Lyons Township High School senior midfielder Carolina Capizzi has played club soccer with the Galaxy Soccer Club since sixth grade. The DePaul University recruit enjoyed quite a storybook ending with some of those long-time teammates as the 2008 girls team dramatically won the Under-17 Girls Academy Champions Cup July 13 in Midlothian, Va. – 3-2 over STA (Randolph, N.J.) in overtime.
“It was such a great experience. It was probably one of my favorite soccer games I’ve ever played in,” Capizzi said. “It was the last time a lot of us were going to play together. I think that was one of the best ways we could have ended. A lot of the girls are graduating early (at least four). To kind of come out with a win for our last game was really special.”
The championship game was a roller-coaster ride in mid-90s temperatures. Naperville-based Galaxy fell behind 1-0 but then went ahead 2-1 and was about to win when STA forced overtime by scoring with less than two minutes left in regulation. Galaxy scored the game winner only minutes into the first of two 10-minute overtimes on a goal assisted by Capizzi.
A GA quarterfinalist in 2024, Galaxy beat defending age-group champion TopHat Soccer Club (Atlanta) in the semifinals 4-1 and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in the quarterfinals 2-0. This was the third national title in four years for the group along with US Youth Soccer National Championships in 2023 and 2022.
“They both were amazing (too). That’s it honestly. It’s always fun to see how hard work pays off,” Capizzi said. “All three games we played (at Girls Academy nationals) were really fun games, close games, but we came together and really battled.”
Galaxy and STA could have conservatively staggered through overtime for a shootout to decide the champion. Capizzi, however, quickly found Wheaton North senior and Wisconsin recruit Jane Rogers for the winning conversion.
“They sent some of their midfielders up so we may have been 1-up (attacking). We did a give-and-go around one of the girls who was stepping (at me),” Capizzi said. “I was dribbling and saw Jane making a run through. She does a really nice job timing her runs. I hear her calling for the ball and I put it behind the two defenders and she finished.”
Capizzi also set up the goal for a 2-1 lead. Her long ball was advanced by tournament MVP Emerson Burke, who then assisted Ivana Vukas.
During the high school season, Capizzi returned from injury to rejoin the Lions for the Class 3A sectional. Rogers missed her entire junior season following offseason ACL surgery.
“I definitely felt healthy by this point and it was so great to see Jane come back and do so well. She’s amazing,” Capizzi said.
Chavez an Evans Scholar
For Rachel Chavez, the second time was the charm. The 2024 Lyons Township graduate was named among this year’s Evans Scholars with full college housing and tuitions grants for golf caddies while she was in her freshman year at the University of Kansas (Lawrence).
“I was almost more determined to try harder to get it because I knew I just didn’t want to give up and not try again,” Chavez said. “I think that the great thing about the Evans Scholarship is that you can apply a second time. It’s like they’re giving you another chance to show what you’re worth.”
This summer, Chavez completed her fifth year working at the Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook. Chavez said she was encouraged by a previous Butterfield caddy receiving the Evans as a college freshman. In case she was selected, Chavez said she enrolled at Kansas because it’s among the 24 Evans partner universities so she wouldn’t need to transfer schools. She was an honor student in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences as she pursues a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and possibly a master’s in public health.
“I had a great first semester. I was really just trying my best, studying as hard as I could and it really paid off,” Chavez said. “Honestly, getting it this year, I’m a little less nervous because I’ve spent a year college. I know people at Lawrence now.”
At LTHS, Chavez played softball as a freshman and sophomore. Needing a job, Butterfield was nearby. Her mother played golf and three uncles had been caddies there.
“Now that I’ve been there for so long I know so many of the members so I have a great connection with a lot of them and you can’t beat the money either,” Chavez said. “It’s all cash so I’ve been able to use a lot of that money for school.”
Club volleyball
Lily Zimmerman of Riverside earned All-American honors at the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Nationals after helping her DuPage Elite 14-and-under United team reach the semifinals in the Classic Division.
St. Ignatius College Prep junior and sister Clara Zimmerman was part of the DuPage Elite 16 United team that was ninth in the Club Division.