Reaching the Pepsi Showdown championship typically notes a mark of distinction.

The players, coaches and fans who turn out at Toyota Park Sunday afternoon should only dream the two participants, Morton and Lyons, have the kind of game they did the last time they hooked up.

In a Class 3A sectional semifinal in late October of last year, Morton senior midfielder Jesus Morales converted a penalty kick score with six seconds to play in double overtime for the Mustangs' 4-3 victory.

Morton rode the momentum of that dramatic victory to the Class 3A state championship.

The game marked the eighth time in the last fifteen years that Morton and Lyons have faced each other in the state tournament. All eight games have been decided by one goal and Morton snapped a personal three-game losing streak in the state tournament.

Morton has won 24 consecutive games and is riding a 28-game unbeaten streak. Their last loss was against Leyden nearly a year ago, on September 27, 2011.

"Every game between us is always decided in the last few minutes," Morton coach Mike Caruso said. "The proximity between the two schools, we're in the same conference [West Suburban], one in the silver, one in the gold, and we always seem to get the chance to play each other."

Caruso's team has not lost since last year. They enter the championship game sporting a 15-0 mark. The team's emotional leader, senior sweeper Joel Leon, who scored a goal in that sectional game last year, leads the Mustangs. "He's the team leader in the back, and he keeps everybody honest," Caruso said.

Caruso graduated his top three scorers from last year, keyed by all-state performer Joel Salmeron, who scored the game-winner in the Mustangs' 1-0 state championship overtime victory over Naperville Central.

"We knew this year it was going to be more of a collective effort to score," he said. The emerging star is senior Abel Guzman. He leads the team with 12 goals, including the game-winner against Hinsdale South in the Mustangs' 1-0 tune-up victory Thursday night.

Guzman showed great poise and promise as a freshman until he missed most of his sophomore and junior seasons recovering from a knee injury. "We knew it would take some time to get in game shape and get his rhythm," Caruso said.

Morton reached the championship game two years ago, where they lost to Libertyville.

Lyons lost a 2-1 overtime thriller to Libertyville in last year's championship match.

Lyons had its seven-game winning streak snapped against Hinsdale Central Saturday night. The Lions (10-3-1) are a tough, experienced team that knows how to win. Brett Heimerdinger is a dynamic midfielder. Coach Paul Labbato is blessed with depth and talent.

"They're a classic [Lyons] team," Caruso said. "They play hard and they keep coming. They don't waste a lot of balls in the offensive third and they make the defense work. They're most dangerous on their set pieces, that's how they scored twice against us last year."

Maine West forward Nelson Herrera made his name as a freshman two years ago who powered an upstart Warriors team to a sectional final appearance.

The 5-10, 170-pound is an elite scorer who is lithe, agile and capable of dominating the ball with either foot. In less than two and a half years of varsity competition, he already owns the Warriors' career-scoring record.

He has been on a tear this season. In the Warriors' first 14 games, he massed 19 goals and four assists as the No. 6 Warriors jumped to a school-best ever start of 11-1-2. This follows his startling sophomore year of scoring 24 goals and dishing out six assists.

His electric start makes him the star of the week.

"I have great teammates and they make it easier for me to score and do what I do," the quiet, determined Herrera said. "I have a lot of natural ability, and I'm able to do what I want out there."

Against Maine East last week, he registered a hat trick in running his career scoring totals to a magic 50. (Former Warriors' star Steve Gonzalez, who also played at Northern Illinois, was the former career-leader with 45 goals.)

Maine West coach Mike DiVincenzo said Herrera's unique skill set combined with his unorthodox style of play makes him particularly difficult to defend. "He really plays under control and understands change of pace," DiVincenzo said.

"He has a very mature game. What I mean by that, he's sneaky.

"He kind of lulls a team to sleep and then he really turns it on. He's by far the fastest player on the field; in fact he's one of the rare players who runs probably faster with the ball than without."

Behind Herrera, Maine West is looking to advance on last year's supersectional qualifier. DiVincenzo's squad returns 18 experienced players from last year's team. Herrera is the star on offense; senior keeper Jecsan Torres is his opposite number on the backline.

Gerardo Espinoza, Ozzie Fernandez and the twins, John and Josh DeLeon, are also critical performers. " I think right now we're just going game by game," Herrera said. "We are really close, the whole team, and that's the strength, our defense and our position.

"We're not cocky but we know we can go pretty far," he said.

In soccer, with scoring at a premium, the one great player is a considerable tactical advantage to have at your disposal, DiVincenzo said.

"Nelson is a great finisher who can finish with power or finish with finesse. He could do it by himself, he could do it off a teammate.

"He could do everything."

Yesterday, we wrote about Bendik Krogh, a sophomore foreign exchange student from Lillehammer, Norway after he scored two goals to power the Dolphins past Amundsen 3-1.

Here's some more about him.

"I've been here for [26] days," he said. "I was part of this exchange program and they pick a family. One of the host sisters in my family goes to Young, and that's how I wound up there."

Young coach Ian McCarthy had no idea of his dynamic new addition. "He came the third day of try outs and we got him eligible a little over a week later," McCarthy said. The left-footed Krogh, who's lanky and lithe, has scored four goals in the Dolphins' first six games. Young is 3-3 in those games.

I asked him how the style of play in America compares with that in Norway. "You have a lot of different sports that are different from soccer," he explained. "We have a different mentality. I'm very impressed with the skill level you have here.

"I didn't think it would be this good."

Emerging stars

Krogh immediately joins a class that appears deep and talented. Robbie White, a sophomore keeper at Glenbard West, has yet to allow a goal this year, opening the season with four shut outs for the talented Hilltoppers.

Calum Bishop, a tall, talented forward, powered Lake Forest Academy to the championship of the Evanston Invitational last week. He scored a goal and recorded an assist as the Caxys defeated Glenbrook North 2-0. He also scored in the team's 5-0 victory over Payton and 4-2 defeat of Evanston.

Neuqua Valley is experiencing a transition year, adjusting to a new coach, but Ryan Ross continues to impress. Antioch's Iven Hernandez is also proving himself an elite player.

Steve James new film

At the end of the girls' season last spring, we wrote about the alarmingly high rate of concussions experienced by young women. Using data from a decade long study, the article pointed out girls' soccer has the second highest rate of concussion incidents after football.

The great filmmaker Steve James, who made the landmark Chicago high school basketball documentary, "Hoop Dreams," and last year's sobering study of urban violence, "The Interrupters," premieres his new sports-themed film, "Head Games," this month.

Drawn in part from the same titled book by former Harvard football player Christopher Nowinski, James' new film explores the personal, social and medical consequences of head injuries and its impact on amateur and professional contact sports.

The film opens Friday, Sept. 28, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. James is scheduled to attend the Sept. 28th screening at 8 p.m. and the Sunday, Sept. 30th screening at 5:15.

It's on.

The summer between the end of girls' soccer and the start of boys' seems eternal, even with all the club activity.

Fortunately, the wait is over, and a new season is already unfolding. We have marked the start of the season with a package of stories on Naperville Central, the preseason No. 1, a list of top teams and
top players.

Beginning today, the blog launches a new weekly feature, star of the week.

Proviso East junior forward Alexis Monteon is the debut recipient. In just five games, the Pirates' star has accumulated 15 goals and eight assists in leading the Pirates to a 4-1 mark. He scored a school-record six goals in the Pirates' win over Nazareth last week that only begins to show how dominating he has been.

At just five-feet, seven-inches, Monteon evokes last year's player of the year and the state's career scoring leader, Crete-Monee's Carlos Posada. He is a blur with the ball, able to control it with either foot. "I know other people seem to have speed, too, but just not as much as me," he said.

Like Posada, his speed and athleticism set him apart. Despite his size, he plays significantly in the air. He has registered goals on headers. He floats and whirls in the air, and he has the ability to score with either foot.

Northwestern is one of several schools to dispatch scouts to his games. He also had a great summer. He is also interested in UIC. The leading scorer of the Lemont-based club program FC Raiders, Monteon powered the program to a national runner-up against Naperville-based Galaxy 94/95 Blue.

He is an intense competitor. "You can't cheat the game," Proviso East coach David Moss said. "It doesn't matter what sports, football, basketball or soccer. He loves to play, and he practices every day like it's a game.

"He's only getting better."

Monteon had four goals against a previously undefeated Curie team earlier this week. "He is blessed with so much speed, and he opens up so many opportunities for the rest of his teammates," Curie coach Leon Kim said.

Soccer is a family game. His younger brother Brandon is a highly-regarded freshman starting for the Pirates' varsity. Their sister, Jackie, a junior, is a star on the girls' team. "I started playing when I was young and I just really enjoyed the game," he said. "I did well right away, and that gave me a lot of confidence."

A Mexican-born émigré, Monteon returned to his native city of Ocotlan in Jalisco two years ago and trained for a junior national team. "It gave me a chance to work on things that I was not taught here," he said.

As a sophomore, Monteon set a school-scoring record with 25 goals and 10 assists. He is on mark to obliterate that mark. "We played against Morton, and they had three or four guys guarding him, and if a state championship team is doing that, that tells you something," Moss said.

Monteon is also proving they play something other than basketball at the Maywood school. "It's great that people are starting to recognize what we're doing, they're excited about the soccer program. I think if I continue to play the way I have, I'll be all-state again, like last year, and hopefully, All-American."

His style of play and his electrifying abilities on the field are something to behold. He generates a great deal of excitement knowing people get pumped watching him perform.

"The best part about the game is when people come out and cheer you and that motivates me more.

"You want to show people you have good skills and it also motivates me to score goals, because it just excites me to continue playing."

The Young girls' team last spring had a distinct before and after phase. The two parts were unquestionably connected to Mia Espino, a midfielder and the team's most talented offensive player.

Without Espino, the Dolphins struggled in their attack and found themselves often on the outside looking in. Then Espino returned, and it was a wholly different team. Young went from a defensive-oriented unit dominated by star keeper Rachel Hobert to an aggressive and formidable unit.

She scored a goal and assisted another as the Dolphins ended Lane's 31-game Public League winning streak in a 2-2 draw. That was just the start. She also scored the go-ahead goal against Payton and its star Corinne Harris in the city semifinals.

Young rode that hot streak to a city title, once again breaking Lane's two-year hold on the city crown as they edged the Indians 2-1 in overtime. Naturally, it was not just because of Espino. She was the catalyst.

Her story takes on added resonance with the start of the London Summer Olympics later this week. The reason the star missed the early portion of the Dolphins' season was she involved in Guatemala's bid to qualify for the 12-team field.

She trained with the national team in Guatemala before playing in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Panama City, Panama in March. Her parents are both from Guatemala. "When I was in seventh grade, my sister [Jasmine, who currently plays at Wisconsin-Parkside] and I both tried out for the national team," Espino explained. "We both made it, but they wanted us to live there for six months and my parents strongly believed that education always comes first."

With her sister looking at colleges and Mia deciding on high schools, the timing was off. She maintained interest.

"After a few years, Guatemala kept trying to look for Guatemalan Americans to build their team, and so they did," she said. "They played in Canada to go to Panama and they won that tournament." The victory produced the invitation to play in the Panama qualifying round.

When representatives contacted Espino's father about Mia playing with the team, it was an opportunity she could not turn down, she said. "It was always my father's dream for me to play at a professional level," she said. The only downside was her sister missed the team's age cutoff, having just turned 21.

After her introduction to the Guatemalan team, Espino went to Panama City for the ten days. It was an eye-opening experience. "At first I was anxious and nervous," she said. She really looked forward to playing against the American squad. She tried out for the national team. "I only made it as far as the regional team, and I felt at that time I was faster and way better," she said. "We lost 6-0 [to the USA team] but I believe I played very well and I was satisfied because I gave it my all."
Guatemala failed to make it out of the qualifying round. Espino returned home, and her confidence soared.

"This experience helped my game a lot by making me a better defender because I'm more of a offensive center [midfielder] and on the Guatemalan team they placed me as an offensive and defensive [midfielder]," she said. "I also learned to take care of my body [better] because I spent a lot of my [sophomore] season the year before hurt and sitting out. Playing without any kind of injury is great because I was able to pass a perfect ball, go hard into a tackle sprint and I never got tired."

Because of her involvement, Espino said she is paying special attention to the Olympics. Panama City was only the beginning. "I miss my team, and I wish we had won in Panama, but it's okay because I'll be returning in two years."

The girls' soccer season ended with the coronation of three state champions: Quincy Notre Dame (Class 1A), St. Francis (Class 2A) and Naperville North (Class 3A).

The Sun-Times also published its all-area team (restricted, by the way, to players in the paper's coverage area). Conant's Kentucky-bound Courtney Raetzman, the player of the year, keyed the list. For the first time in memory, it featured two players from the Public League.

Needless to say, as comprehensive and painstakingly put together as those teams were, a lot of good, even arguably great players, were left off. Here's a quick recap of the original list.

All-area first team, alphabetical:

Corey Burns, Loyola defender; Jasmin Carrera, Lane midfielder; Megan Geldernick, Metea Valley keeper; Zoey Goralski, Neuqua Valley forward; Corinne Harris, Payton midfielder; Jen Korn, Naperville North defender; Callie O'Donnell, Plainfield North forward; Courtney Raetzman, Conant forward; Katherine Short, Naperville Central midfielder; Zoe Swift, Naperville North forward.

Second team:

April Cronin, Glenbrook South forward; Gianna Dal Pozzo, Neuqua Valley midfielder; Jill D'Amico, Naperville Central keeper; Sarrah Ludwig, Downers South forward; Courtney McHugh, York midfielder; Katie Naughton, Elk Grove defender; Molly Pfeiffer, Barrington forward; Jessica Pikul, Downers South defender; Crystal Thomas, Wheaton Academy forward; Kristina Tomaras, Metea Valley midfielder; Jess Weaver, New Trier midfielder.

Third team:

Catherine Allon, Geneva midfielder; Rachele Armand, Waubonsie Valley defender; Lexi Cozzi, Lockport forward; Rita Craven, Lincoln-Way North forward; Lucy Edwards, Lake Forest midfielder/defender; Katelyn Hammarlund, St. Viator midfielder; Ashley Handword, Plainfield North forward; Lauren Koehl, St. Charles North forward; Aly Marzonie, New Trier defender; Rachele Armand, Waubonsie Valley defender; Maggie Orlowski, Lyons keeper; Jenna Romano, Waubonsie Valley midfielder.

There were more great players than available slots. With that in mind, here's a list of players who excelled this year and deserve special mention, for their personal accomplishments, often done in the context of a team. Unlike the all-area teams, the final groupings are not naturally uniform, and have an uneven number of names.

Forwards: Ellie Ackermann, Barrington; Abbie Boswell, Naperville North; Mia Espino, Young; Ali Farkos, Homewood-Flossmoor; Eleni Haramaras, Glenbrook South; Amanda Kellow, Deerfield; Amanda Lulek, Geneva; Unique Manns, Lincoln-Way North; Lexi Peterson, WW South; Rachel Post, Lincoln-Way Central; Lauren Shroyer, Hinsdale Central; Meeghan Smith, Loyola; Savanah Uveges, South Elgin; Margaret Walker, Loyola; Kelli Zickert, Buffalo Grove.

Midfielders: Bryce Banuelos, York; Jessica Bean, Lincoln-Way North; Flo Beshiri, Downers South; Jamei Borges, Benet; Jessica Bronke, Downers South; Cora Climo, Naperville North; Sara Condon, Barrington; Ali Cottrell, Maine South; Hope D'Addario, Neuqua Valley; Veronica Ellis, Naperville Central; Amanda Gaggioli, St. Francis; Heather Handwork, Plainfield North; Tori Iatarola, Loyola; Kelli Iovino, Prospect; Briana Keska, Morton; Kelly Manski, St. Charles North; Morgan Manzke, Sandburg; Sarah Mazur, Lyons; Meredith McEniff, Naperville Central; Carolyn Nash, Glenbrook South; Sofia Pavon, Lane; Rachel Shellenback, New Trier; Cassidy Sherman, Jacobs; Abby Shipp, Lake Forest; Christina Szalach, Naperville North; Kelly Trojak, Lemont; Jenna Weiner, Stevenson; Natalie Winkates, St. Charles North.

Defenders: Amanda Alberts, Naperville Central; Emily Basten, Fremd; Kelsey Foss, Conant; Marina Katz, Lake Forest; Ari Kowalski, Lyons; Samantha Frank, Barrington; Audrey Galvin, Fenwick; Sarah McHugh, Carmel; Keeley Nolan, Glenbrook South; Emma Peele, Andrew; Kayla Sharples, Naperville North; Olivia Stasiuk, Hersey

Keepers: Michelle Balcerzak, Lincoln-Way North; Carly Dietrich, St. Charles North; Jenna Ditusa, St. Francis; Veronica Fairbairn, Glenbard East; Cassidy Hermann, Downers South; Allison Hitchcock, Naperville North; Rachel Hobert, Young; Paige Lincicum, Cary-Grove; Hannah Luedtke, Barrington; Eileen McTigue, Prospect; Brittany San Roman, Loyola;

The girls' soccer season is a wrap, punctuated by Naperville North's 1-0 dramatic win over St. Charles North, courtesy of junior midfielder Christa Szalach's goal in the fourth overtime Saturday night at North Central College in Naperville.

First-year coach Steve Goletz talked of the blessing of stepping into such a high profile and elite program. The Huskies, after all, had reached the Class 3A state final the year before.

Still, the Huskies' 2012 run was truly impressive, given how they negotiated a brutal regular-season that included two victories over top-ten programs Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley; victories over Barrington, Lyons, eventual third-place finisher Downers South and Metea Valley. (They also beat Neuqua Valley a third time in their own sectional and ousted a very good Lockport team in the sectional final). The only loss to their 24-1-2 campaign came, on penalty kicks, to rival Naperville Central. They also tied the Redhawks during their conference match up and also top-ten program Plainfield North.

Here's the scary part. The Huskies could be even better next year.

Sure, they graduate three great players in first-team all-area defender Jen Korn (Northwestern), keeper Allison Hitchcock and indispensable midfielder Hunter Drendel. (It was her back tap that created the necessary breathing space for Szalach to launch her state title game-winner.) Otherwise, the nucleus of the state championship team returns. Most prominently, the Huskies welcome back their leading scorer and first-team all-area performer Zoe Swift, who scored 25 goals. Freshman forward Abbie Boswell, the team's second leading scorer with 12 goals and 12 assists, is a superstar in the making, as is her classmate Kayla Sharples, a rangy and athletic 5-11 defender. Cora Climo, who registered six goals and nine assists, junior midfielder Emily Bromagen, sophomore midielder Meghan Lee, junior midfielder Maria Grygelski and sophomore midfielder Abby Mafefrida are each returning.

State runner-up St. Charles North also looks to be as formidable next year as coach Ruth Vostal returns most of her key players, save for leading scorer Lauren Koehl and defender Lisa Manski. Junior midfielder Natalie Winkates (11 goals, eight assists), defender Alex Gage, junior midfielder Kelly Manski (10 goals, 12 assists) and sophomore forward Sophie Pohl (seven goals) all have high school eligibility remaining.

April Cronin, second team all-area, who led fourth-place Glenbrook South with 26 goals, is the most prominent of the Titans' returning players.

For Downers South, their 2-1 victory over the Titans ended an era, the remarkable 28-year coaching run of Barry Jacobson. The third-place finish was the fifth state trophy Jacobson secured during his time at Downers South. His best team was his 1993 25-2 program that lost to Schaumburg in the Class AA state final. He ended his career with a record of 489-58-57. The Mustangs enter a more uncertain period, given the three primary offensive players, Sarrah Ludwig, Flo Beshiri and Jessica Bronke, are seniors.

Likewise, Class 2A state champion St. Francis graduates its two leading playmakers, Sydney Fox and Amanda Gaggioli. Coach Jim Winslow returns a strong group in midfielder Sarah Rahman, midfielder Katie Ramsey, forward Emma Fickle, forward Courtenay Hart, forward Andrea Ravlin, forward Taylor Van Thournout, midfielder Anna VonderHaar and the dynamite Bucaros, forward Kaity and defender Taylor.

Other teams that welcome back key personnel next year are: Loyola, New Trier, Barrington, Naperville Central, Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley and Plainfield North.

Rematches from the regular season dominate the most interesting subplots in the Class 3A sectionals that begin on Tuesday.

Perhaps the most interesting is Barrington traveling to Rockford Boylan, in the first sectional semifinal. The Fillies administered the Titans' first loss in April with a 1-0 overtime victory on junior Molly Pfeiffer's header in the quarterfinals of the Naperville Invite.

The No. 5 Fillies (17-5) have been one of the great stories this year. After a tough start against a brutal schedule, opening losses against then No. 1 Naperville North and No. 2 Neuqua Valley, Barrington got hot, found a great keeper in freshman Hannah Luedtke, and a deep and talented team ended up winning the West division of the Mid-Suburban League.

They defeated Hersey 1-0 for the MSL Cup, avenging their only conference defeat. Barrington has great incentive to capture their fourth consecutive sectional title. Barrington is the host of the super sectional next week.

Senior defender Samantha Frank is one of the team's emotional leaders. Her corner kick assisted Pfeiffer's game-winner against Boylan. "The beginning of our season was frustrating at times but it helped develop us as a team," she said. "We've learned what it means to be a team. There are no egos."

She is also one of four seniors who knows her high school career is nearing the end. It is likely to be an emotional game for a team that has lost in the supers three consecutive years.

"During the playoffs you never know which 80 minutes could be your last. The time has come for us to work hard and play the game, and we can rest later. As a senior the playoffs can bring a wave of emotions. I am just trying to stay focused on playing my very best and being a good teammate."

Motivation: On the last Friday in April, Naperville Central defeat Lockport 1-0 and Plainfield North routed Metea Valley 4-0.

Last week, the same schools were involved in regional finals, and the Porters stunned the previously No. 2 Redhawks 1-0; Metea Valley, playing on its home field, beat the Tigers by the same score. They meet in one sectional semifinal Wednesday at Naperville North.

The marquee game is the third match this year between No. 2 Naperville North and No. 4 Neuqua Valley. The teams entered the season ranked the top two programs. After Naperville North beat the Wildcats 2-0 on March 21, first-year coach Steve Goletz told Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau, "I'm sure we'll see you again."

The two matches at Downers South are both rematches. Top-ranked Loyola beat Maine South in the final game of the regular season. They meet the Hawks again Tuesday, at Niles North. If the seeds hold, Loyola is set for its fourth consecutive state tournament game against rival New Trier.

Loyola beat New Trier 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Pepsi Showdown in April.

A girls season that started with a rush of activity, great early games, exciting in-season tournaments and some dramatic upsets, is suddenly down to the close of regulation this week.

The week is still rife with intrigue. The Class 1A state tournament begins in earnest this week with regional finals scheduled for the end of the week.

The Public League gets a moment in the sun, thanks to the conclusion of the city tournament on Thursday at Gately Stadium.

A wild quarterfinal round saw Curie beat Northside 1-0 in double overtime on freshman Lucy Gutierrez's goal. Junior star Jasmin Carrera continues her prolific scoring burst by adding two goals in the Indians' dramatic 3-2 win over Farragut.

Those teams meet in the first semifinal Tuesday at Lane Stadium, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Payton continued to thrash the opposition, using four goals by Michigan-bound star Corrine Harris to whip Lincoln Park 6-0. They meet Young, in the other semifinal. Emerging sophomore star Margaret Zahrah registered a hat trick for the Dolphins.

With junior midfielder Mia Espino back from a European sojourn, Young has demonstrated a much improved offensive attack the second half of the season. They also boast the city's best keeper, senior Rachel Hobert.

Harris has averaged two goals a game, scoring 27 goals despite playing just 13 games after missing six games from complications of an enlarged spleen.

Lane is attempting to become the first school to capture three consecutive city titles. The last team to beat them was Payton, during Harris' freshman season three years ago. Young is the only other city program to win consecutive titles.

Young hammered Payton 8-0 when Harris was out. Young and Payton 1-1, and Young and Lane tied 2-2.

The other major event is the championship of the Mid-Suburban Cup, which features a rematch of No. 7 Hersey (15-5-2) traveling to No. 8 Barrington (14-5) Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Fillies' best player, junior forward Molly Pfeiffer, suffered an injury in Barrington's conference clincher over Prospect. Coach Ryan Stengren said it is 50/50 whether or not she plays. "I'm more concerned right now about the playoffs," he said.

Hersey beat Barrington 1-0 two weeks ago. The Huskies, who won the East division with an 8-3 mark, suffered a rare two-game slide after No. 9 Conant and a dangerous Elk Grove team both edged Hersey.

In the prelude on Tuesday, the East teams that finished second through seventh travel to their West counterparts, in contests that begin at 4:30.

Here is that schedule:

No. 18 Buffalo Grove at No. 9 Conant
Elk Grove at No. 14 Schaumburg
Prospect at Palatine
Rolling Meadows at Fremd
Wheeling at Hoffman Estates

How good has been Barrington been in conference play? The Fillies have a 31-3 goal to goals allowed differential. Hersey is the defending MSL Cup champion. It makes a great conclusion to the regular season.

"Covert in April, Candid in May," the great poet Emily Dickinson once wrote.

In a whirlwind and madcap last two weekends that saw the completion of the Pepsi Showdown and the Naperville Invitational six days apart, the season is suddenly a blur. Naperville North, the preseason No. 1 who opened the year with 15 consecutive wins, now surrender the top spot to Pepsi Showdown champion Loyola.

Naperville Central vanquished its crosstown rival North 1-0, the result of winning the shootout phase 4-3 after 100 minutes of play failed to produce a score from either side.

A week ago, Loyola beat insurgent Lake Forest 1-0 when Colleen McShane scored in the 76th minute at Toyota Park.

What it suggests, for now, is Loyola and the two Naperville schools are the teams to beat. Write everything now in pencil.

Don't look now, but we are rapidly approaching the end of the regular season. There are just two weeks remaining for schools in Class 2A and 3A before the start of the IHSA state tournament May 15th.

Clarity is suddenly a luxury. Central's mild upset has certainly broken the shield of invincibility that started to form around the Huskies. Then again, Naperville North coach Steve Goletz appeared relieved, of sorts, saying "the pressure," involved with going unbeaten is now off his team.

A couple of the North players left Central's stadium teary-eyed, but they get a quick turnaround to get their revenge. The two teams meet Thursday night at North, in the game that is likely to decide the Du Page Valley Conference title. "It's going to be very difficult to go from this high to getting ready to play them again," star Naperville Central keeper Jill D'Amico said.

Goletz appeared somewhat less than comfortable with playing Central on Saturday afternoon, knowing the teams were set to battle against five days later. Naperville Central now joins Loyola as the hottest team around. The Redhawks' dramatic win was their 11th in a row. Loyola has won 16 in a row since a scoreless draw with Glenbrook South the first week of the season.

An added element to all of this, the Naperville Invite followed the release, by the IHSA, of the seeds for the state tournament. The Naperville Invite was a showcase event; it also served as a dazzling prelude to the Naperville North sectional. Stunning, five of the Sun-Times top 10 teams are playing in that sectional. Two other programs, Waubonsie Valley and Lockport, are in the second tier of rankings.

(The day after its showdown with North, Naperville Central plays Lockport.) A week from Monday, Naperville North tangles with Plainfield North.

The No. 10 Tigers, who'd be no worse than a No. 1 or No. 2 seed at most sectionals, are a six-seed at Naperville North. They lost at Naperville Central 2-1 on the first weekend of the season. Naperville Central is the No. 2 seed; that means North and Central, if the seeds hold, are set to meet for the third time in late May.

Familiarity governs everything at the moment. Naperville North has already played and beaten Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley twice and they knocked out Metea Valley (the third seed) 1-0 on Tuesday. Naperville Central has also beaten Neuqua Valley and Neuqua Valley.

For the moment, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll have more about the IHSA seedings and intriguing early match ups a bit later. Now is the time to savor a fascinating and wild year that rather than settling into focus has only splintered and taken a wild ride into the unpredictable.