Providence’s Giuliana Savarino wears No. 15 to follow in the footsteps of her dad, Billy, who wore the same number during a legendary soccer career at Brother Rice.
Giuliana, a freshman midfielder, has a long way to go to catch her dad, one of the top goal scorers in Illinois high school soccer history.
But she already has scored five times, and she’s having fun carrying on the family legacy along with her sister, Gabriella, a junior midfielder for the Celtics.
“People always know our last name,” Giuliana said. “Coaches know or the refs always know us. It’s not pressure, though. We look up to our dad.
“He always pushes us to do our best and always wants us to try harder. He always tells us he knows we can do better when we don’t do our best. He always helps us.”
Giuliana Savarino scored in the first half Tuesday night to spark visiting Providence to a 2-1 win over St. Laurence in a GCAC crossover game in Burbank.
Maggie Wolniakowski had a goal and an assist to lead the Celtics (6-3), while Claire Wajda made three saves. Aubrey Martinez scored a goal and Marissa Amador added three saves for St. Laurence (3-4).
Billy Savarino, who went on to play at Notre Dame and then professionally, scored 159 goals for Brother Rice between 1990 and 1993. At the time, that made him the state’s all-time leader in career goals, a record he held for 18 years before being passed in 2011 by Crete-Monee’s Carlos Posada, who finished with 177.
Billy Savarino is now third all-time behind Posada and Blue Ridge’s J.J. Malone.
But for Giuliana and Gabriella, dad has always been No. 1.
Providence’s Giuliana Savarino (15) and St. Laurence’s Nataly Velasco battle for the ball during a GCAC crossover game in Burbank on Monday, April 8, 2024. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
“He’s like my role model,” Gabriella said. “We’re following in his footsteps, and it’s a lot of fun that we all get to do it together.”
In all, there are three Savarino siblings playing soccer for the Celtics. Billy Savarino Jr., Giuliana’s twin, is a freshman on the Providence boys team.
“Obviously, with their dad, they have a huge legacy,” Providence coach Mike Taylor said. “I had Billy Jr. in the fall play well for me as a freshman. And now Giuliana, his twin sister, comes in and she’s done a really nice job with her older sister, Gabby. They’ve got a connection.”
It’s a connection forged through many family battles.
“We compete a lot,” Giuliana said. “We do one-on-ones in our backyard and whoever loses has to do sprints.
“My brother gets really competitive and he makes sure he wins most of the time, but me and Gabby both win sometimes.”
Providence’s Giuliana Savarino (15) and St. Laurence’s Nataly Velasco converge on the ball during a GCAC crossover game in Burbank on Monday, April 8, 2024. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
The sibling scrimmages can get intense.
“We get really aggressive,” Gabriella said. “There are tears sometimes.”
Both sisters are showing how those competitions have helped them become better players.
Giuliana opened the scoring in the 12th minute Tuesday night, putting in a rebound after Amador made a lunging save on Wolniakowski’s initial shot.
“My coach always tells me to go on the back of the post and be there to pick up any scraps,” Giuliana said. “I was there and I touched it and it went in.”
St. Laurence’s Kathleen Martin, left, and Providence’s Maggie Wolniakowski get tangled up during a GCAC crossover game in Burbank on Monday, April 8, 2024. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Wolniakowski gave the Celtics a 2-0 lead with 18:48 to go, scoring off an assist from Alyssa Thulin. Martinez’s late goal was not enough to rally the Vikings.
With the victory, Providence matched its win total from last season, which ended with a 6-17-1 record.
The Savarinos are helping lead the turnaround.
“It’s been really exciting,” Gabriella said. “Especially playing with my sister, that makes it a lot of fun. She’s doing a great job as a freshman and I’m really proud of her.”
