CCIW

[soccerpapa]

Will make for an interesting and competitive year for the CCIW - at least for the typically stronger top teams (North Park, Carthage, North Central and Wheaton). 

Unfortunately All-State isn't always a predictor of success at the college level.  High school all state is very much a good ole boys club.  Good players can look great (if surrounded by other good players) and due to vast spread of skills across high school teams.  All the high school all state players in my sons graduating class have either stopped playing in college or are riding the pine. 

[Gotberg]

Unfortunately All-State isn't always a predictor of success at the college level.  High school all state is very much a good ole boys club.  Good players can look great (if surrounded by other good players) and due to vast spread of skills across high school teams.  All the high school all state players in my sons graduating class have either stopped playing in college or are riding the pine.

I think this is true in any sport and not limited to soccer.

In Illinois, the absolute cream of the crop play club as opposed to high school soccer.  I think depleted talent is also the cause, perhaps in combination with a good ole boys club, whatever that is...

In any event, I'm happy to see recognized players become attracted to NP.

[soccerpapa]

good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards. 

[Gotberg]

good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards.

Got it, thanks for the explanation and that makes sense.

[Gotberg]

Did anyone attend the NPU / Roosevelt scrimmage last night? 

[Gregory Sager]

I was giving it some thought, but I was half-frozen from having to call the IWU @ NPU softball doubleheader yesterday afternoon and I didn't thaw out in time to make it back to Holmgren.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.

[Gotberg]

North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.

I'm happy to see the number of newbies that play in the Striker position.

[Gotberg]

North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.

I'm happy to see the number of newbies that play in the Striker position.

Add Vincente Sabbione to the list.  Striker / Sockers FC.

[Gregory Sager]

Add Vincente Sabbione to the list.  Striker / Sockers FC.

Nice MLS Next and Glenbrook North highlights. He looks like he has some potential.

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Vicente Sabbione, S (Northbrook, IL / Sockers FC)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

[stlawus]

Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?  That roster is too large for every player to get development. 

[Gregory Sager]

Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?

Yes, as is pretty much every D3 school that is tuition-dependent (which is to say, a whole lotta D3 schools).

That roster is too large for every player to get development.

Of course it is. But are you going to turn down all of those student-athletes who think that they can play for North Park by telling them to go somewhere else? The answer is "no".

Based upon past seasons, my guess is that a fair number of these guys self-selected North Park by contacting the coaching staff first. The All-State guys and likely most of the Scandinavians were definitely recruited by Kris Grahn and his staff.

As usual, summer preseason camp will winnow out a few of these guys. Then there will be a large reserve team that will play an extensive schedule, and the guys who aren't seeing much time on the reserve team will drop off one by one of their own accord.

[College Soccer Observer]

good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards.

In Illinois, there is no statewide vote.  To receive any post season awards from the Coaches Association , the player's coach must be a member of the association.  The state is divided into sections, and the top X players in each section earn all state honors.  So if you are in a section with tons of power house teams, deserving players are left out.  If you are in a section with weaker teams, then undeserving players make it.  System is a total crapshoot.

[soccerpapa]

there in lies the issues;

1.  Coach must be member - not all are
2.  Unequal representation in zones/population
3.  Good ole boys club/top players - how are these identified.

All-state does not translate to success at the college level

[Newenglander]

Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?

Yes, as is pretty much every D3 school that is tuition-dependent (which is to say, a whole lotta D3 schools).

That roster is too large for every player to get development.

Of course it is. But are you going to turn down all of those student-athletes who think that they can play for North Park by telling them to go somewhere else? The answer is "no".

Based upon past seasons, my guess is that a fair number of these guys self-selected North Park by contacting the coaching staff first. The All-State guys and likely most of the Scandinavians were definitely recruited by Kris Grahn and his staff.

As usual, summer preseason camp will winnow out a few of these guys. Then there will be a large reserve team that will play an extensive schedule, and the guys who aren't seeing much time on the reserve team will drop off one by one of their own accord.

Last year's roster was 51 so not sure how many drop off - they must have a reserve team.