CONFERENCE CAPSULES
CLASSIC 8
2015 champion: Waukesha West. 2016 favorite: Waukesha West. Other contenders: Arrowhead, Catholic Memorial, Kettle Moraine, Muskego.
Top players: Arrowhead — Morgan Koerber, jr., D; Marisa Bova, soph., GK; Callie Lederman, sr., M; Catholic Memorial — Emily Cervantes, sr., F; Jo Rolli, sr. F; Kettle Moraine — Erin Manion, sr., F; Sadie Wilson, jr., MF; Elli Thompson, jr., D; Muskego — Jenny Fischer, sr., D; Madelyn Runyan, sr., GK; Mukwonago — Megan Piraino, sr., D; Sam Nickell, soph., MF Waukesha North — Jenna Belt, sr., M; Waukesha South — Carly Schrieber, jr., F; Brittany Jakobi sr., D; Miranda Rehm, jr., M; Waukesha West — Dani Rhodes, sr., F; Nat Yass, sr., F; Brei Fischer, jr., D.
Outlook: The league is loaded as usual and the preseason state poll from the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association reflects this. West is ranked No. 1 in Division 2. Memorial is at the top of the Division 3 poll and Kettle Moraine is the fifth-ranked team in Division 1. West is chasing its ninth state berth in 10 years; Memorial is going for its fifth straight state title. Muskego and Kettle Moraine are going for their third straight state appearances. With great teams come great players. Rhodes and Yass signed with Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, respectively. Cevantes (Tennessee) and Rolli (Louisiana Tech) are also going Division I. So is Lederman (UW-Green Bay). Another DI prospect from the league, Waukesha North senior Ana Portz, a UW-Miwaukee recruit, is playing club ball this season.
GREATER METRO
2015 co-champions: Brookfield Central and DSHA. 2016 favorite: Brookfield Central. Other contenders: Divine Savior Holy Angels, Brookfield East, Menomonee Falls.
Top players: Brookfield Central — Emma Staskiewicz, soph., F; Brookfield East — Ari Banks, sr., M; Abby Gregg, sr., F; DSHA — Amanda Durst, sr., D; Olivia Mysewiski, sr., GK; Emily Crevoiserat, sr., M. Menomonee Falls — Alex Graeber, sr., F; Tessa Estock, sr., M/D; Maddy Perinovic, sr., M; Sussex Hamilton — Meghan Cannestra, jr., GK; Amber Goodreau, jr., D; Melina Murtos, jr., M; Allie Banda, jr., F; Wauwatosa East — Catherine Carter, sr., M; Lily Brock, sr., GK; Chyna Sincere, sr., F; Liz Beckers, soph., F.
Outlook: The league race will be very close again with the league’s heavyweights fielding senior, savvy squads. Staskiewicz, a first-team all-league pick, is one of handful of returning all-conference players who helped the team post a 5-1-1 mark in the league. Brookfield East will make its run with the help of all-state selections Banks and Gregg. They are two of eight seniors for the Lancers, who also have a strong freshman class. DSHA also has two returning all-state picks in Durst and Mysewiski, that is part of a strong senior group and Tosa East returns its top two scorers from 2015 and 13 letter winners.
METRO CLASSIC
2015 champion: Racine Prairie. 2016 favorite: Racine Prairie. Other contenders: Martin Luther, Racine St. Catherine’s.
Top players: Dominican — Jessica Fischer, sr., M/D; Emily McDonagh, sr., M/F; Kenosha St. Joseph — Madelyn Scopp, sr., F; Mariesa Jones, sr., M; Martin Luther — Ashley Crist, sr., F; Emily Hafemann, jr., M; Racine Lutheran — Rachel Hasko, sr., MF; Racine Prairie — Rachel Gentile, jr., F; Sarah Johnson, sr., M; Cali Pfleger, sr., D; Racine St. Catherine’s — Molly O’Brien, soph., F; Rachel French, jr., D; Shoreland Lutheran — Mollie Fischer, jr., GK; Elle Pagel, sr. M.
Outlook: A big season could be in store for Prairie, which went 5-0-2 in the league last year and lost the sectional final in a shootout. Ten starters are back, a group that includes Gentile, the team’s leading scorer in 2015, and Johnson, its leader in assists. Add sophomore transfer midfielder Katie Koker, a Marquette recruit, and junior forward Hannah Compernolle, a SE Missouri State recruit who did not play last season, and Hawks could be tough to beat. Can anyone know off the Hawks? Martin Luther and St. Catherine’s have the best chance, but Martin Luther is building depth and St. Catherine’s is young.
MILWAUKEE CITY
2015 champion: King. 2016 favorite: King. Other contenders: Reagan. Top players: King — Suzy Scotty, sr., F; Aly Alioto, sr., GK; Liz Anderson, sr., D; Abby Mucha, sr., F; Reagan - Olympia Garcia, sr., Elena Velasquez, soph., F; Gabrielle Sustache, sr., M; Gabrielle Newton, sr., F. Riverside — Shoua Vang, sr., F; Abeline Rosas, sr., M/F
Outlook: The top teams, regardless of division, are expected to be King and Reagan. King, the defending Williams Division champion, graduated just two starters from a team that went 9-0-1 in the league. Scotty is the reigning division player of the year. She is one of six players on the team who received all-division recognition in 2015. Scotty, Anderson, Mucha and Alioto were first-team picks. Reagan hopes to get a boost from Sustache’s return. She missed almost all of last season due to injury, but now could help organize the team’s attack. Velasquez, Newton and Garcia were first-team all-division picks. Velesquez led the team in scoring.
NORTH SHORE
2015 champion: Homestead. 2016 favorite: Whitefish Bay. Other contenders: Cedarburg, Germantown, Homestead.
Top players: Cedarburg — Izzy Gemignani, jr., MF; Elaina LaMacchia, soph., GK; Angela LaMacchia, jr., MF; Katie Eastman, jr., D; Germantown — Taylor Johnson, sr., D; Piper Brown, sr., GK; Izzie Thomsen, sr., M; Grafton — Monica Geiser, sr., D; Homestead — Lauren Padgett, sr., D; Coco Wiencek, sr., F; Brigid West, jr., MF; Milwaukee Lutheran — Maddy Jeninga, jr., D; Katherine Scheuer, soph., GK; Sharaina Mabon, sr., M/GK; Port Washington — Sarah Spaeth, sr., M; Allison Lessila, sr., GK; Laura Bultman, sr., D; Whitefish
Bay — Emma Kate Stecker, jr., MF; Clare Matkom, sr., D; Haley Gama, soph., D.
Outlook: Coaches in the league are split on Bay and Homestead as the teams to beat. Homestead, a Division 1 team, has 19 returning letter winners, including 10 who will earn their fourth letter this year. Bay, which is ranked No. 2 in Division 2, had a rocky start last season, but went undefeated in the final month to reach the state tournament. Five all-conference players are back from that team, including first-team picks Stecker and Matkom. Former Whitefish Bay girls coach Robert Williams is the new coach at Cedarburg, another team that will be a tough out in the conference. The Bulldogs, who finished one game out of the top spot last season, have a speedy squad that will be able to move the ball well with Gemignani and Angela LaMacchia back in the midfield. And don’t forget about Germantown, which has Brown, on the area’s best at her position.
SOUTHERN LAKES
2015 champion: Burlington. 2016 favorite: Burlington. Other contenders: Elkhorn, Waterford. Top players: Badger — Sarah Hamilton, sr., M; Ailsa Freytag, sr., M; Burlington — Merin Mundt, sr., F; Ashlyn Barry, jr., MF; Jessa Burling, soph., M; DelavanDarien — Suleimy Perez, soph., M; Alyssa Gonzales, jr., F; Claudia Niewenhuis, sr., M; Elkhorn — Olivia May, soph., M; Megan Skoczlylas, sr., F; Michaela Patryn, sr., D; Union Grove — Madi Ruge, sr., D; Mya Peterson, jr., F; Waterford — Andi Wenck, sr., GK; Ella Hunsucker, sr., F; Lexi Ketterhagen, sr., M; Lauren Torhorst, jr., F; Wilmot - Madison Bailey, soph., F.
Outlook: Circle May 5 on your calendar. Waterford plays host to Burlington in a showdown that is expected to decide the league title. Both squads are loaded. Burlington, the three-time defending champion, returns nine starters including Mundt, an Iowa State recruit. Waterford has seven starters back from last season’s second-place team. Wenck signed with Kansas State. Hunsucker and Ketterhagen are headed to Eastern Illinois. Torhorst, a Division I prospect, is the reigning conference player of the year.
SOUTHEAST
2015 co-champions: Kenosha Indian Trail and Kenosha Tremper. 2016 favorite: Kenosha Tremper. Other contender: Kenosha Indian Trail, Racine Horlick.
Top players: Franklin — Mireya Ramos, sr., F; Samantha Wieland, jr., M; Rachel Ramekrishnan, soph., D; Adrianna Rieger, jr., M/F; Kenosha Bradford — Samantha DeBartolo, jr., M; Kenosha Tremper — Haley Johnson, soph., F; Jen Wendling, sr., M; Emily Wulf, jr., D; Oak Creek — Camryn Altnau, jr., F;; Racine Horlick — Nicole Schields, sr., F/M; Genevieve Cruz, jr., F/M;
Outlook: The league has been Tremper’s for almost all of this decade. The only time the Trojans didn’t win the crown was two years ago when it finished second to Horlick. This year the team has three strong scorers back in Johnson (19 goals, 12 assists), Wendling (17 goals, three assists) and junior midfielder Janelle Caira (10 goals, five assists). The team will have the least experience defensively where three all-conference players are being replaced. Indian Trail will push Tremper. Horlick has the potential to be dangerous as well with a strong core of seniors who reached the sectional final last year before bowing out of the tournament. Looking for a sleeper? It could be Franklin, which finished 3-4 in the league last season but return four all-conference players. Ramos earned second-team distinction.
WISCONSIN LITTLE TEN
2015 champion: Hartford. 2016 favorite: Oconomowoc. Other contenders: Hartford, West Bend West. Outlook: We gave Oconomowoc the edge even though it lost league co-player of the year Dani Sowinski to graduation. The Raccoons will face a tough challenge from West. The two teams shared secondplace in the league last season and tied, 2-2, in their only match of the 2015. Both teams return a number of all-conference players. Hartford graduated conference co-player of the year Kirsten Opichka and a three other first-team all league players, but expect the Orioles to remain a fixture in the top half of the league. They haven’t finished below second in this decade.
WOODLAND
2015 champion: Pewaukee. 2016 favorite: Pewaukee. Other contenders: Greendale, New Berlin Eisenhower, Wauwatosa West.
Top players: Brown Deer — Maggie Pierson, jr., F; Lauren Williams, sr., D; Greendale — Molly Williams, sr., M; Andrianna Bartel, sr., GK; Greenfield — Olivia Lopez, sr., M; Tia Ruhland, sr., D; Carly Klug, jr., GK; New Berlin Eisenhower — Kayla Jedrzejewski, soph., F; Gwen Casper, jr., D; New Berlin West — Morgan Henrichs, jr., M/D; Courtney Stephens, sr., M; Pewaukee — Mackenzie Schill, jr., F; Hannah Michaelson, sr., M; Ashley Baalke, sr., F. Pius XI — Grace Pintar, sr., M; Emma Saskowski, sr., D; Shorewood — Giovanna Zizzo, sr., F; Claire-Howland, sr., D; South Milwaukee — Emily Grunert, sr., M; Wauwatosa West — Gaby Zabala, sr., F; Caitlin Campbell, jr., D; Whitnall — Tori Barnhart, jr., M; Hailey Malloy, soph., D/M.
Outlook: Pewaukee has won the last three Woodland titles and there is no reason bet against the Pirates this year. Six players who received all-conference honors return. Schill, who is closing in on the school all-time goal record, was the league’s player of the year. Michaelson was a first-team selection. The league was young last season. Eleven of the conference’s 16 first-team picks are back. Zabala is a twotime all-Woodland selection, a prime reason why Tosa West is expected to give Pewaukee it’s toughest test. The Trojans return 10 of 11 starters from last season’s second-place team. The April 12 showdown between the teams at Pewaukee looms large. Greendale is usually in the hunt, but the challenge will be more difficult this year with sophomore forward Jelena Sever out with a knee injury.