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The girls soccer season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Record Newspapers coverage area.
Oswego East
Coach: Juan Leal.
Last season’s record: 18-3, won regional, lost in sectional semifinal to Naperville North.
Top returning players: Sam McPhee, sr., GK; Erika Smiley, sr., M; Morgan Hoffman, sr., M; Anya Gulbrandsen, jr., M; Lana Bomstad, jr., M; Emma Klosterman, jr., M; Emma Rosenthal, sr., D; Veronica Hamilton, sr., D.
Top new players: Catie Sloan, fr., M; Ashley Gumm, fr., M; Gabby McPhee, fr., M.
Worth noting: The Wolves are coming off a historic season. Oswego East last year won its second consecutive Southwest Prairie Conference championship with an unbeaten record and followed up by winning its first regional championship. Record Newspapers Player of the Year Gulbrandsen, a Wisconsin recruit, leads a strong group of returners from that team after scoring a team-high 17 goals with 10 assists as a sophomore. Smiley, an Iowa recruit, tallied 13 goals and six assists last season. Sam McPhee, who will play collegiately at Tiffin, recorded 11 shutouts and allowed just 17 goals in goal. Hoffman is committed to Wisconsin-Whitewater, Rosenthal to Illinois-Springfield and Hamilton to Wisconsin-Platteville.
“We are excited for the upcoming season,” Leal said. “We have a strong offensive-minded team with natural goal scorers. McPhee will help lead our defense as we are introducing two new players to the defensive starting lineup. We have a lot of talent and are looking forward to becoming a cohesive unit.”
Plano
Coach: Ben Sperry (13th season overall).
Last season’s record: 3-13-3, 0-7 Interstate 8 Conference.
Top returning players: Itzel Benitex, sr., D; Alexa Diaz, sr., F; Itzel Dominguez, sr., D; Ryenn Foote, sr., GK; Katheryn Navarro, sr., D; Diana Toxqui, sr., M; Norah Andrade, jr., F; Jackie Diaz, so., M.
Other returning players: Ava Nevarez, sr., M; Allison Nunez, jr., M.
Worth noting: Plano graduated seven players off last year’s team, many of them significant contributors. It leaves many holes on the field. The Reapers only won three games last year, but tied three others and had three losses in shootouts. Alexa Diaz had 11 goals and an assist last season, Jackie Diaz four goals and two assists, and Andrade two goals and six assists. Foote had 213 saves in goal.
“Some of our players are going to have to learn to play in new positions,” Sperry said. “We also have the need to bring up several young players that will have to learn quickly. This season, we are hoping to take some of those close matches we lost last year and turn them into wins.”
Yorkville
Coach: Lauren Hoppensteadt (fourth season).
Last season’s record: 8-8-4.
Top returning players: Joslyn Bullington, sr., D/M; Alexis Wasserberg, sr., F; Kendall Wayne, sr., D; Courtney Morse, sr., D; Lauren Dinnsen, sr., GK; Delilah Orozco, jr., D/M; Brynn Messersmith, jr., M/F; Marissa Galloway, jr., M.
Other returning players: Isabel Chilelli, jr., M/F; Emma Jasutis, sr., D/M; Abby Broadway, jr., F.
Top new players: Ashley McCallough, fr., F; Claire Cook, fr., D.
Worth noting: The Foxes return eight starters from last year’s team. Augustana commit Wasserberg had two goals and four assists last season, and Messersmith six goals and two assists. Galloway had a goal and four assists, Orozko two assists and Chilelli and Broadway each had a goal and two assists. Dinnsen had two shutouts in goal. Hoppenstead expects McCallough to provide an exciting spark to the Foxes’ offense and said Cook is an aggressive defender who has great vision for making runs forward.
“We have shown great growth since our first season in the SPC and are ready to come back and continue to prove to everyone that we are not a team to overlook,” Hoppensteadt said.
NOTE: A preview response was not received from Oswego.