THREE THINGS WE KNOW
No. 1: St. Viator is playing a dominant stretch of soccer. The No. 11 Lions are coming off back-to-back shutout performances in the first two rounds of the Pepsi Showdown. The fourth-place finisher in last year’s Class 2A state tournament, the Lions recently played defending state champion Peoria Notre Dame to a draw. Coach Mike Taylor has a great 1-2 attack in senior midfielders Spencer Moore and Nick Winter.
No. 2: Taking over for the legendary Craig Fairbairn, who won more than 300 games and two state titles, New Trier coach Wes Molyneaux has the No. 19 Trevians (5-0-3) on a roll. “Jack Cornelo and Kevin Sokal were our top returning players from last year, and we moved them to the midfield after they played in the back last year,” Molyneaux said. Cornelo has been the team’s offensive catalyst, and keepers, Andrew Gjersten and J.J. Jaggard, have also excelled.
No. 3: The Public League’s top division, the Premier, is a four-team race involving No. 14 Lane, defending city champion Kelly, Young and No. 18 Washington. The Minutemen have the early edge, thanks to a 1-0 lightning-shortened victory over Lane. Washington also tied Kelly. The defending Class 2A supersectional Minutemen are first-year members in the Premier. “We caught a break there [against Lane], but it is what it is, and we’re not going to replay it,” coach Alvaro Perez said.
