The Glenbrook North girls soccer team has just three seniors — Kiley Sullivan, Lanie Gruemmer and Kiley Isaacson — but they have had a huge impact on the Spartans’ success.
All three now serve as captains and coach Craig Loch said the seniors’ leadership and on-field contributions have been instrumental in the team’s recent up-turn in fortunes. The Spartans (6-4-2 as of Monday, April 25) entered this week on a five-game winning streak after going 4-0 at the Lakes Invite and winning the title.
“I have seen the seniors grow as leaders within the season,” Loch said. “For them it has been about making sure everyone is on the same page and that we’re not a group of freshmen, a group of sophomores and so on, but that we’re one group of Spartans.
“There were some growing pains (early on), but they have stepped up and brought us together. I think that has directly impacted (our success).”
Sullivan, a standout left back and sometimes defensive midfielder, is not just winging it when it comes to leadership. She honed her skills as a two-time attendee at the annual Central Suburban League Leadership Conference.
After being chosen as a junior representative at the event last year, she returned in February as a student director, leading a group of 20 students from different schools.
“Attending the conference twice now, it really helps you learn how to talk to teammates, especially if there is something wrong with the team,” Sullivan said. “(The conference) also taught me about taking responsibility, showing others what must be done, not just telling them. I’m trying to do that.”
In addition to praising Sullivan for her versatility and ability to succeed in a number of positions, Loch also calls her a great leader and a future coach.
“She brings mental toughness and is the rock we all look to and turn to when things are going good and bad,” he said.
Sullivan may be the team’s vocal leader, but Loch calls Gruemmer a “leader by example.”
A right-sided attacking midfielder, Gruemmer is in her third full varsity season and also was a member of the school’s cross country and basketball teams. She served as a basketball captain as a junior and senior.
Gruemmer said she has tried to pattern her leadership after last year’s standout Maggie Washelesky, who now plays at Carthage in Kenosha, Wis.
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“Maggie Wash wasn’t the most vocal and the ‘C’mon guys!’ kind of leader,” Gruemmer said. “But everyone looked up to her work ethic. I looked up to her because I’m not necessarily the leader who is always talking and super vocal, but I talk when necessary. Maggie really was a leader in the way she worked, how much she cared and what she did.”
Sullivan acknowledges she is more of a vocal leader than Gruemmer, especially on the field where her position on the backline requires constant communication. However, she said Gruemmer does speak up at times.
“Lanie is more a motivator. In the circle (before a game), she gets everyone pumped up. She knows what to say before a game,” Sullivan said.
Isaacson, an outside forward or midfielder, was not designated as a captain before the season, but Loch said the second-year varsity player has been serving as a captain in recent weeks.
“(Isaacson) will run through a brick wall for her team,” Loch said. “She’s physical and has improved greatly over the last two years. She always keeps the team positive with uplifting energy.”
Isaacson said the team’s leadership is strong because the three seniors all have the same goals for the team, even if their leadership styles are a bit different.
“We work together well and complement each other well with different personalities,” she said. “I try to focus on always staying positive, whereas the other two seniors keep the team focused and motivated.”
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press