Girls Soccer notebook: St. Charles North building momentum after quarantine-delayed start to season

St. Charles North senior defender Grace Barresi anticipates a strong turnaround in the second half of the DuKane Conference season.

After having one practice this spring, the North Stars’ were forced to wait two weeks longer before the start of their season due to COVID-19. The seniors, like Barresi and Makenna Collins, were dealt another tough blow in the latter stages of their careers.

Barresi, a Kent State recruit, said the North Stars became a closer unit during their quarantine.

“It was definitely an obstacle that we had to overcome but I think it made us really appreciate the time we have together on the field,” Barresi said. “Every day we’ve made the most out of what we get…We definitely have had setbacks due to COVID-19, but our team chemistry is something special and will take us far this year. Keeping a positive attitude is something I think is a key to a successful team.”

The North Stars (5-3-2, 5-2-1) earned a comeback 4-3 win over Wheaton Warrenville South to continue their momentum following a slow start that can be attributed to the lack of practices.

Collins, an Indiana-Purdue University at Indianapolis recruit, said the North Stars’ chemistry was in part developed during their time apart.

“Being in quarantine was a hard time,” Collins said. “We were all so eager to get out on the field and the delay was really a stinker. I think it had somewhat of an impact on the beginning of the season, but it helped us appreciate the time we have together even more, which brought us closer as a team.”

St. Charles North coach Brian Harks praised Barresi and Collins for their leadership during the early-season adversity which shaped the team into a stronger, more cohesive unit. The North Stars enter Tuesday’s game against Wheaton North on a three-game winning streak.

“We’ve had a number of girls step up,” Harks said. “We seem to have found our rhythm late in the season. It took us awhile to get it after the two-week quarantine. Makenna and Grace are two senior leaders and captains. They’re both versatile players in the backline and defensive minded.”

Collins, a defender/midfielder, said the North Stars are starting to hit their stride.

“Our team definitely has a lot of potential,” Collins said. “I think we’re continuing to discover more of that every game. Our young players have contributed a ton to our team. I think they’re helping to show our true potential. We’re definitely getting better and better….We’re connecting better and everyone is buying into their roles on the team.”

Saints still marching along

St. Charles East’s historic season is moving closer to becoming historic. After a month of play, the Saints are gearing toward some memorable program marks. Unlike most teams, the Saints started off the season playing at a high level, and have continued that trend. So far, after a perfect 11-0-0 mark, the Saints own a remarkable 58-2 scoring margin.

The Saints are within five games of win No. 600 in program history. They need four more victories to equal the best start, established by the 2015 team.

“Those are pretty cool,” St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzio said of the two possible records. “With a program like we have, we’ve had some special kids gone through here, like USA National team players and Olympians. We’ve also got some kids getting close to individual records and (more) team records. We’re hoping to win conference and get a top seed coming up.”

BC on fire

Burlington Central is heating up at the right time of the season. After suffering three straight defeats — Naperville Central, Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake Central — early in the season, the Rockets (8-4, 4-2) have won six of their last seven to put themselves into contention in the Fox Valley Conference.

Burlington Central owns a three-game winning streak heading into Tuesday’s showdown against McHenry. The Rockets defeated their last three teams by a combined 17-2, including a 3-0 win over Kaneland on Saturday. Burlington Central has a tough test on Saturday at undefeated St. Charles East.