It’s year of the defender

Midfield players have dominated past Sun-Times All-Area boys soccer teams. But this season, there are more defenders on the squad than midfielders — and for good reason.

All three defenders — Naperville Central’s Tim Zimmer, Hinsdale Central’s David Tiemstra and Schaumburg’s Josh Beard — were Player of the Year candidates. The trio not only came up big on the defensive end, but found the back of the net a combined 31 times in the regular season.

The thought of that threesome in front of St. Viator goalie Jon Harris — the 2007 Sun-Times Player of the Year — is a coach’s dream.

Here is a closer look at the first team:

Josh Beard, Schaumburg: If Schaumburg coach Hamid Mehreioskouei was picking a team from scratch, there’s little doubt who his first pick probably would be. Beard concluded the regular season with 15 goals and eight assists.

‘‘Josh is the best defender I have seen all season,’’ Mehreioskouei said. ‘‘His technical ability is second to none.’’

David Tiemstra, Hinsdale Central: The play of this Ohio State-bound senior was a big reason why the Red Devils allowed a mere 15 goals — a regular-season record for the successful Hinsdale Central program. Despite directing the troops in the back, he also ranked second on the team with six goals.

Tim Zimmer, Naperville Central: When anyone talked about the Redhawks, this was the first player who came to mind. The junior had 10 goals and also played a huge role in helping the defense post 11 regular-season shutouts.

Bryan Gaul, Neuqua Valley: The skill of this three-year starting midfielder helped the Wildcats sit atop the rankings for most of the regular season.

‘‘He is difficult to get the ball from,’’ Neuqua Valley coach Jim Johns said. ‘‘You can tell right away when you watch the game that he is special.’’

Al Palar, Plainfield Central: The best player in Plainfield Central history — period. He had 18 goals and five assists during the regular season.

‘‘He faced double- and triple-teams and still found a way to score,’’ Plainfield Central coach Kevin Fitzgerald said. ‘‘He is the best one-on-one player I have seen in a long time. His stats could be more impressive, but we took him out in hopes of not running up the score in lopsided games.’’

Francesco Furio, Barrington: At 6-3, 190 pounds, it was hard to miss this senior. He finished the regular season with 16 goals. The four-year starter ranks fourth on the career goals list at Barrington.

‘‘He set the tone for us all season,’’ Broncos coach Scott Steib said. ‘‘All-state players stand out, and Francesco certainly does that.’’

Brad Horton, Sycamore: A member of the under-17 U.S. men’s national team found the back of the net 40 times to go along with 12 assists.

‘‘He’s one of the best players in the Midwest,’’ Sycamore coach David Lichamer said.

Eric Marofske, Conant: For the past two years, this senior has found a way to make opposing defenses pay. Whether it was scoring one of his 15 goals or handing out one of his 14 assists this season, he did whatever was needed.

‘‘He is electrifying, a highlight-reel guy,’’ Conant coach Tony Kees said. ‘‘He is a genius on the ball and has dazzling skill to go along with his speed and work rate.’’

David Martinez, Mount Carmel: If it wasn’t for this senior, who knows where the Caravan would have been this fall? The lone upperclassman on the squad recorded 20 goals and 18 assists.

Mark Roos, New Trier: Opposing coaches raved about this Wisconsin-bound senior. His size upfront — 6-2, 195 pounds — made him tough to contain.

‘‘He is very good with the ball at his feet, which makes him a big threat to score or assist,’’ New Trier coach Craig Fairbairn said.

Eric Shrigley, Wheaton Warrenville South: Any time this Ohio State-bound senior touched the ball, fans in the stands had a sense he would create a scoring opportunity. The three-year varsity star finished the regular season with 46 points — 17 goals and 12 assists. He became the fifth player in the program’s 37-year history to finish his career with more than 100 points (105).