Lincoln-Way East's Ellie Feigl is the 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year: ‘Most special for me.'
The senior forward was a four-year varsity regular for the Griffins who made an immediate impact as a freshman. Then as a sophomore in 2023, she tied for the team-lead in goals with 17 as Lincoln-Way East finished fourth in Class 3A.
Last spring, however, her production dipped. She ended up with 11 goals and the Griffins were shut down 1-0 by district rival Lincoln-Way Central in the sectional semifinals.
That left a bitter taste in Feigl's mouth.
'Last season, I had set some goals for myself that I didn't quite meet,' she said. 'Coming into this season, it was my last hurrah for high school soccer. I wanted to give it all I had and leave everything out there.
'There was, for sure, motivation for me to come back that much stronger, faster than I did last year. I think I did that, and I'm happy to end my high school career on a high note.'
Feigl, a Missouri State recruit, hit all of those high notes. The 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year scored 22 goals and dished out nine assists while leading the Griffins (18-4-1) to their second sectional championship in the last three years.
It took eventual Class 3A state champion O'Fallon to knock out Lincoln-Way East with a 3-0 decision in the Bloomington Supersectional.
'It didn't end exactly the way we wanted it to,' Feigl said. 'We would have loved to go to state. But we had a really special ride and a really special group of girls.
'I think what made it the most special for me was just being a leader, being a team captain. That's something I've wanted to do since I was a freshman, and I'm thankful that my coaches and my teammates believed in me.'
Lincoln-Way East coach Mike Murphy said there was 'no doubt' about Feigl being a captain.
'She always has a positive attitude and she's always friendly,' Murphy said. 'The nice thing was we had a lot of young players and she took them under her wing and tried to help them develop and also taught them about what's expected in our program. She did a great job with that.'
Freshman midfielder Adelyn Thomas, who tied for the team lead with 22 goals, said Feigl provided invaluable help.
'Playing with Ellie has been amazing,' Thomas said. 'She's a great player. She's taught me about Lincoln-Way East soccer. Everyone on our team looks up to her.'
One of those young players Feigl tried to mentor was her sister, Ava, a sophomore defender who was a starter for the Griffins. Their youngest sister, Mia, also plays soccer.
'Soccer has brought my family closer together,' Feigl said. 'It's awesome. It's really cool for me to be the oldest and just watch them grow. I've seen them both accomplish so many things already and I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.
'Being a good role model to them is something that has meant a lot to me.'
In the process, Feigl was named the SouthWest Suburban Conference's player of the year and earned all-Midwest and all-state honors.
She's now off to play Division I soccer, something she first set as a goal when she was in 'fifth or sixth grade.'
'It became more real in eighth grade and freshman year when that recruiting process kind of started,' Feigl said. 'It's been a dream of mine for so long and I'm so excited to step into this new chapter of life.'
Feigl is leaving quite a legacy at Lincoln-Way East. Her 57 career goals rank second in program history. And especially this season, they were well-earned.
'Not only was she scoring goals, she was scoring against elite teams,' Murphy said. 'In past seasons, she might have had a couple hat tricks against weaker teams that inflated her numbers.
'This year, she scored the first goal against Lincoln-Way Central to lead us to the sectional championship. She scored against Naperville North, scored against Naperville Central, scored against Oswego, and you can keep going.'
Feigl, though, hopes to be remembered at Lincoln-Way East for more than just the big goals.
'I hope they'll say I was a great person, a great friend, a great encourager and someone that motivated our team,' she said. 'I'm so thankful I was able to make the impact that I have, especially this year.'
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