Girls soccer outlooks

By Shannon Heaton | Saturday, May 17, 2008

Outlooks

With spring in the Quad-Cities finally defeating winter’s grip, girls soccer teams on both sides of the Mississippi River not only are able to adhere more closely to their game schedules, but also are able to string together consecutive practices when needed.

The always-strong Mississippi Athletic Conference sent four teams to last year’s Iowa state tournament (Pleasant Valley, North Scott, Muscatine and Assumption) and is poised to send a sizable delegation to state once again, as all four 2007 teams have earned state rankings from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

Pleasant Valley has emerged as the early favorite, thanks to a display of midseason form in the Spartans’ 1-0 season-opening victory over North Scott, though the Lancers figure to factor heavily as the season moves into May and the beginning of tournament time.

In Illinois, Geneseo seems to have emerged as the area’s best team, thanks to its 2-0 victory over Moline last week. The Maple Leafs have owned the NCIC in recent years, and are favored to do so again this year, while the Maroons are the area’s strongest Western Big Six Conference team and still boast a strong chance to figure into the conference title.

Players to watch

Katy Wendt, Pleasant Valley: Perhaps the most complete player in the Times’ circulation area, Wendt brings a defender’s mentality and a point guard’s gifts to the center-mid position. She can carve apart defenses with her ability to operate in space and pass precisely to forward teammates. She also can provide defensive help on not only center-mids but strikers, as well. Insiders are touting Wendt as an all-stater at season’s end.

Kaitlyn Ebarb, Geneseo: Maple Leafs teams in past years have succeeded through defensive tenacity, offensive conservatism and heady play under the direction of head coach Clark Brookens. What Ebarb, and this year’s Maple Leafs as a group, brings to the table is aggressive offensive fundamentals and a constant attacking presence.

Ashley Dexter, North Scott: No question, Dexter is the area’s best finisher, even if her 24-goal season as a sophomore wasn’t enough proof. What is particularly worrying for Lancer opponents is her ability to move without the ball, or her propensity to take the ball from the North Scott defensive third all the way into finishing position. She should be an all-state candidate this season.

Amanda Smith, Moline: Only a sophomore, this goalkeeper has been the biggest reason for the Maroons’ turnaround from a subpar 2007 season. Smith played huge in Moline’s 1-1 draw at Quincy recently, stopping shot after shot to ensure that the Maroons still would play a competitive role in the Western Big Six race, despite the presence of the heavily-favored Blue Devils.

Erin Fennelly, Assumption: Already committed to play at Western Illinois in 2008-09, the Assumption defender will be among the conference’s best once again. “Erin is a very talented player that sees the field really well,” Western Illinois coach Tony Guinn said of his recruit. “She serves a great ball and plays technical soccer. She’s very competitive and always stays composed.”

Storylines

• Pleasant Valley comes off a 15-5 season in 2007, including a runner-up finish in the MAC and Class 2A state quarterfinal appearance a year ago. In addition to Wendt, Pleasant Valley returns another first-team all-MAC performer in junior Anna Aquino and honorable mention all-MAC defender Britta Alpen. Look for juniors Courtney Linn and Elizabeth Haager, plus tenacious freshman midfielder Anne Martin, to receive similar consideration when the season ends.

• Despite the early loss at Pleasant Valley, North Scott (4-1 through this week’s games) returns a significant amount of talent to go with Dexter (18 returning letterwinners), including first-team all-MAC defender Chelsey Creeden and second-team forward Paige Arthur, both seniors. Transfer Katie Sebastian, a honorable mention all-state sophomore from Ottumwa, should bolster the already-potent North Scott attack.

• Third-year coach Rob Eckert is very positive about his Assumption side in 2008. The Knights proved how strong the MAC is, year in and year out, by qualifying for the state playoffs despite a sub-.500 league record. In addition to Fennelly, senior forward Erin Gardner and senior defender Abby Kent will make Assumption a solid contender this season.

• Defending MAC champion Bettendorf is much younger than in years past, returning only five seniors and two returning starters, but the Bulldogs appear to be on the rebound after an 0-4 start, with wins over United Township and Davenport West in the past week. The Dunlavy sisters, senior midfielder Megan and sophomore forward Melissa, have taken up much of the scoring burden. Senior defender Anna Selser provides experience at the back.

• Davenport Central coach Kevin Petersen calls this year’s side his strongest team since he arrived on the scene four years ago, thanks to what he called a more evenly-matched conference race and his own players’ skill increases. Certainly a season above .500 in conference play is achievable (Central was 7-8, 4-5 MAC, with the first region victory in five years), thanks to a pair of second-team returners in senior center-mid Christa Ochs and senior defender Robin Gadient.

• Despite Muscatine’s slower start, compared with the teams at the top of the MAC, Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over Davenport North might be a turning point. Coach Osama Shihadeh can call upon four returning all-conference performers, including first-team seniors Tonya Lohmeyer and Katie Chambliss, both midfielders. Both had goals in the Muskies’ win Tuesday night.

• In Class 1A, Maquoketa coach Jill Schawl thinks her Cardinals team will have gotten over the jitters associated with being a first-year program. Schawl has nine returning starters for this year’s team, which will be led on the attack by senior striker Courtney Dever and second-team all-WaMaC defender Nikki Paterson. Schawl lists Waterloo Columbus, Independence and nearby conference rival Central DeWitt as teams to beat in league play this season.

• Moline still is very much a contender for top honors in the Western Big Six, thanks to a solid mix of young talent (particularly sophomores Miranda Geever, Cory Buenting and Alexis Roberts, as well as Smith) and experienced leadership from seniors Katie Becht and Kara Johnson, plus a solid junior class. How well the Maroons can attack the goal will determine their fate in the second half of the season.

• Change is the watchword in both Rock Island programs, as coach Conan Dalton can call upon the ball-striking ability of freshman Ariana Jakobsen, who is perfectly positioned to take over the finishing duties that her sister, Erika, handled during her four years with the Rocks.

• Rock Island Alleman is under the direction of first-year coach Abbie Metz; senior Ann Tracey, juniors Pili Mendoza and Hannah Schrader, along with sophomore Lynn DeVriese, are the Pioneers’ top performers.

• Senior Lauren Johnson is highlighting a United Township team that struggled early, then won two matches in a row before last week’s 3-0 loss at Bettendorf.

• Orion/Sherrard will have a solid Class A team, though Dunlap always seems to loom as a stumbling block. Senior forward Kayci Woodley is the top scorer up front, with playmaking center-mid Kourtni Barnes anchoring the midfield. Keeper Angela Schmedt will keep Orion/Sherrard in most matches.

• Sterling is off to a struggling start (1-8-1 through Saturday’s matches), but the Warriors did get a solid attack from Allie Lancaster and Kaitlyn Bradley in their first match win of the season, a 2-0 effort over Peoria Woodruff in the third-place match of the Pekin Invitational.

• Galesburg has battled with many of the Western Big Six teams but ultimately fell short of a league win in all five encounters, though the Streaks (1-9-2) battled Alleman and Rock Island to 1-0 defeats. Goalkeeper Sarah Katchen has worked exceptionally hard to keep a young Galesburg team close in several matches this season.