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player ready...Metea Valley’s Ryan Solomon doesn’t live and breathe soccer year-round like many players in the Chicago area.
That’s because the three-sport athlete is a rare a find these days in an era of specialized athletes.
“Ryan is a baseball standout, a solid basketball player, and he plays soccer for the love of it and is excelling at it,” Metea Valley coach Josh Robinson said. “We constantly give him a hard time that he’s not a soccer player, but a baseball player playing soccer. His work ethic is contagious, and I am extremely proud to have coached him the past three years.”
Through Metea Valley’s first seven games, the senior forward found the back of the net seven times, to go along with four assists.
“Ryan has been a rock this year and has stepped up into a leadership role,” Robinson said. “He has been a difference-maker every game and is a threat every time he touches the ball.”
Rock solid: Wheaton Warrenville South defender Will Huesing might not be the biggest player on the field at 5-foot-8, but that hasn’t stopped the third-year starter from being the best player for the Tigers this fall.
“His soccer sense and ability to read and anticipate makes him one of the best defenders I’ve seen this season,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “After each match, the coaching staff will rank the performance of each player on the roster.
“Will’s consistency on the field has ranked him ahead of everyone else in all but one match this season. His performance to date has been the foundation we wish to build upon within the program.”
Doing it all: Bartlett has been down three starters due to injury since the second week of the season.
Senior midfielder Anthony DiNuzzo has risen to the occasion. After skipping his junior season to play club soccer, DiNuzzo recorded five goals and five assists early on for the Hawks.
“We asked Anthony to carry even more of the load in the center of our attack.” Bartlett coach Ben Beary said. “He has shown grit and poise as we work to reorganize our offensive side. This experience of battling through these injuries has manifested itself in a new level of leadership from Anthony.”
From the corner: Beginning Sunday, Zoe Redei will be one of 36 players to train with the under-14 U.S. Girls National Team at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Redei, who plays club for Eclipse Select, is the only Illinois player at the camp.
Email Joe Trost at [email protected].