High school girls soccer: Returning talent boosts Kaneland

The season for Class 2A and 3A high school girls soccer teams culminates in the state finals in early June. The season has just started, but several area teams have hopes of going all the way to state. Here's the outlook for Kaneland and other area schools.

Burlington Central Rockets

Coach: Jessica Arneson

2016 record: 17-7

Top players

Name Year Pos.

Taylor Abbott so. D

Abbi Ciganek sr. GK

Jessica Clouser jr. D/MF

Elizabeth Gousios jr. MF/D

Jordan King jr. F/MF

Alyssa Mariani jr. D

Megan Majewski jr. MF

Anna McMahon sr. MF

Sydney Pryor jr. F/MF

Outlook: Opponents are on notice: The Rockets went 12-0 to win a conference title last year, and they didn't lose a single player to graduation. BC is poised for more success as it goes for its first regional title since 2012.

The offense should be a particular strength. King (32 goals, 22 assists) and Gousios (30 goals) lead the way, but McMahon, Majewski, and Pryor all reached double figures in goals last season. Junior Alexis Rosa and sophomore McKenzie Freeman add midfield depth.

"Our team is uncommonly offensively minded," Arneson said. "We have several offensive players that will consistently score throughout the season."

The flip side to the strong offense is a defense that struggled at times last year. The presence of Abbott, Mariani and freshman Kirsten Wyse in front of returning keepers Ciganek and Erin Rafferty should lead to better results defensively.

Kaneland Knights

Coach: Scott Parrillo

2016 record: 17-5-1

Top players

Name Year Pos.

Emma Ball so. GK

Holly Collingbourne sr. MF

Kylie Kurz sr. D

Abbie Lomahan so. F

Rachael Lutter so. D

Taylor Zitkus sr. D

Outlook: The Knights return 16 players from the team that conceded just nine goals as it advanced to a Class 2A sectional final last spring. Off to a 3-0 start to the season, Kaneland has outscored opponents 22-1 so far.

Collingbourne and Lomahan figure to lead an attack that will also include senior Paige Guyton. Collingbourne Guyton, Zitkus and Lauren Ortiz are senior team captains. Kurz, Willow Dunne, and Becca Geringer, are the other seniors.

There is a nice mix of experience and youthful talent, including Lutter on the back line and Ball in net. The goal is to get the young players acclimated to varsity play during the regular season before embarking on what the nights hope is another lengthy postseason run.

Rosary Royals

Coach: Janice Eddington

2016 record: 10-9-2

Top players

Name Year Pos.

Julia Isaacs sr. GK

Elizabeth Kvitek sr. D

Emma Porteous sr. MF

Outlook: The Royals lost midfielder, last year's captain and team MVP Sarah Woodford to injury, but hopes remain high a year after they went 6-1 and won the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference White.

"We have seven returning varsity players to balance out the five freshmen we have on the team," Eddington said. "The challenge will be to balance out our inexperience with leadership from our seniors."

Isaacs, Kvitek and Porteous bring experience at key spots, and freshman Rachel Chason will add depth to the midfield. Tiffany Hamling, Erin Hawkins and Elizabeth Sayasane are seniors who could bolster the attack, while classmates Angela Kvitek, Gabi Pruneda and Samantha Suchaczewski will add defensive depth.

The team chemistry and a large number of home games are two factors that favor the Royals, who will see some new faces in new places as they strive to notch another winning record.

"We graduated a very experienced squad last year so the aim is to have everyone adjust to their new roles on the team and work together," Eddington said.