Pioneer Press previews the girls soccer season for Loyola, Evanston, Glenbrook South, Glenbrook North, Regina and North Shore Country Day.
Loyola
KK Phelan will get the opportunity to be Loyola’s primary goal scorer this spring after the Ramblers lost Devin Burns to a season-ending knee injury.
As a sophomore last season, Phelan scored 15 goals playing roughly 50 minutes a game, Loyola coach Craig Snower said.
“She will be asked to take on more of a scoring load, for sure,” Snower said. “She will get more time this year, and she has the potential to score between 20 and 25 goals.”
Burns, a junior forward who has scored 55 goals in two seasons, tore the ACL in her left knee during a November club game. She tore the ACL in her other knee in the offseason following her freshman season.
Despite the loss of Burns, Snower said the Ramblers have too much talent on their roster to not be considered one of the top teams in the state again this year. Loyola went 20-3-1 last season and captured its sixth consecutive Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red championship. Two of the team’s losses came to Class 3A state champion New Trier.
In addition to Phelan, Loyola welcomes back senior defender Katie Taylor, senior forward Kathryn Cichon, junior defender Alex Yasko, junior defender Lauren Chrisman and junior midfielder Shannon Powers. All have starting experience.
One of the top newcomers is freshman forward Riley Burns, the sister of Devin Burns and 2013 graduate Corey Burns, who now plays at Iowa.
“[Devin] will have a long recovery, but we hope this is the end of the problem,” Snower said. “If we have Devin, we probably are one of the two best teams in the state. Without her, we still are a top-10 team. We feel like we can knock off anyone on any given day.
“We are out to prove something.”
Evanston
Olivia Post was one of the best goalkeepers in the area as a junior last season. She was in on 15 shutouts for a 19-6-0 team that won a Class 3A regional championship last season. Post hasn’t surrendered a goal at home since her May 2013.
Post, who has signed with Division II Nova Southeastern (Florida), isn’t the Wildkits’ only returning starter.
Senior midfielder Maureen Kerr and senior defender Emily Midyan both are back and both plan to play at Division I colleges. Kerr is a Creighton recruit, and Midyan has signed with Pittsburgh. Kerr had 14 goals and eight assists as a junior.
“Maureen is one of our stars,” Evanston coach Maurizio Grillo said.
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Sophomore forward Maia Cella is the team’s top returning scorer after totaling 15 goals a year ago.
“We are a well-balanced team,” Grillo said.
Glenbrook South
The Titans held their breath when Olivia Peters tore the ACL in her left knee during the offseason.
But Titans coach Seong Ha reported the junior forward has been cleared and is ready to go. Peters enters the season third on the program’s all-time points list with 129 (54 goals, 21 assists). Ha said a healthy Peters should pass April Cronin, a 2013 graduate who plays at Valparaiso, and move into second sometime this season.
“Olivia is a go-getter and has a devastating shot,” Ha said of the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association’s all-sectional selection. “With her back and our depth, our attacking will be heavier this year.”
Joining Peters on the attack will be senior midfielder Kaily Bruch, an all-state honoree as a junior. As a freshman, Bruch played on the team that advanced to the Class 3A state tournament and finished fourth.
Ha also raved about senior forward/midfielder Tami Erlich’s offensive talents after she scored 11 goals and had seven assists for last season’s 19-4-1 club that lost in a weather-shortened Class 3A regional semifinal match.
“I’m not sure a lot of coaches know about her right now, but they will,” Ha said of Erlich. “She’s a little squirt, but she’s a huge part of our offense. She has great vision out there.”
Ha said this will be his ninth and final season as girls coach. He’s 161-34-20 during his time. Ha plans to continue to coach the Glenbrook South boys.
“I like our teamwork and how the girls get along with each other, on and off the field,” Ha said. “That is a great foundational piece to have. It makes my job a lot easier.”
Glenbrook North
While the Spartans finished in a four-way tie for first in the Central Suburban North last season, they finished with a 10-11-1 record and lost in the Class 3A regional semifinals.
Coach Craig Loch said one of the goal’s this spring is to post a winning record.
“We have a very young team working hard for a .500 record,” said Loch, who is in fourth season heading up the program.
Led by forward Maggie Washelesky, Glenbrook North returns eight starters. Washelesky scored 19 goals as a junior. Other seniors starters who are back include forward Morgan Adducci, midfielder Megan Hardy, midfielder Kendall Barrett and defender Lizzy Shack.
Junior midfielder Lanie Gruemmer, junior defender Kiley Isaacson and sophomore midfielder Noelle Santellano also have starting experience on varsity.
Regina
Seniors Maggie Palmer and Erin Pins are two of eight starters who return for the Panthers. Regina finished 7-6-5 last season and lost in the Class 2A Vernon Hills Regional semifinals in Kyle McClure’s first season as coach.
Palmer, a defender, and Pins, a midfielder, both scored six goals and added two assists a year ago. Joining them are senior midfielder Erin Crowley, senior defender KK Strenk, junior goalie/forward Sarah Allworth, sophomore midfielder Caroline Baubonis, sophomore defender/forward Claire Beiter and sophomore defender/midfielder Colleen Palmer.
Among the varsity newcomers, McClure said freshman forward Lauren Pogaznik should see playing time this season.
North Shore Country Day
In her first season in charge of the program, Lizzy Giffen led the Raiders to a 9-4-1 record last year. It was North Shore’s most wins since 2010.
The Raiders lost in the Class 1A regional finals on their home field.
Giffen welcomes back senior midfielder Debbie Newmark, junior midfielder Rachel Gordon and sophomore forward Lauren Kaplinsky from last season’s starting lineup.
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