Latest news with #NapervilleInvitational
Chicago Tribune
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With Green Bay recruit Bella Brozek, Naperville Central makes ‘good things happen.' A lot of goals. A lot of wins.
Naperville Central senior forward Bella Brozek has proved throughout her three-year varsity career that she can roll with the changes. Now the Green Bay recruit and the Redhawks are just plain rolling. With senior forward Callie Tumilty on the team for the first time, Brozek isn't its leading scorer anymore, but the goals and wins are piling up. 'I definitely think she's adapting,' Naperville Central senior midfielder Rebecca Ruggiero said. 'Being able to play with Callie is a huge help.' As a sophomore, Brozek was a varsity rookie trying to find her place. She was known mostly for her speed and also for running track during the soccer season. Then Brozek was the area's breakout star as a junior, recording a team-high 14 goals and a team-high 10 assists as Naperville Central won its first sectional title in 29 years. Brozek is still producing at a high rate this season, contributing seven goals and seven assists. But she's no longer the top scoring threat. Tumilty, an Ohio State recruit, has taken over that role and the spotlight that goes with it. She leads the Redhawks (13-1-1), who have won seven games in a row, with 15 goals and 12 assists. Brozek, who no longer runs track, doesn't mind. She and Tumilty give Naperville Central perhaps the best pair of wingers in the state, with senior forward Emma Russell operating in between them. 'It's a help because it's both of us, and then we have a strong center forward, Emma, and our subs can fill in without missing a beat,' Brozek said. 'So I think being able to bump it off of each other is really helpful because when forwards find forwards, that's when good things happen.' Plenty of good things are happening for the Redhawks, who are averaging four goals per game and have outscored their opponents 61-5. Brozek, whose play has been key, has multiple strengths. 'Definitely her speed is probably the main one and also her work ethic,' Ruggiero said. 'She does a really good job of recovering balls if she loses it and just working hard to track back her mark. She does a really good job of that.' Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said that latter trait stood out during a 2-0 win over previously unbeaten Barrington in the Naperville Invitational semifinals at Memorial Stadium on Friday. 'The thing that I've been most impressed with is her defensive work rate as far as learning when to come back and double to win balls,' Adams said. 'Today was especially important. She understood that hey, come back, win the ball and now we can go forward. 'That's in addition to the fact that she is the most unselfish player, to the point that sometimes you're like, 'Bella, you're a forward. You're allowed to shoot too.'' Brozek displayed her unselfishness against Barrington when she beat a defender into the box on a counterattack. Instead of shooting, she passed to sophomore midfielder Nicole Sacek, who scored on a 15-yard shot. 'I think for both of us, it just shows our hard work — Bella fighting to keep the ball, especially when she had a defender on her,' Sacek said. 'It led to me, and that's how the goals happen on our team, because everyone works. That's just how it is.' Adams said Brozek is optimally exploiting defenses better than she did in the past. With so many attack-minded players in the lineup, the Redhawks are creating scoring chances at a high rate. That sometimes leads to situations akin to a basketball player passing up a good shot to give a teammate a great shot. 'We use the term balance a lot,' Adams said. 'There's a balance between when do I play a ball across and when do I shoot it myself. Bella's done a really good job of balancing when do I shoot and when do I pass.' Brozek just wants to win. The Redhawks do that a lot, and she thinks she knows why. 'We just have a lot to offer,' Brozek said. 'We're very diverse. Pretty much everyone on our team can play a different position. Everyone is willing to work hard, everyone is willing to fight for each other, and that's how people win.'
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville Central's Emma Russell makes connections on the field. More important are ones she makes off it.
Naperville Central's Emma Russell finds joy in helping others, so much so that she has decided to make a career of it. The senior forward plans to major in psychology at Arkansas. 'I just really liked the class when I took it, and a lot of my friends have told me I'm the group therapist,' Russell said. 'I'm the one that kind of helps with people's issues, so I think it would be nice to carry that into my future.' Russell, who will not play college soccer, said her interest in psychology is a fairly recent development. 'When I decided that I wasn't going to play soccer, I needed to figure out what to do,' she said. 'After I took the class, it really stuck with me. I think the brain is super interesting, everything that goes on in it.' Psychology isn't merely academic for Russell, who is using what she has learned and applying it to her game. 'It just helps me keep my calm,' she said. 'I do get in my head a lot, but it's easy to kind of get out of it when I start thinking, 'Take deep breaths and realize it's just a game and it's fun.' 'I'm out here for fun. I'm not playing in college, so I'm just going out for my last hurrah, and this is my favorite team. We all connect with each other.' That's true in different ways. Ohio State-bound senior forward Callie Tumilty, who is playing high school soccer for the first time, said Russell is warm and accepting. 'Being such a strong returning varsity player, she's definitely helped a lot of us through being comfortable, especially including the freshmen and even including me in things because I'm obviously newer to the team,' Tumilty said. 'She's very good at making everyone feel welcome, but also on the field keeping us structured, especially helping us out with the front line.' Russell has six goals and three assists this season for the Redhawks, who beat Lincoln-Way East 4-1 in the Naperville Invitational quarterfinals at Memorial Stadium on Thursday. Russell assisted on the first goal of the game, squeezing a perfect pass up the middle to Tumilty, who got a step on a defender and scored on a 20-yard shot to give the Redhawks (12-1-1) the early edge. 'That was awesome,' Tumilty said. 'She's very good at picking out who to play and just threading that needle.' While most center forwards focus first on shooting, Russell likes to post up and pass the ball, often to Tumilty. 'I know that she's one of our fastest players, and she's really good at 1v1, so I saw that little gap that she had,' Russell said. 'I was scared that it was going to close, so I just wanted to slip it through the middle.' Russell often is in the middle of things, as she was when sophomore midfielder Nicole Sacek gave the Redhawks a 2-0 lead against the Griffins (10-3-1). 'Part of it was Emma keeping that ball alive, throwing her body and not letting the defender get a clean service out,' Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said. 'That's what Emma does, and that determination is probably one of the best things about her as a player.' Russell's efforts off the field are just as important. She has thought about becoming a school psychologist or opening a clinic. 'It would be fun to come back because I understand the issues of high school and the stress,' she said. Social media, Russell noted, causes much of that stress. 'Because of Instagram and TikTok, I think a lot of teenage girls just compare themselves to other people, and that puts bad thoughts in your head,' Russell said. 'People just stay on their phone all day, so it's draining, and they don't go outside. 'It's such a different generation. Like my parents don't understand it. When they hear about problems, they're like, 'Why do you care?' and it's just hard.' Russell hopes to be part of the solution one day. She's optimistic too. 'I think once people get out of high school, it will click, and they'll realize that high school is just drama and nothing that happens here matters,' she said. 'The memories matter, but the drama you're going to forget about the second you leave.' Russell plans to make some incredible memories before she leaves. 'After last year when we lost in the supersectionals, the first thing we said was we're not doing this again,' she said. 'Ever since that game, it's just been in our heads that we're going to win state. 'I believe in it. We're one of the best teams in the state, and I think that we've shown it.'
Chicago Tribune
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘How did she do that?' Neuqua Valley's Alexis May, who seems to come out of nowhere, does it again.
Neuqua Valley's Alexis May knows that results matter more than methods. Which is why the junior forward has been emphasizing one particular thing during training. 'This season I've really been working on getting the ball in,' May said. 'I've just been focusing on getting any body part on the ball to get a goal.' Sometimes that means using her feet, and other times it means using her head. Sometimes it looks pretty, and other times it doesn't. Every once in a while, the result is spectacular. That was the case Saturday, when May met a laserlike cross from junior forward Allessandra Russo and powered a 12-yard header under the crossbar. May's goal, which came with 16:35 left in the first half, capped the scoring in Neuqua Valley's 2-0 victory over Fremd in a Naperville Invitational game at Naperville North. With the win, the Wildcats (9-2) advanced into the tournament quarterfinals to play Lane at Hinsdale Central at 6 p.m. Thursday. 'I saw Russo dribbling up, and I was like, 'I know I have to get in and get on it,'' May said. 'Before I know, it was in the goal, so it all happened so fast.' That's the thing with May. Things tend to happen fast. 'Sometimes we're on the bench, and we're like, 'Oh, how did she do that?'' Neuqua Valley coach Arnoldo Gonzalez said. 'You don't know what she's going to do because she is so calm, and all of a sudden she explodes and she's off to the races.' When May is at full speed, she's often looking for Russo, or Russo is looking for her. The three-year starters are perfect bookends on the wings, with Russo on the left and May on the right. Russo, a Marquette commit, also scored against Fremd (7-3-1). May's goal was her fifth of the season. Two have come on headers off Russo assists. The latest one was noteworthy for its distance. 'It was great,' Russo said. 'I was so excited, especially since it was far out for a header. It went top corner. 'She's someone that I know is always in the box. When I look up, I know that she'll be there for a cross.' It has been happening more frequently than ever, which has pleased Gonzalez. 'Sometimes when you have those whipped balls, all you really need to do is just get something on it,' Gonzalez said. 'But it was a great run beating the defender to the ball. 'It's good to see when we work on things like that in practice to see it executed in a game. It makes it a lot sweeter.' The Wildcats' success is a result of increased sweating by the players, particularly Russo and May, who has a lot of responsibility on the right wing. 'She's definitely hardworking,' Russo said. 'She's always running up and down the field, box to box. 'You'll see her on both ends, defending and obviously scoring. She's been good all three years, but this year especially it's been really great to see her get numbers on the board.' Yet May's impact goes beyond numbers. 'She's taking on a leadership role,' Gonzalez said. 'Even though she's not a captain, she understands that if there's going to be an attack, it's on her, and if there's going to be defensive work to be done on the right side, it also starts with her. 'She knows that the attack is going to start with her and anything defensively on that side is going to start with her.' May started playing soccer as a toddler in her backyard with her older brother, William. She has also played varsity basketball the past two seasons and played in the volleyball program as a middle hitter for two seasons. The 5-foot-9 May lacked height to be a dominant middle hitter. But she has always had a passion for soccer, which is her favorite sport. 'I just like how you can be more creative because in basketball, especially for Neuqua, we have a lot of plays that we have to memorize,' May said. 'But in soccer you can just play free and just be really creative on the ball.' May uses that creativity within the system. 'It does seem like she likes to freestyle it, but she keeps it within what it is we want from this formation,' Gonzalez said. 'She knows if we cut to the inside or cut to the outside, we find someone or we play that ball across. She's been doing that insanely.' Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville Central's Malia Shen can tackle anything. ‘Wherever we throw her.' And whatever is thrown at her.
Naperville Central junior Malia Shen is always up for a new challenge. Shen has played several positions during her three varsity seasons and excelled at each one. But in February, she finally met a challenge that stopped her in her tracks: mononucleosis. 'It was both a big physical and mental setback because I didn't know how long it would take me to come back,' she said. Shen knew Eli Jarrell, a standout for Naperville Central's boys soccer team, missed much of last season with mono. She feared a similar fate. But Shen ended up returning in three weeks. She missed the preseason and the first game. 'It was really nice that I got to come back as soon as I did,' she said. 'During that time, I was just thinking about how much I missed it. 'As soon as I got back, I made sure to condition every day, and I really tried to get my endurance back first before anything.' Shen is back and better than ever. Her willingness to play any position has been a boon for the Redhawks, who routed Minooka 4-0 in the opening game of the Naperville Invitational at Knoch Park in Naperville on Wednesday. 'Last year, she played forward and defense,' Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said. 'This year, she's played in the back and in the midfield. 'She sees the game. She understands when to make that run and when to make that sprint into space. She understands when to cross the ball and when to shoot it. So her decision-making is really good.' Primarily a forward in the past, Shen is starting at outside back, part of a defense that has allowed just four goals for the Redhawks (10-1-1). But she hasn't surrendered her attacking mindset. 'Last year, coach Adams put me at an outside back, and I was just doing anything to get as much playing time as I can and wherever I can help out the team,' Shen said. 'That kind of stuck this year, and I'm loving playing outside back because it's a balance. I can still get up the field if I want to, and I feel it can help the team.' Shen did just that against Minooka (7-2-2), registering a goal and an assist to double her season totals in both categories. The Redhawks outshot the Indians 31-1 in a dominant performance despite missing sophomore forward Emerson Burke, who had the flu. 'She happens to be in the back, but to be honest, with the way we're playing this year, our backs are forwards,' Adams said of Shen. 'So they're getting up the field, and while it's an unnatural starting point, it's a very natural finishing point for her.' Shen had a fantastic finish with 2:45 left in the first half. Minooka tried to clear a Naperville Central corner kick, but Shen intercepted it and hammered a 30-yard shot under the crossbar for a 2-0 lead. 'I just saw the ball pop out,' she said. 'I took a touch, and I had no one around me, so I decided to take a shot, and I was lucky that it went in.' But did luck have anything to do with it? 'I actually knew she was going to score,' Naperville Central junior midfielder Nicole Smith said. 'I stood up right when the ball wasn't even to her yet and yelled, 'Malia, Malia.' 'Right when she hit it, I knew it was going in.' Naperville Central senior forward Callie Tumilty, an Ohio State commit playing her first season of high school soccer, scored twice to increase her team-leading goal total to 11. Both of her brilliant strikes were set up by passes from defenders. The Redhawks have come to expect such all-around quality from Shen. 'She's fast, she can get back, she's aggressive winning the ball and she never gets beat,' Smith said. 'She's so good, wherever we throw her, she can play it.' Shen is good with playing wherever, too, but versatility may not be her greatest strength. 'I think my strongest trait is probably my work ethic,' she said. 'I try to work as hard as I can. 'Not everyone is going to have a good technical game every game. But you do the things you know you can control, like communication and work ethic, and then you're good.'
Chicago Tribune
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville North's Addison Sitzman makes teammates laugh. She plays to win. That's just ‘Addie being Addie.'
There are two activities that Addison Sitzman enjoys more than any other. One is playing soccer for Naperville North. The other is talking. When the junior defender can do both at the same time, that's when she is happiest. 'We always joke around about it's always a bad thing if Addie's silent,' Naperville North junior forward Claire DeCook said. 'So it's always good when she's loud, especially on the field, because that's when you know she's in her element and she's comfortable.' Sitzman wasn't comfortable when she first joined the Huskies. But she soon bonded with DeCook, forward Brooke Welch and goalkeeper Olivia Ochsner. They were the four freshmen who made the varsity team in 2023. 'Addie shows up freshman year, and the first thing she says to me is, 'I forgot my shin guards,'' Ochsner said. DeCook, Ochsner and Welch attended middle school together. Sitzman went to a different school, so she was initially the new kid on the block. 'The first day of tryouts is when we first started meeting and talking,' Sitzman said. 'We were the only four freshmen on varsity, so it kind of helped us, like, 'This is our group. We need to stay together.' 'Everyone had each other's back. We were there for each other all the time.' All the while, they were talking. During the Naperville Invitational, the quartet were scouting Benet, which the Huskies would play the next day. It was cold, so they asked Naperville North public address announcer John Cole whether they could sit in the press box. Cole let them inside. The girls began a conversation about the game and other topics and talked continuously for well over an hour, prompting one witness to dub them 'the chattering class.' 'They made my teeth chatter,' Cole said. Cole, a chemistry teacher, had Sitzman in his class that year. But she never said a peep. 'She did not want to talk at all because she knew that if she did, I would ask her questions about chemistry,' Cole said. 'She didn't want that.' Sitzman, who laughingly agreed with Cole's recollection, continues to verbally lead the Huskies (3-1-2), and they appreciate her personality and talent. They have given up just three goals in six games. Ochsner recorded her third shutout of the season in Naperville North's 0-0 tie with Huntley on Wednesday. 'I would say we talk even more than we did freshman year,' Ochsner said. 'I wasn't that close with Addie when we first met, and now I feel that we're so much closer than we were before. 'That's helped our connection on the field, especially communicating. We can give friendly criticism, and it's not anything personal. We can all give it and take it back.' Sitzman, who is a three-year starter like DeCook and Ochsner, can play in the back and up front. She often does both in the same game and had a hat trick during the Huskies' 6-0 win over Downers Grove South on March 22. With three goals, Sitzman is tied for the team lead with DeCook, a Tennessee commit, and senior midfielder Kelly Wilson. 'Addie has always been great for us,' Welch said. 'Her versatility really makes her dangerous on the field. That really adds to the team because we know we can rely on her in multiple spots. And also our bond — we're all super close with Addie.' That happened quickly. 'Addie likes to say she didn't have friends coming on the team, but she does,' DeCook said. 'We became a family really fast.' Sitzman's sunny disposition is one reason. 'Addie is a special kid,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'She's so fun to be around. I am blessed to have so many great kids, but Addie stands out in regards to just her outlook on life. She's always happy, always raising the spirits of this group. It makes me always happy when I'm around her.' Talk to any of Sitzman's teammates, and it doesn't take long for the stories to flow and the laughter to get loud. 'She has that innate ability to laugh at herself a lot, and we have so many moments in practice where we all kind of stop for a second and look at each other and laugh because it's Addie being Addie,' Goletz said. 'It's such an important dynamic. 'She's got such a great personality, but when the game starts, she'd cut her leg off for us to win. When you have kids that are able to lighten the moment, that's an important piece because I really feel like she is the glue that keeps this group together.' Sitzman takes great pleasure in that. 'I love high school soccer so much,' she said. 'It's so fun to play with my friends.'
