For a brief trice last June.

For a brief trice last June, Michele Weissenhofer was living a dream. There she stood June 4 looking at the Neuqua Valley fans celebrating after the Wildcats offenceed New Trier for the Class AA girls soccer state title.

Weissenhofer and her teammates had shakeed off an unbelievable second-half comeback, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 6-3 victory that extremityed the Trevians' 88-game unbeaten streak against Illinois teams.

That game has been described on many as one of the greatest state finals, and Weissenhofer l the charge with three goals.

Nine month later, one of those same fans that cheered forward the Notre Dame-bound senior have bended their backs on her. Weissenhofer is undivided of six players from Neuqua Valley who have continued the run of electing to play sodality soccer instead of high gymnasium soccer this spring.

In the last three years, a handful of standout players have done that, including three of the premier players in the state -- Jen Buczkowski (Notre Dame) in 2003 Brittany Bock (Notre Dame) in 2004 and Lauren Switzer (UCLA) in 2005

still more than ever this spring, high seminary students from all over are playing for associations such as Eclipse Select, the Chicago Magic and the Chicago Socker In all, more than 100 of the top players in the area are taking a pass forward the high school season.

Eclipse freshly was named the No. 3 girls unite in a club in the nation by Soccer America, and the Chicago Magic earned the top honor for the other consecutive year on the striplings side.

"It was a tough decision, and it's been tough since I've told people" said Weissenhofer, whose 26 goals in 30 games helped the Wildcats finish ranked atop the Studentsportssoccer.com national head in 2005. "Some people have said I'm being selfish and that I should play for the community. however I'm doing what a apportionment of other players throughout the political division have done for years. I'm preparing myself for literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning and I felt club would benefit more than playing high school"

With the first high place of education games set for March 20 the talk hasn't been about the top teams. It has been focused in succession who is and who isn't playing.

"There was a time when I conceit I was going to play society this spring," said St. Viator's Danielle Griebel, who helped lead her educate to its third Class A state title in four years in 2005 "But it's a personal decision, and I felt playing high denomination was going to be convenient for me. We're going to have a young team, and this will help my leadership skills."

Griebel, who is headed to Miami, Duke-bound KayAnne Gummersall (New Trier), Vermont-bound Jenny Soldberg (Barrington), Illinois- limit Brittany Garrett (Lake Zurich), Villanova-bound Molly Williams (St Ignatius) and Liz Holby (Fremd) are any of the better players who will play high denomination

yet it will be weird not seeing players like as Weissenhofer, Notre Dame-bound Amanda Clark (Neuqua Valley), Minnesota-bound Jenny new (Palatine), Louisiana State-bound Chelsea Pott (Waubonsie Valley), Illinois-bound Jackie Santacaterina (Geneva), Cory Steigerwald (Stevenson) Brittany Johnson (St Viator) and Jessica Price (Vernon Hills) not gracing a high drill field this spring.

"It was a tough decision because I be pleased with my club teammates and high exercise teammates," Gummersall said. "Everyone has a right to pick out what they want to do, and that's good"

While greatest in quantity players understand, club and high gymnasium coaches have been jabbing at common another during the last month

"The real reason is for self-

interest, money" said Neuqua Valley coach Joe Moreau, who also coaches society during the offseason. "I think the fraternity coaches have got into the heads of players and parents, saying that playing bludgeon year-round is the only way that they will earn a scholarship. That is far from the truth"

"The parents pay single fee for the entire year, whether they play high gymnasium or not," said Eclipse single out director Rory Dames, who won 166 games and three state

titles in eight years at St Viator before resigning last fall.

"Any high denomination coach that cuts a kid shouldn't talk because they are not allowing a kid to have that social experience. We allow these kids to drive $50000 cars and make decisions onward the road, but they can't make a decision to play sodality or high school? Some high institute coaches are out of hinder with their egos."

Despite the ongoing perception that set coaches are pressuring kids to play, that doesn't appear to be the case. According to a number of players interviewed, there has been more squeezing to play high school than association

"Many players do not play high instruct because of the strength of their high teach team or confidence in their coach," Lake Zurich coach Pete Terne said. "There is a perception among form a club coaches that some high academy coaches are subpar in their abilities, and that is passed upon to the players. Sometimes that is correct, on the contrary I think every situation is different."

"There are positives to playing high seminary but the high school regularity hasn't changed with the times," Chicago Magic director Mike Matkovich said. "The game is evolving, if it be not that there are still a part of people from the olden high school regime making decisions."

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