When high school girls soccer kicked off in Illinois back in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, there were only two communities in the state that continually produced premier teams year-in and year-out – Naperville and St. Charles.
In the early 2000s, Wheaton, Aurora, Winnetka and a few others joined that club.
But over the past 10 years, Illinois has become a hotbed for college recruiters. While the brand-name year-round clubs such as Eclipse Select, Sockers FC, Windy City Pride and Campton United have aided that cause since the late 1990s, the consistent interest and strength actually have to do more with the rise of mid-tier clubs which in turn have impacted the overall improvement of high school soccer programs throughout the Northern Illinois region and its players.
Take a look at Barrington and now Burlington Central prior to FCX arriving on the scene. Look at Chicago Inter’s impact on numerous programs throughout the Southwest Suburbs or how FC United has been a change agent for every program along the North Shore. The same could be said about Chicago City with Public League programs.
The PepsiCo Showdown Girls, which kicks off Saturday at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, is a prime example of how strong high school girls soccer is overall throughout Illinois. The event will feature 96 high school programs, more than 200 communities and 2,500+ players in the largest high school soccer tournament in the U.S.
It also will showcase 100s of players set to play in college this fall, along with 100s of future college prospects at the same site on back-to-back Saturdays. Below is a list of a few of the college-bound stars playing in the 16th Annual PepsiCo Showdown:
Stagg: Ally Mussallem, midfielder, Purdue; Maja Persa, defender, Fort Hays State; Grace Javaras, midfielder, Wisconsin-Parkside; Anna Kois, defender, Moraine Valley; Angelina Kosmas, forward, Illinois Wesleyan
Garcia: Alyssa Zavala, midfield, Olivet Nazarene University
Reavis: Arlette Hernandez, defender, Saint Xavier University
Hinsdale South: Abbi Mazurek, midfielder, Saint Mary’s Minnesota; Kendra Rees, defender, Wisconsin-Stout
Latin: Lily Keiderling, midfielder, Tufts
Minooka: Kennedy Messina, midfielder, UIC; Maddie Morin, forward, North Central
Wheaton Academy: Erin Teevans, forward, Taylor University
Montini: Sonia Finch, Defender, Augustana; Emma Repking, Forward, Olivet Nazarene
Jones: Gabriela Baxtrom, midfielder, Lake Forest College
Maine South: Aly Kilburg, midfielder, Loyola; Maddie Malinowski, midfielder, Walsh
Lake Park: Brianna McAloon, midfielder, North Central College; Zirir Hernandez, midfielder, Alverno College
Willowbrook: Sarah Poirer, midfielder, Monmouth College
Streamwood: Kaila Ford, forward, Clarke University; Michaela Gundersen, midfielder, Benedictine University
Lockport: Stephanie Quigley, midfielder, St. Ambrose; Ally Fischer, forward, Illinois-Springfield; Lauren Pikulski, defender, Moraine Valley.
Libertyville: Morgan Verbeten, midfielder, Carthage College; Allison Tong, defender, MIT
Crystal Lake Central: Madie Rokos, midfielder, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Dundee-Crown: Sam Christensen, forward, Illinois-Springfield
Bloom: Vannesa Lopez, defender, Prairie State College
Riverside-Brookfield: Emily Graham, goalie, Purdue University; Vanessa Fragoso, midfielder, St. Xavier University; Emma Pizana, midfielder, DePauw University
DeKalb: Bella Bettner, forward, Carleton College; Maddie Hill, midfielder, Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Haley Brown, defender, Carroll College; McKenna Wallin, midfielder; Carthage College
St. Charles North: Dmi Petrusha, midfielder, Vermont; Gia Wahlberg, midfielder, Michigan State; Hailey Rydberg, midfielder, Iowa; Cassidy Joyce, midfielder, Minnesota State; Bella Falco, midfielder, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Aurora Central: Anna Dudziak, midfielder, Benedictine University; Shannon LoPresti, forward, Lewis University; Alex Montalbano, goalie, Coe College
Saint Viator: Anna Johnston, goalie, New Hampshire
Bolingbrook: Julia Lentz, goalie, Northern Illinois; Ariana Hopewell, midfielder, Aurora University
Solorio: Cindy Barbosa, defender, Morton College; Pamela Valtierra, midfielder, Morton College
Huntley: Brenna Keegan, forward, Barton College
Herscher: Abbie Kukuck, goalie, Clarke University; Julia Perez, forward, Wisconsin Lutheran
Plainfield South: Ciara Coneset, defender, Central Michigan; Isabel Cerda, forward, Waubonsee College; Amaya Silvar, defender, Benedictine University; Jamie Lee Cooper, forward, Illinois College
Warren: Jamie Kwon, defender, Winona State
Wheaton North: Kailee Sowers, midfielder, Rochester
East Aurora: Marubeni Nieto, midfielder, Robert Morris Unversity
Crystal Lake South: Cam Sengstock, midfielder, Winona State Unversity
TF United: Jasmine Quesada, midfielder Moraine Valley
Lincoln-Way East: Maria Fields, goalie, Benedictine University; Amanda Logan, midfielder, Purdue Northwest
Nazareth Academy: Gigi Trevecca, midfielder, Nashville Trevecca University
Joliet West: Amanda DiNardo, forward, Southern Illinois; Victoria Alvarado, defender, Benedictine University
Farragut: Martha Olague, forward, Robert Morris University; Jeniffer Salto, forward, UIC; Teresa Guzman, defender, Morton College
Glenbard East: Katie Hansen, defender, University of Montana; Faith Davies, goalie, UIC; Mattie Pusateri, defender, Carroll University
Downers Grove North: Abby Swanson, midfielder, Loyola; Carli Nehls, midfielder, Wisconsin-Whitewater; Sandra Grecco, goalie, Lake Forest; Isabella Scarati, defender, Wittenburg University
Plainfield East: Alison Cosola, goalie, St. Ambrose University; Angela Dagnino, midfielder, Illinois-Springfield; Olivia Jenkins, goalie, Xavier
Bulls Prep: Michelle Ulloque, midfielder, Dominican University
Eisenhower: Isis Bejarano, forward, South Suburban
Jacobs: Maddie Belo, midfielder, Carroll College; Caitlin Strong, midfielder, St. Leo University
Wauconda: Jillian Rejczyk, goalie, Trine University
Lane Tech: Jazzmin Jordan, midfielder, Carthage
York: Maggie Levins, midfielder, Lewis University
West Aurora: Riley O’Brien, midfielder, Illinois State; Itzel Ochoa, midfielder, Dominican University; Angela Johnson, midfielder, Aurora University
Fenwick: Lauren Stibich, midfielder, Illinois
Metea Valley: Chesney Wargo, midfielder, Central Michigan; Maeve Riordan, forward, Illinois
Oak Forest: Yasmine Matthews, midfielder, Saint Xavier University
Andrew: Emma Lehnert, defender, Wisconsin-LaCrosse; Sam Termunde, forward, Saint Xavier University; Mia Milazzo, midfielder, Missouri-St. Louis
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