Steady senior

The 11 members, all seniors, of the 2009 Sun-Times All-Area boys soccer first team. Front row (from left): Trevor Wheeler, Billy McGuiness, Harry Shipp, Bryan Ciesiulka and Scott Davis. Back row (from left): Nick Janus, Mike Wiest, Keegan Balle, Chris Meingast, Ben Beaver and Chris Prince.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)

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If someone is looking for one word to describe the 2009 Sun-Times All-Area boys soccer team, "consistency" is the one that should come to mind.

Whether it was on defense, in the midfield, up top or in goal, each one of the 11 first-team stars — all seniors — were consistent game-in and game-out for their teams.

Here is a closer look at the first-team selections and their regular- season statistics:

Defenders

Keegan Balle, Neuqua Valley: The composed Bradley-bound standout finished with three goals and 11 assists, showing his versatility out of the backline.

Billy McGuinness, Lyons: In a way, this senior was a coach on the field for the Lions. His ability to read the game from any position was a big key to their success.

Chris Meingast, Lyons: No matter what game, you knew where this senior was on the pitch. From making runs out of the back to taking control when needed, he did it all.

Midfielders

Bryan Ciesiulka, Neuqua Valley: If you didn’t know where he was, this senior would burn opposing defenses. He finished with 15 goals and 22 assists.

Harry Shipp, Lake Forest: The Notre Dame-bound star was double-, triple- and quadruple-teamed. He finished with four goals and seven assists but played a key role in helping 15 different players score.

Trevor Wheeler, St. Viator: The Wisconsin-bound four-year starter registered 11 goals and five assists, helping the Class 2A Lions remain in the top 10 most of the season.

Forwards

Ben Beaver, New Trier: One of the area’s most confident and quickest players scored 35 goals and had 16 assists. Scott Davis, Neuqua Valley: The most underrated player in the area showed his value with 24 goals and 16 assists — most of which were created thanks to his grittiness and great instincts.

Nick Janus, Lake Zurich: His field vision and knack for finishing helped him find the back of the net 18 times and dish out 16 assists.

Chris Prince, Naperville Central: He did it all for the Redhawks this season with 25 goals and 10 assists. He holds school records for goals in a season, all-time career goals and career total points.

Goalie

Mike Wiest, Naperville North: In 23 games, he allowed a mere 12 goals and finished with 14 shutouts. His streak of eight consecutive shutouts against quality competition showed his true value.