By definition, 100 percent is the maximum amount in any scenario.

When it comes to describing the way Jaime Orewiler plays soccer, though, it’s just scratching the surface.

The recent Wheaton North graduate was a blue and gold blur, a whirling dervish on the field who hit top gear immediately and stayed there for the full 80 minutes every game.

That’s only the first on a long list of reasons Orewiler repeats as our Leader/News/Press girls soccer Player of the Year.

“Jaime is the most well-rounded player I’ve had the pleasure of coaching in the last 12 years,” Wheaton North head coach Tim McEvilly said. “She can do it all.

“She has a dynamic natural ability.”

That ability was on display every game from first whistle to last.

As the Falcons’ leading attacker Orewiler exhibited sublime ball skill. A favorite move that kept defenders guessing was something rarely seen at the high school level. After receiving a pass from the back, and with her back to the attack zone, Orewiler would swivel her hips one way to draw the defender, then quickly step back over the ball, turn upfield and ignite the jets as she raced upfield.

“I’ve run cross country in the fall since middle school, and in high school I ran cross country and played club soccer in the fall,” Orewiler said, answering for her swiftness. “I’m constantly working out.”

Orewiler’s speed provided an advantage over every opponent she faced. It allowed her to create space in the attacking zone and led to prolific scoring numbers, not only this season but for her four-year varsity career.

Orewiler led the Falcons with 18 goals and 11 assists this season, and in her career she tallied 70 goals and 39 assists. It’s no surprise that Orewiler’s three best scoring seasons (she scored 25 goals as a sophomore and 22 last season) coincided with the Falcons’ first three regional titles.

In addition to helping her post gaudy offensive numbers, Orewiler’s speed was a huge asset in the defensive end.

“When we played Naperville Central (this season) Jaime was playing forward and (Central’s) Casey Short was attacking in our end,” McEvilly said. “Jaime was probably 15 yards past midfield but she ran back, tracked down Casey and took the ball.”

But Orewiler’s all-around effort was about more than scoring goals and tracking back on defense. She was a player that quietly demanded more of her teammates and commanded their best efforts because of her own hard work.

“Jaime never led by words. She led by example,” McEvilly said. “Other players wanted to give their best effort to match what she was doing.

“She has a winning mentality and that rubs off on everyone.”

Orewiler will carry that mentality on to Wheaton College, where she will join a team coming off a Division III national championship last fall. She was courted by larger programs such as DePaul, Duke and Northwestern, but said that Wheaton was a better fit.

“I want to play for a good team, but at the same time I want to college to get an education, not just play soccer,” Orewiler said. “I didn’t want to spend all my time playing soccer.”

That’s the kind of statement you’d expect from someone who was named a state and DVC all-academic honoree. The combination of brains and brawn has never been so perfectly balanced.

“She’s a young lady that’s able to achieve in the classroom like she does on the field,” McEvilly said. “She can do it all.”

Five things to know about Jaime Orewiler
What was the season highlight?
Winning the Pepsi Showdown at Toyota Park.
Who is the best player you faced this season?
Probably someone from Waubonsie Valley, but they have a lot of good players.
Who is your favorite pro athlete?
(Former French national player) Zinedine Zidane.
What was the most memorable play this year?
When we played West Chicago in the regular season we came out really strong and scored three goals in five and a half minutes.
What is your sports fantasy?
I’d like to see a World Cup game. That would be cool.

MEET THE REST OF OUR 2008 GIRLS SOCCER ALL-AREA TEAM

Leah Fortune
Wheaton Academy
Junior
POSITION Midfielder
STATS 27 goals, 17 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS The 5-foot-3 Fortune was one of the best one-on-one attackers anywhere. Her gaudy numbers, which helped her earn all-Private School League, all-Pepsi Showdown and all-state honors, only tell part of the story. She helped lead the Warriors to their first Class AA regional title and a 15-7-2 season. Fortune, who has verbally committed to Clemson, did this after missing the first game of the year because of her stint on the Brazilian women’s U-20 national team.

Leah Johnson
Wheaton Warrenville South
Senior
POSITION Forward
STATS 13 goals, 2 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS Being a four-year starter in a quality program like WWS is accomplishment enough. But the 5-foot-2 Johnson, a good-natured talent known as “Sneaks” by teammates, not only started but excelled for the Tigers, amassing 29 goals and 15 assists during a prep career that saw her move up top this year after playing outside midfielder the previous three seasons. Johnson earned all-DuPage Valley Conference, all-sectional and all-state recognition, and led her team in scoring.

Jessica Jones
West Chicago
Senior
POSITION Forward
STATS 13 goals, 2 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS Last year, West Chicago was 5-12-2 and finished last in the DuPage Valley Conference with a 1-6 mark. But this all-DVC and all-sectional honoree led the Wildcats to an impressive 10-7-3 overall record and fourth-place DVC finish. She also led her team in scoring and helped give the Wildcats a consistent offensive threat, even when she was marked by the opponents’ top defender.

Sarah Langlas
Wheaton Warrenville South
Senior
POSITION Defender/midfielder
STATS 2 goals, 7 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS A three-year starter who’s playing at Iowa in the fall, the 5-foot-9 Langlas stood tallest — both literally and arguably, figuratively — on the Tigers. Not only did she lead them in assists this year, the multi-sport star (she was the Press’ basketball Player of the Year this past winter) brought an athleticism that included a physical presence all over the field. The all-DuPage Valley Conference and all-sectional Langlas also brought a deceptive first step, sound technical skills and lethal throw-ins from deep in the opposition’s third of the field.

Taylor Nieling
Wheaton Warrenville South
Senior
POSITION Midfielder/forward
STATS 12 goals, 6 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS The four-year varsity starter had her role change more than once in her prep career. This year, she was asked to not only help redirect the Tigers’ attack but also to lend strength up top. She finished the season with 12 goals and six assists, and leaves WWS with totals of 25 and 10, respectively. The all-DuPage Valley Conference and all-sectional honoree joins crosstown rival Michelle Scandora this fall as a member of the women’s soccer team at DePaul.

Jaime Orewiler
Wheaton North
Senior
POSITION Forward
STATS 18 goals, 11 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS Take the numbers off the jerseys and it’s still easy to see which player is Jaime Orewiler. She’s the one that never stops running full speed, the one with a vast array of moves and the one who makes those around her perform to her level. In a four-year varsity career Orewiler scored 70 goals (including 25 for the Falcons’ third-place state team in 2006) and dished 39 assists. She will attend Wheaton College and play for one of the top women’s teams in the country.

Kristin Papierski
Glenbard West
Junior
POSITION Midfield
STATS 15 goals, 12 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS Glenbard West’s girls soccer program enjoyed a resurgence this spring, and Papierski was a big reason why. As a central midfielder she was responsible for being the creative force in the attack, and she lived up to that role in a big way. Her 15 goals prove that she has the scoring knack, but her 12 assists show she knows how to get others involved as well. The best thing about Papierski? She will be back for another season to lead a Hilltopper squad which reached the regional final and returns several key players.

Hannah Perry
Wheaton North
Senior
POSITION Keeper
STATS 18 wins, .55 goals against avergae, 13 shutouts, 34 career shutouts
ACHIEVEMENTS All Perry did was backstop a terrific defense that fueled a run to a third regional title and block nearly everything that came her way. Her height (6-feet-1), long limbs and quick feet certainly helped, but probably Perry’s biggest asset was her knowledge of the game and of what was going on in front of her. That allowed her be in perfect position to make the save or race off her line to beat an opponent to a 50/50 ball in the area. The all-DVC selection was the on-field leader of a stingy defense.

Dani Pipal
Glenbard South
Senior
POSITION Midfield
STATS 5 goals, 4 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS Pipal’s stats don’t jump off the page, but without her the Raiders wouldn’t have been in contention for the Western Sun Conference crown this season. In her role as central midfielder, if her pass wasn’t an assist, then it was the one that led to the assist.
“If she had those kind of (huge) numbers, she’d be playing different than we wanted her to,” Glenbard South head coach Glen Eggert said. Pipal wasn’t a captain in title but was certainly one in stature, and she was named to the WSC all-conference team and earned honorable mention on the all-sectional team.

Michelle Scandora
Wheaton North
Senior
POSITION Midfield
STATS 48 career goals, 23 career assists
ACHIEVEMENTS As a four-year varsity player Scandora was a big reason why the Falcons arrived among the state’s elite teams during her tenure. The all-DVC central midfielder combined her size advantage — at 6 feet she almost always had an edge on the competition — her skill with the ball and her on-field vision to help propel the Falcons’ offense. The DePaul-bound senior was part of three regional champion teams and the Falcons’ state third place team her sophomore year.

Alexa Sharkey
Wheaton Academy
Sophomore
POSITION Forward
STATS 26 goals, 7 assists
ACHIEVEMENTS The two-time all-Private School League and all-sectional Sharkey has already amassed 42 goals and 10 assists in her first two seasons of what is admittedly her second sport. The 5-foot-9 Sharkey had a knack for coming through in big games. It was Sharkey who scored the first two goals of the 10-minute, three-tally barrage that sent the Warriors to a 3-1 win over York in the Class AA regional finals.

Crossley Simmons
St. Francis
Senior
POSITION Defense
ACHIEVEMENTS The Spartans needed a physical presence on their back line this season, and Simmons accepted the role with aplomb. When St. Francis needed a sweeper to stifle the attack, Simmons played sweeper. When the Spartans needed a tenacious marking back, she played marking back. When they needed a central defender, guess who filled that role? Simmons will take her game to Stetson University in Florida this fall.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
LOOKING TO ’09 Glenbard Sout h remained in contention for the Western Sun Conference title until the last game of the season. All but three players return from the successful 2008 team.
GOOD YEAR Glenbard West enjoyed one of its best seasons since the mid-1990s, which included a win over Bartlett in the playoffs and a spot in the regional final.
TOURNEY TESTED St. Francis performed well at its own tournament and in the Suburban Catholic Conference and gave eventual regional champion Wheaton Academy a test in the playoffs.
TIGER TAMERS Wheaton North won its third straight regional championship and dealt rival Wheaton Warrenville South its only two losses of the season.
DOUBLE TIME West Chicago made new head coach Cesar Gomez’s season a memorable one, improving to fourth in the DVC and 10-7-2 overall, a record that included a 2-1 playoff win over Glenbard South.
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT Wheaton Academy sent Dave Underwood out on a good note. The Warriors won 15 games and their third regional title under Underwood (headed to NAIA Sterling College in Kansas) when they scored three times in a 7:05 span May 16 to upset York 3-.
PLEASANT SURPRISE After a 2-1 loss to Wheaton North in their second game of the year, Wheaton Warrenville South went 16-0-1 (the only “blemish” was a 2-2 tie with Fremd) to finish the regular season that included a share of the DuPage Valley Conference title.

Honorable mention
GLENBARD SOUTH Sarah Beese, Dominique Collins, Dani Warner

GLENBARD WEST Molly Abromitis, Quinn Refer, Ashlyn Selzer
ST. FRANCIS Sarah Vargyas
WEST CHICAGO Ivana Boers, Drew Heiden, Kayla Radloff
WHEATON ACADEMY Jenn Lee, Becca Long, Tatum Teevans
WHEATON NORTH Allie Cerone, Meredith Chase, Kristin Perrine, Jesse Smith, Erin Strom
WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH Katlyn Barnes, Allison Bellmer, Amy Quintana, Bridgette Shrigley

MAKING THE TEAM
Of course, statistics play a major roll in picking an all-area team. But the selection process begins with the season’s first kickoff. Our staff is constantly keeping tabs on the impact different players have in different games. Throughout the campaign, we cover games and witness players’ abilities for ourselves. We also talk to coaches and players to get a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. Then at the end of the season, the staff writers and editors discuss the nominees, and the all-area team is born.