Defenders, keepers in Illinois deserving of praise

As PrepSoccer does a deep dive into some players from the Land of Lincoln, we focus on defenders and keepers who are deserving of high praise. They are generally the positions that get the least amount of love, as the ones creating and scoring goals get headlines, but these five players are excellent about keeping other teams from scoring goals.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/Patrick-Bohan.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-170454" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Scotty D, @scottydphotography</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='63424' first='Patrick' last='Bohan'], Defender, Naperville Central, Class of 2024   Bohan is a senior who is already committed to play soccer at John Carroll University. He is an Eclipse Select player for club. Bohan makes an impact on the pitch in that he acts as a disruptive force, a stopper known for holding good attacking players to no shots on goal. He's also very good on set pieces. He shows great leadership and teamwork, and leads quietly, letting his actions do the talking. He's earned captaincies for both his state title high school team and his nationally ranked ECNL team. He's a versatile player who is comfortable defending in the back line or pushing up in the attack. He is looking to improve in terms of physical conditioning to be ready to play at the next level, and he sees the importance of being strong mentally in order to succeed in college. He's driven by the desire to be strategic and excel int he mental aspects of the game.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/04/Lainey-Chung14.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-170325" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Seredy Williams</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='110586' first='Lainey' last='Chung'], Defender, Libertyville, Class of 2027   Chung is a freshman at Libertyville High, playing club for Eclipse Select's 2009 team. She is a versatile defender in that she can play centrally or as a wide defender. She is a very sound technical defender, and is good on the ball, but is looking to improve even more in terms of her comfort on the ball. She is a very physical player and she works really hard and shows a grit and determination that cannot be taught.   Olivia Hill, Keeper, Bishop Chatard, Class of 2024   The Winthrop commit is playing at an extremely high level, coming up with big saves and showing incredible reactions and quickness. Hill's mechanics have improved, she has gotten stronger and she has improved her mental focus. She will be playing in the WPSL this summer before heading off to Winthrop and will have the opportunity to learned from seasoned keepers. This will help her prepare for the speed of the game at the next level and the rigor of training for such a high level. Hill already shows great decisiveness as she is aggressive and quick off her line and she trusts her instincts. She also shows great vision as she is able to read play before it happens. This vision allows her to also help create as she does more than just distribute directly. She is an excellent verbal communicator and her teammates respond because she holds herself as accountable as anyone. She will play without fear, with a fierce competitiveness.   [player_tooltip player_id='102303' first='Mackenzie' last='Lorkowski'], Keeper, Burlington Central, Class of 2026   Lorkowski plays club for Rockford Rapters FC and is a sophomore keeper at Burlington Central. She is really good about knowing when to come off her line. She reacts quickly and is an excellent shot stopper. She also sees the angles well, knowing when to come out and shrink the angle, or knowing where to position herself. She makes 1v1's challenging for attackers and reads PK's as well as anyone. Lorkowski is also a great communicator which is essential for a keeper. She is working to get even better about reacting to the timing of a cross, she's looking to get faster and stronger and looking to get even better at reading attackers. Lorkowski is quick when it comes to gathering a rebound and getting up after a save, but looking to get even better. She is very coachable, she's aggressive, strong and quick and plays with passion. She makes good decisions and adapts well to the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='170470' first='Giada' last='McGlynn'], Keeper, Benet Academy, Class of 2026   The sophomore keeper at Benet Academy also plays club for Chicago Inter's 2008 ECNL team. McGlynn is the type of keeper that always maintains a positive mindset while communicating and leading her teammates, which goes a long way. She is a very aggressive, confident and instinctive keeper. She reads situations quickly and leads to great timing on challenges. She usually delivers her long kicks and throws with accuracy and she is very adept at saving PK's. McGlynn just seems to have that natural goalie presence that puts teammates and coaches at ease.   [player_tooltip player_id='153556' first='Aybree' last='Sanchez'], Defender/Forward, Barrington, Class of 2027   Sanchez is the hybrid of this group as she plays as a wide player, meaning she can play as a wide forward or a wide defender. She's excellent at both. She works hard to get better, and never stops looking to improve. Sanchez comes to training hungry and motivated. She is taking control of her soccer journey by being proactive in terms of improving. As a wide player she shows a lot of speed and ability to push up, whip in crosses and impact a game.

As PrepSoccer does a deep dive into some players from the Land of Lincoln, we focus on defenders and keepers who are deserving of high praise. They are generally the positions that get the least amount of love, as the ones creating and scoring goals get headlines, but these five players are excellent about keeping other teams from scoring goals.