BEECHER
Players to watch: JT Toensing, Sr., MF; Steven Barber, Jr., D; Jimmy Vandermark, Sr., MF/D; AJ Johns, Jr., F/MF; Nick Giroux, Jr., MF.
Outlook: Beecher lost its top three scorers -- and their 67 combined goals -- from last season. Defensively, the Bobcats have most of their starters returning and will look to them to be the team's strength. Look for Beecher to battle with Illinois Lutheran for the River Valley Conference title.
Quote: "We have a lot of new players coming in this year. It's a whole different team than what we had last year. I think we're going to be completely different as far as what people are used to seeing from Beecher soccer." -- coach Dawn Micele
BLOOM TWP.
Players to watch: Jorge Garcia, So., MF; Raymundo Munoz, Jr., D; Romario Gutierrez, Jr., D; Osvaldo Sanchez, So., F; Jose Estrada, So., MF.
Outlook: Bloom Twp. won the Southland Athletic Conference title last season but had a large amount of turnover. Still, much of the core of the team remains and are now juniors. A young Bloom team is going to have to learn quickly if it wants to make a run at the conference title this season, but coach Kelly Gutierrez is confident that the Blazing Trojans can do just that.
Quote: "We've got some young guys. They're learning. I see them improving every day. I think we should do pretty well." -- coach Kelly Gutierrez
CRETE-MONEE
Players to watch: Ryan Sadowski, Jr., MF; Matt Sadowski, Jr., D; Danny Tucker, Jr., D; Luke Cogan, Jr., K; Carlos Posada, Jr., F; Danny Tucker, Jr., D.
Outlook: The Sadowski brothers are transfers from Illinois Lutheran and will look to make an immediate impact. Junior forward Carlos Posada is a returning all-area and all-sectional scoring threat for the Warriors and already scored three goals at the start of the season in a win against Beecher.
Quote: "I had nine sophomores starting last year. We took a lot of bumps and bruises. We had some growing pains as a result of being so young. Everybody's a little bit older and everybody's a little bit stronger." -- coach Julian Lagunas
HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR
Players to watch: Mark Spencer, Sr., D; Adam Alfonzo, Sr., F; Jose Sanchez, Sr., D; Mike Hurley, Jr., MF; Phil Huang, So., K.
Outlook: First-year coach Charlie Ward is looking for an aggressive, high-intensity team looking to prove itself. Ward will have to do so with a young team that is lacking in experience. They will also look to improve on a 10-11-1 2009 season record.
Quote: "We're looking to continue the strong tradition that we've built over the last 10 years. We're looking to find our place in the conference and keep moving up every year." -- coach Charlie Ward
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
Players to watch: Dylan Sells, Sr., MF; Brit Botterman, Sr., F; Nick Blink, Sr., D; Dale Krygier, Sr., K.
Outlook: The Vikings missed first place in the Metro Suburban Conference by one golden goal in overtime last season. Don't expect that to happen to the team this year. A strong, experienced team returns to Illiana Christian this season and will look to capture the conference title which eluded them in 2009.
Quote: "I'm cautiously hopeful that we're going to have a real good season. I think we're poised for a good strong season." -- coach Chip Bevan
ILLINOIS LUTHERAN
Player to watch: Nick Durand, Sr., MF; Jonathan Clayton, Sr., MF; Evan Teske, Sr., MF; Zack Sager, Sr., K; Justin Clayton, So., D.
Outlook: The Chargers finished 2009 with a 20-0-2 record and a loss in the semifinal of the regional. They were 6-0 in the River Valley Conference and conference champions. Look for a dropoff from Illinois Lutheran unless the seniors can really elevate their games.
Quote: "I wouldn't say that we're in a rebuilding mode because I still have five seniors and three underclassmen that played significant minutes last year. But we're going to have to do a lot of work to be as strong as we were last year." -- coach Andy Biesterfeld
MARIAN CATHOLIC
Players to watch: Anthony Smith, So., F; Moe Giglio, Jr., D; Joe Saenz, Jr., D; Will Craft, Jr., F/MF.
Outlook: Marian Catholic will be looking for some leadership from any player or players who want to take on the challenge. Coach Nasser Shahtaji is looking at a slew of juniors and sophomores who he hopes will be up to that task.
Quote: "This season we are looking for a new lineup or new chemistry for the team. I think our biggest challenge will be finding the right chemistry and new players gelling together." -- Shahtaji
MT. CARMEL
Players to watch: Michael Langoni, Sr., D; Nefcali Alejandre, Sr., F; Ante Markotic, Sr., MF; Colin Marz, Jr., MF/D; Pedro Mendieta, Jr., D.
Outlook: Mt. Carmel has one simple goal for the 2010 season: make it out of the regional. Mt. Carmel will send a young team to the pitch to accomplish that task, but don't expect the youth to hold back the Caravan at all.
Quote: "We pretty much have a brand new varsity roster. We're very young but that's not to say that we're not going to do well. This is probably the hardest working group of kids I have coached." -- coach Katy Clemens
ST. FRANCIS DESALES
Players to watch: German Solis, Jr., F; Juan Lopez, Sr., MF/K; Carlos Quintas, Sr., K; Alan Cortez, So., F; Leo Vargas, Sr., D.
Outlook: St. Francis lost five starters from 2009 to graduation. Right now, three seniors and two juniors make up the oldest members of the team. This young team will need to learn on the fly if it hopes to contend in 2010.
Quote: "We're looking to improve our record and keep building the soccer program of St. Francis. We're looking for some of our less experienced players to step up and do the job." -- coach Steven Harman
THORNTON FRACTIONAL
Players to watch: Fabian Leon, Sr., MF; John Carroll, Sr., D; David Chavez, Sr., D; Ray Kobus, Fr., F; Adam Sarih, Jr., MF.
Outlook: The T.F. co-op team will be looking to seniors to carry the unit in 2010. Leon led the team in goals scored his freshman and sophomore years and was an all-sectional pick last season. He will return to his midfielder position after helping the team as a defender last year. Carroll and Chavez also each bring three years of varsity experience to the team.
Quote: "We're only going to go as far as our seniors and our captains and our leaders choose to take us. We can maximize our potential. We can go really far if we can." -- coach Alejandro Lagunas
THORNTON
Players to watch: Oscar Garcia, Sr., K; Roy Vargas, Jr., D; Luis Mata, So., D; Aaron Zambrano, Jr., F; Jose Zambrano, So., MF.
Outlook: The Wildcats have a fairly young team and new soccer coach David Gonzalez is starting from scratch with this team. In 2009, Thornton lost in its playoff opener to Brother Rice but took the Crusaders to two overtimes. The Wildcats will need to play beyond their years if they want to compete in 2010.
Quote: "I'm trying to be a positive impact in the south suburbs and hopefully we can bring them back to where they were a few years ago." -- coach David Gonzalez
WASHINGTON
Players to watch: Guadalupe Canedo, Sr., F; Misael Martinez, Jr., F; Edgar Torrez, Jr., K; Christopher DeLaPaz, Jr., MF; Salvador Raya, Sr., D.
Outlook: Last season, the Minutemen were 9-3 and lost the Second Division South of the CPS league by one point. A 3-2 loss to Bremen in the Regional final knocked Washington out of the playoffs in 2009 and they are looking to return to the final and make it farther in 2010.
Quote: "That's our goals right now: to win the conference and win the state regional. Hopefully a little more, but that's the goals that we're shooting for this time around." -- coach Al Perez
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