2022 Daily Chronicle All-Area Boys Soccer Team

Player of the Year

Will Donahoe, sr., F, Sycamore

First team

Genoa-Kingston forward Junior Leon (10) works around a Marengo defender on his way to a hat trick as the Cogs beat the Indians, 7-0, on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. (Phil Jerbi)

Junior Leon, sr., F, Genoa-Kingston: Leon finished his historic G-K career with 39 more goals and 29 assists to end up as the career record-holder with 139 goals and 76 assists. His assists were a single-season school record. In addition to winning the Daily Chronicle Player of the Year award last year, he was all-state this year and an all-conference selection in the Big Northern Conference.

Ottawa's Evan Snook (23) kicks the ball away from Kaneland's Sam Keen (17) on Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022 in Ottawa.

Sam Keen, jr., F, Kaneland: The Knights’ leading scorer found the back of the net 14 times and had eight assists on the year. He was an IHSSCA all-sectional honorable mention and was all-conference in the Interstate 8.

DeKalb's Josiah Antimo fires a shot past the Sycamore goalie putting DeKalb up 2-0 in their game Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Josiah Antimo, sr., F, DeKalb: He was injured most of the year, but had an impact when healthy for the Barbs, helping them beat Sycamore and making the 2022 Barb Cup All-Tournament team. He had three goals and three assists on the year.

Ottawa's Christian Solis tries to hold off Sycamore's Nick Doering during their game Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at Sycamore High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Nick Doering, sr., MF, Sycamore: An all-I8 selection, the midfielder had 11 goals and eight assists on the year. Not only all-conference, he also won an all-sectional sportsmanship award.

Westminster Christian's Peter DiNapoli (19) plays the ball against Genoa-Kingston's Diego Espinoza (14) during a Wheaton Academy 1A sectional semifinal match at Wheaton Academy on Tuesday, Oct 18, 2022. (Sean King for Shaw Local)

Diego Espinoza, sr., MF, Genoa-Kingston: The all-sectional and all-BNC selection finished with 25 goals and 14 assists this year. He controlled the middle of the field for the Cogs on both sides of the center stripe.

Sycamore's Willie Romero (right) kicks the ball by DeKalb's Landon Weishaar during their game Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Landon Weishaar, sr., MF, DeKalb: Weishaar racked up 16 goals and five assists and was a unanimous selection in the DVC. He also was MVP of the Barb Cup and earned honorable mention all-sectional honors.

DeKalb's Aaron Tierney tries to get by Sycamore's Jameson Carl during their game Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Aaron Tierney, sr., MF, DeKalb: Tierney was an all-conference selection in the DVC. He had seven assists on the season as a facilitator and defensive mid in the Barbs’ lineup.

Sycamore's Jameson Carl and Ottawa's Grayson Skinner chase down the ball during their game Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at Sycamore High School. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Jameson Carl, soph., MF, Sycamore: The midfielder was an all-conference selection with three goals and 12 assists on the year.

Kaneland's Ethan Nitsche (10) kicks the ball away from Ottawa's Brian Dederich (10) on Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022 in Ottawa.

Ethan Nitsche, sr., D, Kaneland: The leader of a strong defense for the Knights, he was all-sectional honorable mention and was an all-conference selection in the I8.

Yorkville's Lukas Kleronomos and DeKalb's Kendall Gilkey get tangled up going after a ball during their game Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in the Barb Cup at the Northern Illinois University Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

Kendall Gilkey, sr., D, DeKalb: The centerback was an all-DVC selection in leading the Barbs’ defense. He had a goal and three assists on the year and was honorable mention all-sectional.

Kaneland goalkeeper Andrew Davison blocks a shot from L-P's Seth Adams (no,5) by the net on Monday Aug. 30, 2021.

Andrew Davison, sr., GK, Kaneland: Davison earned all-I8 and all-sectional honors this year and was a strong presence and communicator on and off the field for the Knights.

Kaneland’s Cameron Guernon (2) and DeKalb’s Seth Hess go after the ball during a game in Maple Park on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@shawmedia.com)

Second team

• Seth Hess, jr., GK/F, DeKalb.

• Logan Schrader, fresh., F, Indian Creek.

• Jay Wolcott, jr., MF, Genoa-Kingston.

• Tyler Diedrich, MF, jr., DeKalb.

• Anthony Buchanan, sr., MF, Kaneland.

• Cameron Kruskol, sr. MF, Sycamore.

• Matt Tuszynski, jr., MF, DeKalb.

• Tyler Smith, jr., MF/D, Hinckley-Big Rock.

• Julian Lara-Para, sr., MF/D, Genoa-Kingston.

• Nate Skarzynski, sr., D, Genoa-Kingston.

• Kevin Munoz, sr., GK, Sycamore.

Indian Creek’s Tyler Bogle, left, and teammate Lucas Odle, center, are all smiles after Tyler scored a goal in the second half of the game over Hinckley-Big Rock’s goalkeeper Keegan Fitzpatrick on Monday Sept. 26th held at Hinckley-Big Rock High School. (David Toney for Shaw Local/David Toney)

Honorable mention: Max Rodriguez, jr., MF, Genoa-Kingston; Keegan Fitzpatrick, sr., GK, Hinckley-Big Rock; Aaron Acosta, sr., GK, Genoa-Kingston; Jacob Coulter, soph., GK, Indian Creek; Lucas Odle, jr., MF/D, jr., Indian Creek; Ethan Royer, jr., MF, Sycamore; Cayden Gaston, soph., MF/D, Indian Creek.