After early setback, Timothy Christian on a roll: Suburban Life girls soccer notebook

Timothy Christian rolled into Wheaton Academy on Tuesday riding an eight-game winning streak.

After losing 5-0 to Hinsdale South on April 10, the Trojans have been perfect. They’ve also allowed only one goal.

“We were kind of moving pieces around against Hinsdale South and trying to figure out where the best fit is for the players,” Trojans coach Nate Drye said. “We tried some different things and we knew Hinsdale was very good. It did not work out well, but I feel like in the regular season you’ve got to figure things out. Playing it safe is not worth it in the end. It clearly didn’t work out against a good team, but we’ve grown a lot since. We [beat] a really good Argo team (2-0) on Saturday and possessed and passed it well.”

Ella Becvar (seven goals) and Mia Schilf (19 goals, five assists) might be sophomores but they are playing like seasoned vets.

“They’re passing the ball well and controlling possessions,” Drye said. “They spray it out and that’s been a real strength because scoring-wise we lost our leading scorer from last year and that was a concern. Everyone is pitching in with scoring. Different goals from different people has allowed us to be competitive and get some wins.”

Senior Samantha Drye (seven goals, 14 assists), sophomores Avery Croff (three goals, 11 assists) and Mackenzie Laslo (11 goals, seven assists) and freshman Lucy Wilgenburg (five goals, three assists) are among the many players contributing to the attack.

Defensively, the Trojans have yielded 17 goals, but 10 of those came in 5-0 losses to St. Francis and the Hornets.

“The defense has been solid all year,” Nate Drye said. “The defenders have done a great job of limiting opportunities and [junior goalkeeper] Emily White has been strong, bailing us out when we’ve needed her. She’s just gotten better as the year has gone on. We’ve been improving and are kind of jelling. We’re hopefully coming together at the right time.”

Fit to be tied

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. And if you’re Glenbard South, often times you tie.

The Raiders (6-3-6, 2-0-1) haven’t won in their previous five games (0-1-4) but they’ve lost only once during the stretch.

“Yes, we are apparently the tie team,” Raiders coach Kevin Berner said. “Hoping to take care of business this week and wrap up our side of the Upstate Eight Conference.”

Berner didn’t mince words about the conference’s crossover game at the end of the year that determines the overall conference champion.

“For us, that’s not a reward,” he said. “We will always have to play a tough 3A team in that format. I think our side has a chip on their shoulder going into the Hinsdale South regional championship. I don’t think the seeding was justified at all, nor do I think that some coaches take that seeding as seriously as others.”

Seniors Annika Wise (University of Wisconsin-Platteville) and Brooklynn Moore, junior Callie Hardtke and sophomores Kaitlin Erickson and Izzy Breault are leading the Raiders while Berner said freshman Lily Pagano has been “a wonderful surprise in goal.”

“Wise and Moore have put in a ton of miles as we have been struggling to find ways to rotate them out for rest,” Berner said. “The kids are motivated to play in the sectional we are hosting. We will see how it all shakes out.”

In addition to tying district rivals Glenbard East and Glenbard South, the Raiders have earned draws against Timothy Christian, Downers Grove South, Quincy and Richwoods.”

Last year the Raiders tied only once and they didn’t have any ties in 2023. They haven’t tied this often since finishing 9-9-5 in 2022.

It’s been a long time coming

Before Downers Grove North‘s 3-2 West Suburban Silver Conference win over Lyons on Monday, the Trojans hadn’t beaten the Lions since 2018. Coach Marty Manzke had just graduated from Sandburg in 2017 and was playing at Lewis when the Trojans last beat the Lions.

Lyons (5-8-1, 1-2) had a seven-game winning streak against Downers Grove North, which included a 4-2 win last spring and two victories in 2021. The Trojans’ last victory against Lyons was in the Class 3A York Sectional final in 2018 when they prevailed in a penalty kick shootout.

Senior Elle Larsen had a hat trick to lead the Trojans to the come-from-behind win Monday. Senior Lexi Keown assisted on two of the goals while freshman Ella Menzione had the other assist.

“Great team win and we went down twice,” Manzke said. “My girls just never stepped off the gas pedal and never gave up going down twice.”

Downers Grove North (6-6-4, 3-2) had little time to celebrate the win. The Trojans hosted Oak Park-River Forest (10-5-1, 2-2) on Tuesday and won 4-3 in overtime.

More from Moore

A meniscus tear sidelined her for a couple of months during her freshman year, but Nazareth sophomore Molly Moore still scored four goals and had four assists in 10 games.

This spring, Moore is healthy and her 10 goals lead the Roadrunners while her five assists have her tied for the team lead with freshman Daniella Berruti.

“Molly is just scratching the surface of her abilities on the soccer field,” Nazareth coach Roberto Cianci said. “She has a great first step and is very fast. When you add in her ability to beat players with skill, it’s a nice recipe for the natural goal scorer that she is. Her competitive spirit and willingness to improve to become an all-around player this season has really impressed me.”

Nazareth (10-5-1, 4-2) has a few big schools remaining on its schedule, including Downers Grove North, Lyons and York.

“We are having a very good season and have the deepest roster I have been a part of in my 10 years of coaching girls high school soccer,” Cianci said. “Of our 16 games, we have not yet put the same starting lineup twice, having a goalie by committee for six of them. To say it’s been a complete team effort is an understatement. The good thing is we are getting healthy at the right time and look to make a nice push in the playoffs.”