Top 10 Teams
1. Crown Point (17-5-1): The Bulldogs were Class 3A regional champions last season and return a bunch of key contributors, including junior midfielder Ava Haluska, who had nine goals and a team-high 16 assists, and junior forward Izzy Sainato, who was third on the team with nine goals. Senior Juliana Bozinovski is back at midfielder, and junior Ryann Adzia and seniors Olivia O’Keefe and Makayla Basoski return to the defense, giving the Bulldogs proven varsity players all over the field for the challenging Duneland Athletic Conference, which includes the next three teams.
2. Chesterton (11-6-2): There are strong duos all over the field for the Trojans. Senior Tewabech Seerup and sophomore Adey Avey will lead the offense up front, seniors Olivia Virgil and Emma Skalka will control the midfield, senior Ella Keane and sophomore Claire Vrahoretis are on defense, and juniors Kori Downs and Kate Wantuch — a transfer from Andrean — will handle goalkeeping duties.
3. Valparaiso (10-5-3): Atop the list of returning players for the Vikings is senior midfielder Kate Weber, a DePaul commit who was the 2022 Post-Tribune Girls Soccer Player of the Year after leading her team in both goals with 14 and assists with seven. Additional veterans include senior forwards Sofia Cox and Kayla Novath, who had six goals apiece.
4. Lake Central (10-5-3): Senior midfielder Mia Nisle is back after finishing second on the team with 19 goals and nine assists. So is senior midfielder Ava Gutyan, who led the Indians with 10 assists, and junior midfielder Isabella Soria. The net will be firmly in the grasp of junior goalkeeper Olivia Pelot again.
5. Lowell (14-3): Experience will help the Red Devils at each end of the field. Up front, senior forward/midfielder Allie Mecha returns after scoring a team-high 14 goals. On the back end, junior goalkeeper Reagan Claus should once again be the primary person between the posts.
6. Munster (7-8-3): Mustangs senior Natalie Kindt, who had a 0.87 goals-against average, is one of the top goalkeepers in the area. Additional veterans include senior forward Kylie Meegan, junior midfielder Gabriela Maldonado and senior midfielders Elana Lopez and Hannah Hermansen.
7. Hanover Central (17-3): The offensive trio of junior midfielder Kiara Desiderio, who scored 61 goals; senior midfielder Skylar Ferry, who had 37 goals and 11 assists; and senior midfielder Emmi Doty, who had 35 goals and 15 assists, will have a new challenge ahead. The Wildcats move into the Northwest Crossroads Conference, joining Lowell, Munster, Andrean and Highland.
8. Andrean (14-3-4): Graduations and a transfer depleted some of the roster that took the 59ers to semistate for the second straight season. But plenty of experienced players remain, including junior forward Morgan Cadwallader, who led the team with nine goals and nine assists, and opposing offenses will have to get through senior defender Jackson Grubbs.
9. Illiana Christian (12-3-3): The Vikings figure to be the new favorites in the Greater South Shore Conference. Junior forward Sam Bultema, who had a team-high 14 goals, will lead that charge.
10. Highland (7-8-2): Another team with plenty of veterans, Highland should have a strong defense anchored by senior co-captains Esperanza Talavera and Madison Turpin. Junior midfielder Katherine Robinson was second on the team with 10 goals and should lead the offense alongside senior forward Paige Wleklinski, who had a team-high seven assists.
25 Players to Watch
Suley Acuahuitl, Bishop Noll, senior, defender/midfielder; Adey Avey, Chesterton, sophomore, forward; Makayla Basoski, Crown Point, senior, defender; Juliana Bozinovski, Crown Point, senior, midfielder; Sam Bultema, Illiana Christian, junior, forward; Morgan Cadwallader, Andrean, junior, forward; Reagan Claus, Lowell, junior, goalkeeper; Sofia Cox, Valparaiso, senior, forward; Kiara Desiderio, Hanover Central, junior, midfielder; Emmi Doty, Hanover Central, senior, midfielder; Skylar Ferry, Hanover Central, senior, midfielder; Jackson Grubbs, Andrean, senior, defender; Ava Haluska, Crown Point, junior, midfielder; Natalie Kindt, Munster, senior, goalkeeper; Elana Lopez, Munster, senior, midfielder; Gabriela Maldonado, Munster, junior, midfielder; Allie Mecha, Lowell, senior, forward/midfielder; Mia Nisle, Lake Central, senior, midfielder; Olivia O’Keefe, Crown Point, senior, defender; Katherine Robinson, Highland, junior, midfielder; Izzy Sainato, Crown Point, junior, forward; Tewabech Seerup, Chesterton, senior, forward; Isabella Soria, Lake Central, junior, midfielder; Olivia Virgil, Chesterton, senior, midfielder; Kate Weber, Valparaiso, senior, midfielder.
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
