Raiders atop Elgin-area rankings

Updated: April 9, 2011 7:38PM

Respecting the Raiders As expected, one of the Courier-News area girls soccer programs is earning the kind of respect and recognition that comes with success --- Huntley earned a No. 9 ranking in the latest Chicago-Sun-Times Top 10 poll. The Red Raiders finished the first month only "losing" a contest to the weather while not just starting 4-0-0, but claiming each via a shutout. St. Charles North is ranked fourth with North Stars off to a 4-0-0 overall start and 2-0-0 opening for the Upstate Eight Conference River Division.

Goalie Kaytlyn Owens posted a trio of solo whitewashes and shared one "clean sheet" with Jessica Galazon. Bre Burry is the C-N area leader for assists with five set-ups while senior standout Aimee Wronski is tied for fourth among area point producers with 15 off seven goals and an assist.

Frosh phenom tops in points Leading the Courier-News area in point production is South Elgin's phenomenal freshman Savanah Uvegas, who has 27 points off an area-best 12 goals plus a trio of assists. Teammate Lauren Vedrine is in the top seven with 15 points (6g/3a). Uvegas has entered her name into the Storm record book boasting the quickest goal in school history scoring just 22 seconds into a 4-1 win over Dundee-Crown. Based on the IHSA website, it also rates 20th under the "quickest goal scored" category just after the two lightning strikes produced last season by Elgin Academy teammates Lauren Steimie (20 seconds) and Ashley Barnes (21 seconds).

Second in point production is a trio that includes Jacob teammates Cassidy Sherman with 17 points (6g/5a) and Lauren Grady (17pts.-6/g5a) plus Genoa-Kingston's Julia Mendoza (17pts.-7g/3a). Elgin Academy's Ashley Barnes is next with 16 points (6g/4a).

Not in my net Bartlett's Natalia Grodzki has already registered four shutouts in helping the Hawks soar off to a 5-2-2 start.

All-Tournament Area names were plentiful on the South Elgin Spring Break Invitational All-Tournament squad: Bartlett's Gobbo and Trisha Donlon; Hampshire's Elizabeth Panzika and Helena Van Eck; Dundee-Crown's Stephanie Letheby and Mallory Fryer; Elgin's Fabiola Ramirez and Makena Heffernan; plus the host Storm's Uvegas and Andrea Walsh.

No longer fit to be tied Considering how Hampshire opened the season with three consecutive ties and added a fourth after only five games, it's safe to say the Whip-Purs would rather continue adding to a current three-game winning streak.

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