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Girls soccer season preview for near north suburbs

Evanston

Coach: Stacy Salgado

2016 record: 20-4-3 (5-0 Central Suburban South); lost to New Trier in Class 3A sectional final

How they’ll play: Salgado, the first-year head coach, expects Evanston to combine its constant defensive pressure with a very forward, aggressive attack to dictate the pace of play. “We have lots of speed and endurance,” Salgado said. “So I think we’ll be able to play that way and also control possession with these guys, because we have some good ballhandlers.”

Player to watch: Senior midfielder Maia Cella signed with Wisconsin in February and she will be at the center of Evanston’s attack this season. “She’s one of the most talented players in the state,” Salgado said. “She’s very explosive. She can change direction and change pace real quick.”

Big question: Salgado has to name a starting goalkeeper. The leading contenders are freshman Yana Fielkow and junior Nina Laurent. Either way, the Wildkits will have a first-time varsity starter in goal.

Glenbrook North

Coach: Craig Loch

2016 record: (4-1 Central Suburban North); lost to Loyola in Class 3A regional final

How they’ll play: There will be no set scheme for the Spartans. “It will depend on the score of the game, weather conditions and opponent,” Loch said. He can be flexible because Glenbrook North has three returning starters on the back line — juniors Maggie Oliphant, Emily Porta and Melissa Tucker. Through balls from the midfield to the attacking third will often be directed at one of the team’s talented forwards — junior Emily Charen and sophomores Samantha Cramin and Alyssa Nekritz.

Player to watch: Senior midfielder Maya Lambert eschewed high school soccer her first three years, electing to instead play club for Sockers FC Chicago. Having committed to Purdue, she is with Glenbrook North this spring. Her ability to receive and control the ball under pressure brings another dimension to the Spartans’ attack. “Her vision for where to put the ball in dangerous places will help her teammates to be successful,” Loch said. Charen, Cramin and Nekritz are expected to benefit.

Big question: Can the Spartans avoid another slow start to the season? Glenbrook North earned just one win in its first seven games of 2016, posting a 1-4-2 record. Glenbrook North’s schedule in March is not easy this spring and includes a nonconference game against Stevenson and a CSL crossover game with Evanston.

Glenbrook South

Coach: Seong Ha

2016 record: 20-3-2 (2-1-2 Central Suburban South); lost to New Trier in Class 3A sectional semifinal

How they’ll play: Glenbrook South will rely on its individual skill, Ha said, given the relative lack of experience the team possesses. Talent is not the issue, but a lack of continuity will force the Titans into a more attacking, one-on-one style, rather than a possession-oriented team. “I don’t think we’re there yet,” Ha said of the team’s cohesiveness. “I think that will come with time, not even this season, but for future seasons to come. That’ll be an expectation. A lot of these girls come from different clubs. Most of them do play together, but they play on different teams, so it’s going to take awhile to jell.”

Player to watch: Sophomore forward Makayla Stadler, who had nine goals and 12 assists last season, will look to take over for Olivia Peters, who finished her career as the second all-time leading scorer (goals and assists) in program history. “She loves to take players on,” Ha said of Stadler. “She doesn’t hesitate. She’s very decisive in her decision making.” Stadler will play opposite senior forward Lily Sands. “Lily’s more the finesse type and Makayla’s a very direct player, but she’s so creative in her ways,” Ha said.

Big question: Though it returns all-conference center back Cassidy Price, Glenbrook South lost three of its four starters from last season’s back line. Finding consistency among the new-look defense, which consists mostly of sophomores, will be difficult, Ha said. Price is a senior.

Loyola

Coach: Craig Snower

2016 record: lost to Evanston in Class 3A sectional semifinal

How they’ll play: Loyola, like in years past, will put an emphasis on using possession to form its attack. However, Snower said the Ramblers’ fast forwards could change things slightly. “We’re always trying to be a possession team, so we really want to be a team that plays good soccer and keeps the ball,” Snower said. “That being said, we’ve got a lot of speed on the front line and we certainly want to look through our possession to send it behind the other team’s back line.”

Player to watch: Junior defender Riley Burns, who has verbally committed to Iowa, is Loyola’s best player. “You could put her at any position on the field, but at the center back she can more or less control the entire back line and flow of the game while also shutting people down,” Snower said. “Since we’re a possession team, she’s not just going to whack the ball up field. She’ll get it under control and really start the attack.”

Big question: How will Loyola adapt to a more team-oriented approach this season? Snower said last year’s team, as well as prior Ramblers clubs, relied upon skilled individuals to generate scoring chances. This season, absent some of that scoring prowess, Snower said that a more unified approach will be necessary.

Maine East

Coach: Guy Anderson

2016 season: Lost to New Trier in Class 3A regional semifinal

How they’ll play: In his third season of rebuilding the program, Anderson sees progress. But he has realistic expectations. “We’re not the biggest or most skilled team so for us, it’s mainly about teaching kids to work as one unit, on the same page,” he said. The Blue Demons will rely heavily on a defense led by senior sweeper Sara Berrum and senior outside defender Cecilia Martinez, and largely play a counter-attacking style. Sophomore center midfielder Suzan Elizabeth Georges is expected to be one key link between the backline and the team’s attacking players.

Player to watch: The Blue Demons’ other chief link between the defense and the attack will be sophomore Cristina Anguiano, whom Anderson said “can play anywhere on the field. She’s big, fast, strong, skilled and intelligent.” Anguiano will start at center midfield in her first varsity season. Freshman Angelina Tamez is projected to join Georges and Anguiano as an outside midfielder.

Big question: Will this year’s team take another incremental step forward as Anderson continues to build the program? He likes what he sees so far. “The kids are buying into it, recruiting friends to come out and play, and we’ve got a great supporting cast of coaches,” he said. “We have 25 freshmen in the program and our numbers have been good every year I’ve been here. We’ll continue teaching them to mesh together as one unit. We’re hard on them, but we also know we have to keep things fun.”

Maine South

Coach: J.J. Crawford

2016 record: 14-6-4 (2-2-1 Central Suburban South); lost to Glenbrook South in Class 3A regional final

How they’ll play: With the amount of talent Maine South returns up top and in the midfield, it will look to dominate possession and likely create plenty of scoring chances. “Our forwards, I think, will be really strong and so are our central mids,” Crawford said. “So hopefully we’ll move the ball pretty fluently through those areas and score a lot of goals this year.”

Player to watch: While junior forward Annika Schmidt is the leading returning scorer, senior forward Emma Thomson is expected to be the Hawks’ top scoring threat. Thomson, who signed with Penn State in February, is playing her first high school season after playing exclusively with the Sockers FC Chicago club team the previous three seasons. “We’re hoping those two together will be hard to handle,” Crawford said.

Big question: As experienced as Maine South is up front, the Hawks are equally inexperienced in the back. The Hawks will have three new starters on defense as well as a new goalkeeper. Senior Olivia Latreille and junior Kati Kons are battling to earn the starting job.

New Trier

Coach: Jim Burnside

2016 record: 26-3-1 (3-1-1 CSL South); beat Collinsville to capture a third straight Class 3A state title

How they’ll play: In 20 seasons under Burnside, the Trevians have won six state titles; however, he said only two of those championship teams played the same formation. Burnside said New Trier likely will begin the season in a 4-3-3 formation, but that could evolve based on the development of a roster he described as talented, versatile and somewhat inexperienced. Burnside said there are some givens in his program. “One of our key philosophies is setting up and executing restarts in a way that is dangerous,” he said. “The other thing we stress is defense, one-on-one and team defense. It’s a true priority for us.”

Player to watch: Junior center back Sydney Parker is expected to star on an experienced backline that also returns senior center back Sam Urban and fullbacks Caroline Iserloth, a junior, and Megan Murdoch, a senior. Parker started every game as a first-year varsity player last spring. In 2015, she played on the freshman team after bouncing back from a torn ACL in 2014. Burnside said Parker, who is getting attention from Big Ten programs, appears to have elevated her game since last season. “She has just taken a huge leap this year in terms of matching her soccer skill with her athleticism,” Burnside said. “She’s put it together now. She is an athlete.”

Big question: Can New Trier win a fourth straight state title? The graduation of 10 players, and the addition of 13 varsity newcomers, might suggest doing so will be a difficult task. But the Trevians have managed to sustain success by regularly reloading. Burnside said the team’s 10 varsity returners made unprecedented growth in the offseason. “The girls who graduated made such an impact on the returners, that these girls have made a bigger leap in a year’s time than I probably ever have seen in a group,” Burnside said.

Niles North

Co-coaches: Sarah Paulis and Filip Cejovic

2016 record: 5-13-1 (1-3-1 Central Suburban North), lost to Niles West in Class 3A regional semifinal

How they’ll play: Niles North has not one, but two new head coaches this year. Cejovic has been in the Niles North program for years, and he’ll share the duties with Paulis. The coaches see the strength of the team as the midfield and want to play a possession-oriented style to take advantage of that. They plan to use both a 3-5-2 and a 4-2-3-1 formation. “The varsity team has versatile players and we will be flexible with our formations playing with both three and four in the back,” Cejovic said.

Player to watch: Cejovic said that junior midfielder Edina Taerbaum is the player who can be an “X-factor” for the Vikings this season. A Pioneer Press All-Area honorable mention player as a sophomore, she’s a playmaker who is key to the Vikings’ possession style. “(Taerbaum is a) wonderfully skilled footballer that finished off last year, her sophomore year, very well and had a terrific offseason,” Cejovic said. “We are looking for her to control the tempo of the game and provide offensive creativity.”

Big question: Can the Vikings compete with the best of the CSL South? The conference regularly features top teams in the state like New Trier, Evanston and Glenbrook South. After one league win and only five overall last season in the CSL North, Niles North has moved to the South division. “Our coaching staff, players, and parents alike look forward to the challenge of playing the best in the state on a nightly basis,” Cejovic said.

Niles West

Coach: Milo Cejovic

2016 record: Lost to Evanston in Class 3A regional final

How they’ll play: Cejovic takes over as coach after also becoming the Niles West boys soccer coach in 2015. He will be coaching a team that is skilled in the midfield. Seniors Taylor Isirov, Jackie Bajric and Bianca Tomuta, and junior Dyana Dawood bring experience to the position, and freshman Aila Durakovic is expected to play a major role there right away. Still, Cejovic is working to figure out how best to use all his players. “We are working on our style of play,” Cejovic said. “I’ve had two weeks with them since being hired so it is a work in progress.”

Player to watch: Isirov chose to play club soccer instead of high school soccer as a freshman and sophomore, but she was a difference-maker when she joined Niles West in 2016 and was named to the Pioneer Press All-Area honorable mention team. Though the Wolves have many talented midfielders, Isirov is unique because of her size: At 5-foot-8 she is one of just two players on the roster listed at 5-6 or taller. She will be key to winning aerial balls in the attacking third. “Taylor will be a very important part of how well we do,” Cejovic said. “She’s a special talent, and we are hoping we can turn that it into a special season.”

Big question: Cejovic said that while experience is one of the strengths of his starting 11, depth will be an issue. The roster is particularly young: It includes eight underclassmen. As Cejovic gets used to his new team, he’ll be tasked with developing his bench in hopes of getting reserve players to take on bigger roles as the season progresses.

North Shore Country Day

Coach: Elizabeth Giffen

2016 record: 9-5, lost to Marian Central in Class 1A sectional semifinal

How they’ll play: Giffen said North Shore has a solid returning group of six seniors. “The leadership there will be really important,” Giffen said of the senior class. The Raiders are young this year. Giffen said the program has 30 total members and 12 freshmen among that group.

Player to watch: Senior Lauren Kaplinsky is a forward with technical skills who is a threat distributing the ball and scoring. Kaplinsky, who led last year’s team in assists, was named to the Independent School League all-conference team last year. “She’s just a great ballhandler, a great distributor, a threat offensively,” Giffen said.

Big question: How will the freshmen respond? This group has a large amount of experience playing competitive soccer. Giffen said that is rare for North Shore. She added that it’s an exciting development, but she needs to figure out which pieces fit where.

Regina

Coach: Kyle McClure

2016 record: 5-10-4, lost to North Shore Country Day in Class 1A regional semifinal

How they’ll play: Regina will rely on a strong defense led by senior sweeper Colleen Palmer, who was named all-conference in the Girls Catholic Athletic White last season. Regina has two new goalies — junior Grace Tamisiea and senior Stephanie Zalinski — who have never played competitive soccer before. Both Tamisiea and Zalinski were catchers in the Regina softball program last year. “We know with Colleen back there, we’ll be able to keep the score close,” McClure said. Regina has 36 players, 27 of whom are new to the program. McClure said he has to figure out how many will play varsity and how many will play JV.

Player to watch: Lilly Rausch is a freshman midfielder who has experience playing with the club team FC United. McClure said she is the Panthers’ best up-and-coming player. “She’s a left winger, so she has a very strong left foot. She’s very fast and has a lot of experience playing at a high level,” McClure said.

Big question: Who will produce goals? Regina scored 24 goals last season, which is an average of 1.3 per game. The two leading goal scorers last year are no longer at the school because of graduation and a transfer.

Ridgewood

Coach: Kenneth Caslin

2016 record: 7-15 (3-2 Metro Suburban East); lost to Fenton in Class 2A regional semifinal

How they’ll play: The Rebels will attempt to employ a possession style and have a team-oriented attack with three strikers. “I don’t think we’ll have that standout goal-scorer,” Caslin said. “We’re more likely to have a well-rounded team in terms of how many goals each player in our attack scores.” That attack will rely on central midfielder and senior captain Michelle Montoya, who Caslin called “the glue of the team.” Her toughness and field vision are expected to be integral to the Rebels’ offense.

Player to watch: Senior and third-year varsity player Natalia Czachorowski is a central defender and “the most calm, solid presence we have,” Caslin said. Czachorowski is well-rounded and deceptively fast. “She can really break up plays well and then start the attack from the back very competently,” Caslin said. Czachorowski and senior outside back and captain Natalia Soja are expected to lead the backline in 2017.

Big question: How big of an impact will junior Mishel Habaci have on Ridgewood’s attack? She is slated to play forward or midfielder and create scoring chances. “She gets that look in her eyes when she’s on the field, call it determination, where she just goes and goes until the last whistle,” Caslin said. “We’ll need players like (Habaci) to contribute.” Senior forward Gabriella Nardulli also will be counted on to score for the Rebels.

Dan Shalin, Brett Christie and Matthew Paras are freelance reporters for Pioneer Press.

Twitter @Pioneer_Press