Latest news with #Tennessee-bound
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville North's Lucy Fitzgerald wears No. 11, like her sisters did. She nearly wins it all, which Nora did.
Naperville North's Lucy Fitzgerald had to wait a long time to get regular playing time. Fitzgerald didn't make the varsity team until her junior year and only earned a starting spot about two months ago. But the senior defender never came off the field during her final game — the Class 3A state championship game, which went to double overtime Saturday night. 'It really meant so much to me because at the beginning of the year I didn't start,' she said. 'Throughout the year, I've just been working my hardest, and to be able to play all 100 minutes on the field feels really good.' There were tears in Fitzgerald's eyes, of course, because O'Fallon halted Naperville North's stirring playoff run. The Huskies' 1-0 loss at North Central College in Naperville also ended an era. Fitzgerald is the last of three sisters to play for the Huskies (17-6-3), whose underdog run to the final was reminiscent of the 2019 state championship team that included her oldest sister, Nora. Both wore No. 11. Their sister Maggie Fitzgerald, who graduated from Naperville North in 2023 and flew into town to attend the game, wore No. 11 and No. 19 during her time. 'To have Maggie come back and surprise her sister at the state championship game, that's just what makes this program special,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'Families like the Fitzgeralds, the DeCooks, the Polaviejas, the Bueschers, there's a reason these girls were where they were. 'Nobody thought that this team would be in the state championship tonight outside of our group.' The Huskies had no Division I recruits except Tennessee-bound junior forward Claire DeCook, who played her last game because she will graduate early, and Minnesota-bound senior defender Emily Buescher. But Lucy Fitzgerald was respected for her grit and perseverance. 'Something that's incredibly special about Lucy is just her willingness to work all the time, and she never lets that negative feeling overcome her,' Buescher said. 'Every time she's given a chance, she proves that she deserves it. 'We do an awards banquet before the year ends, and her thing was most improved player because there were days when she would stay 40 to 50 minutes after practice. She would ask for me to stay or for other people to stay to help her with certain things.' Buescher, whose sister Katelynn captained the Huskies to third place in 2018 before playing at Illinois and Illinois State, added that Fitzgerald's work rate pushes teammates too. 'It makes it so easy to work hard when you're next to Lucy because you know how hard she's working,' Buescher said. 'Our last game, she absolutely saved us, so it's so easy to cheer her on because she's such a special person and a special player.' Goletz said Fitzgerald showed that Saturday, helping the Huskies hold the Panthers (23-1-1) scoreless for almost 90 minutes until Allie Tredway scored on a 22-yard rocket with 5.7 seconds left in the first overtime. 'Lucy's an incredible kid, a kid that ran the process of being in this program,' Goletz said. 'The reason you play state championship games is because you have kids who care more about the program than they do themselves. 'Lucy was such a rock back there. She was a great target on restarts, and tonight she's put on an island at times 1v1, moves her feet well.' Like most of her teammates, Fitzgerald will not play in college. But she cemented her family's legacy and set a great example. 'It's a tough thing for a high school kid to check your own ego at the door and continue to fight for your teammates,' Goletz said. 'Lucy did that day in and day out for four years, and for her to step in at the moment she had the opportunity this year and seize that spot in the back made us better.' Although her sisters' varsity careers were longer than hers, the 6-foot Fitzgerald is the tallest and strongest. But like them, she walked off the field in a Naperville North uniform for the final time having given her all and leaving behind no regrets before she heads to Tennessee, where she can cheer on DeCook. 'I feel like it was a good ending, a happy ending,' Fitzgerald said. 'Even though it's sad that it's over, I'm really happy I got to do it with this team with every single one of the girls.'
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville North's Brooke Welch wears No. 3 like older brother Bryce. But she can accomplish what he didn't.
Naperville North junior forward Brooke Welch's high school career was interrupted shortly after it began. When she was a freshman, Welch suffered a torn ACL just five minutes into the season opener against Barrington. Two other freshmen, Michelle Ruan and Claire DeCook, suffered the same season-ending injuries that year. All three returned the following season, when Welch switched from defender to forward and endeared herself to teammates and coaches. 'Brooke is such a special player,' Naperville North senior defender Emily Buescher said. 'When she comes onto the field, you know that she's going to do exactly what she's asked and she's going to be exactly where we need her to be.' That was the case again during the Class 3A state semifinals at North Central College in Naperville on Friday. Welch won the ball on the right wing and sent a perfect cross to the Tennessee-bound DeCook, who scored with 24:18 left in the first half. That was the first of DeCook's two goals in the Huskies' 2-1 win against Lane. 'It was a great goal,' Welch said. 'I trust my teammates to get in the box anytime anyone gets end line, so I knew someone would be there. 'I just took a quick glance, and I saw that Claire was there. She's proved that she can score, so it was great to be able to play that to her and her finish it. It was nice to see it hit the back of the net, especially in a game as big as this.' Welch's stats don't stand out. She has two goals and one assist for Naperville North (17-5-3), which advanced to play O'Fallon (22-1-1) in the state championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday. But one of her goals was the difference in the Huskies' 1-0 win over Oswego in a regional final. 'She's a kid who will do a 5-yard sprint into the fence, so I think for her to get that (assist) is everything,' Buescher said. 'It was her fulfilling her role. In the sense of our team, she's never been an overlooked player because she is so incredibly special in doing what she's supposed to do.' That's exactly what Welch did to set up DeCook's first goal. 'The defender had the ball at first, and she had to battle to get it back,' DeCook said. 'A lot of people would be just be like, 'Oh, I lost the ball,' and they give up there. But you can always expect Brooke to work hard. It's just that continuous fight throughout the game.' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz loves that. 'Brooke is an incredible kid who gives us such a spark,' Goletz said. 'She's an absolutely selfless kid. 'She gives everything to her teammates, and we're not playing in this game if she doesn't score the goal against Oswego. We're so lucky to have so many kids like Brooke.' Welch said she's lucky to have support from people like her brother Bryce, a former point guard for Naperville North who just completed his freshman year at Iowa Central. He was a fixture at his sister's games last year and was in attendance Friday. 'It was so great to have my brother here to watch me,' Brooke Welch said. 'I picked No. 3 because he was No. 3, so it was nice in a semifinal game to be able to wear his number. He's my best friend and biggest fan.' Bryce Welch was beaming with pride Friday. 'She played great today,' he said. 'It means a lot to be able to see her go out there and do her thing, do what she likes to do.' Bryce Welch never played soccer, but he often served as goalkeeper for his sister's practice sessions and always was ready to give sound advice. 'It was mostly just don't compare yourself to other people when you're trying to get better, especially at a younger age, because she was always younger than me,' he said. 'For her, I always wanted to make it about taking it one day at a time.' Brooke Welch played basketball until she got to high school. There were many days she would play against her brother. 'Bryce and I have always been super competitive,' she said. 'Having an older brother and all his friends around, I feel like I was bound to play a sport, 'It was nice to be able to play with him and learn from him. So I feel like my competitive side definitely comes from competing with my brother.' Now Brooke Welch has a chance to do something her brother didn't — win a state title. 'She battled back so hard from her injury,' Bryce Welch said. 'So to see her with a chance to win a championship is huge.'
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Isa Polavieja's personality is truly dynamic for Naperville North. That is ‘what makes this team go.'
Naperville North senior midfielder Isa Polavieja has always played with an Old World flair. Isa Polavieja has blended that with a newfound confidence to become a formidable leader as a captain for the Huskies this season. 'She's a super versatile kid who has just grown so much over the course of the last three years, not only on the field but as a leader,' Naperville North coach Steve Goletz said. 'Her personality and her charisma is really what makes this team go this year.' Isa Polavieja's father, Javier, was born in the Canary Islands and grew up as a staunch Real Madrid fan. He moved to America to marry his wife, Lara. 'My mom's best friend brought him over here and introduced him to my mom,' Polavieja said. 'It was like, 'Oh, you'd really like him.' Boom, so he moved here for her.' Javier and Lara Polavieja work in the guidance department at Metea Valley. They passed down their passion for soccer to Isa and her older sister, Marina, who played for the Huskies for two seasons before graduating last year. 'My dad was my Park District coach,' Isa Polavieja said. 'He always coaches me from the sidelines, and I look up to him because he's taught me a lot.' Much of that involved introducing her to a different playing style. 'The way Europeans play soccer is a completely different way than the Americans,' Isa Polavieja said. 'European teams are technical. They get the ball and move it. They're always keeping possession.' That became her primary objective. 'My dad makes me watch all the European games against my will, but it has really helped me,' Isa Polavieja said. 'Keeping the ball is my No. 1 thing.' Isa Polavieja, who has one goal and one assist for the Huskies (6-2-2), is good at that. Goletz uses her as an attacking midfielder tasked with getting the ball to Tennessee-bound junior striker Claire DeCook. 'Her work rate and her willingness to just continue to do the dirty work every game for us both offensively and defensively has gotten us off to a great start,' Goletz said of Isa Polavieja. 'She's just a fantastic soccer player.' That was evident against defending Class 3A state champion New Trier in the championship game of Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Classic in Northfield on Saturday. The Huskies lost 1-0 on penalty kicks but became just the second team to shut out the Trevians (12-0-2). 'You can look at the game and see how many balls she won today and how hard she played,' Naperville North senior defender Abby Penn said. 'Our midfield was running their butts off the whole time. I'm super proud of not only Isa but just our whole team.' Isa Polavieja's physical skills are obvious, but Penn said her spirit is just as beneficial. 'She's always there to lift everyone up, and I think that's very important as a captain to lift people up,' Penn said. 'She's always there when someone is down. But also her aspect of always working hard is super important.' Goletz has seen a transformation in Isa Polavieja this season. 'She's got a super fun-loving personality, but when it's time to play, she's a very serious and reflective player,' Goletz said. 'Isa is probably harder on herself than anybody else on the team. 'As she's gotten older and more mature, she's realized that everything is not going to be perfect, and her ability to play through those moments has been incredible. What makes somebody special is the ability to continue to give everything that they have even if they may not be playing their best game, and that's been Isa this year.' Isa Polavieja said she had confidence issues in the past, but no longer. 'The confidence piece for me is everything,' she said. 'I used to put so much pressure on myself. This year, I learned to just play as hard as I can. 'When I encourage people, I play better. I've progressed a lot in that aspect of not getting down on myself, just being positive no matter what.' Isa Polavieja, who plans to major in business at Illinois but won't play soccer there, is fluent in Spanish. She has embraced her heritage ever since she visited the Canary Islands as a child. 'When we go to Spain, we try to go for a long trip so we can visit family,' Isa Polavieja said. 'Some are in Seville, and some are in Madrid. It's super nice having that whole other world.'
