of the high school playoffs. Most notably, OPRF, who was #1 in my last rankings, lost in the regional final to Niles Notre Dame. St. Charles North, a program with two preseason all-state selections, also lost in the regional finals. In the round before, Marmion, a consistent presence in the top 30, was upset by Metea Valley. Down in 2A, Grayslake Central took a shocking loss to Harvard in the Regional Final. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Radeke, Stokes Continue to Shine for Naperville North</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior duo of [player_tooltip player_id='143966' first='Noah' last='Radeke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='54366' first='Jaxon' last='Stokes'] has stolen the show this postseason. The two have contributed to almost all their goals and have Naperville North in the Sectional Finals agains the defending 3A champs and crosstown rival, Naperville Central. Against Romeoville in the sectional semifinal, both Stokes and Radeke scored while Radeke also added two assists. Earlier this week, Stokes was also nominated for our Prep Soccer HS performer of the week award for his all-around play during the regional rounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who Wins Class 2A Title??</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a handful of teams still contending in 2A that I see as real contenders. The favorite right now is probably Triad. They've rolled through top teams in Southern Illinois and have been as consistent as anybody over the past few years. Offensively, Wyatt Suter has been a game-changer. Playing with a ton of pace and super skillful on the ball. Benet has also improved and should certainly contend for a state title. Other catholic schools like Brother Rice, Notre Dame (Peoria), St. Laurence, and DePaul Prep could also challenge for a state title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->