All-Sectional Team Omissions
Part I
The following players deserved a spot on the
All-Sectional First Team or Second Team, but for some reason
they were omitted, making the Honorable Mention list and not being
eligible to make the All-State Team. Below is a list of some key omissions
from both the boys' and girls' teams:
BOYS
Andrew Wojdyla/Tim Yara (Andrew)
The T-Bolts ended 2014 with their best performance in team history; they
finished 26-4, won the SWSC Red division, and fell two goals shy of their
first-ever state tournament berth at the LWC Sectional. Wojdyla was a
consistent playmaker all season long for Andrew while Yara was a
difference-maker on the defensive end. One or possibly both players were
deserving of a spot on one of the first two teams along with teammates
Eric and Mike Tamulonis.
Garrett Nash (Naperville North)
Nash has been solid and consistent throughout the 2014 campaign for the
state's top-ranked team. He drastically improved his scoring on the
offensive end and continues to make his mark as a tenacious defender for a
highly-physical Huskies team. He totaled 8 goals at the Metea Sectional,
scoring 2 goals in a 9-6 title game victory over Naperville Central,
adding 2 more in a semifinal win over Neuqua, and leading the team with 4
goals in a quarterfinal win over HC.
George Lundgren (Lyons)
Lundgren had a strong overall campaign highlighted by his late season
efforts; he recorded 9 goals at the Stevenson Tourney in Week 8, then
connected on the game-winning goal in the Lions' 10-7 sectional semifinal
victory over Oak Park last weekend.
Matt Lefler (Niles West)
The Wolves are a well-balanced unit, but they more than likely don't have
their best season in team history without Lefler serving as the last line
of defense. The aggressive goaltender totaled 9 saves and 6 steals in the
team's 11-8 sectional semifinal win over GBS and his 13 saves and two
penalty shot blocks helped keep Niles West close against Loyola before
falling 11-5 in the sectional finals at GBS.
Shaurya Gilani/Zach Stephens (Stevenson)
The Patriots powered through the Mundelein Sectional with three wins of 7
goals or more. Surely they should have had at least one more player
rewarded on the First or Second Team. Stephens become a powerful weapon as
the season wore on and should play a key role in the Patriots' success at
the state tournament. Meanwhile, Gilani has been quite impressive in his
first season in goal as Stevenson hasn't missed a beat after losing
long-time starter Robbie O'Brien to graduation.
GIRLS
Allison Boothe (Mundelein)
Boothe not making one of the first two All-Sectional Teams may be one of
the biggest injustices this year, as she has been one of the most
consistent scorers in the state from start to finish in 2014. She
registered 6 goals in a double header with Fenwick and St Ignatius in Week
1, led the team with 10 goals at the Fenwick Tournament in Week 4, and
scored 9 times to close out the season in her team's home tournament. In
the playoffs, she scored 3 times in all three of Mundelein's sectional
games, which included wins over BG and Wheeling and a title-game loss to
Stevenson.
Courtney Gregori (Evanston)
Gregori was an impact player on both ends of the pool for an Evanston team
that improved from 12-18 in 2013 to 22-7 this season. On the defensive
end, she led the Wildkits in both blocks and steals while also making
major contributions on the offensive end as the team's second leading
scorer. She played a key role in Evanston winning both the Maine South
Tournament and the CSL Tournament in 2014, then closed out her career with
a key goal in a sectional final loss to St Ignatius as the team fell one
game shy of making the state tournament.
Geena Peyton (Mother McAuley)
Peyton has been a revelation for the Mighty Macs since the early stages of
the season. The talented goaltender helped fill the red cap donned by the
graduated Sarah Abbott and is one of the main reasons Mother McAuley
returns to state in 2014. With her team trailing 6-3 heading into the
final period of their sectional final game against Bremen, the netminder
allowed just one goal in regulation and overtime as the Macs walked away
with a 9-7 win.
Kaitlyn Gorski (Neuqua Valley)
Gorski had a terrific all-around season for the Wildcats and served as one
of the offensive leaders for a team that lasted until the sectional
semifinals after beating Metea Valley in the quarterfinal round. She
seemed to rack up just as many assists and steals as she did goals and may
be one of the more underrated players in the state.
Kate MacDuff (Naperville North)
MacDuff minds the net for the third-ranked team in the state and lost only
once in 2014. A solid last line of defense all season long, she stepped
her game up at sectionals, letting in just five goals per game to help
Naperville North win the Metea Valley Sectional. Oh...by the way, the
goalie asked to take the final shot of a tie game in the sectional final
and nailed a shot from beyond mid-pool at the end of regulation to send
her team to the state tournament for the first time in nine years.
Liz Klock (LWC)
Klock is one of the top all-around players in the state; she helped the
Knights win 16 games and finish second in the SWSC Red division. She led
her team in scoring in both sectional games, scoring 4 times in a 10-3 win
over H-F before putting in the team's only 2 goals in a 7-2 loss to Andrew
in the semifinal round.
