Vernon Hills junior midfielder Frannie Poulos has three teammates who are college recruits.
Does she get overlooked while playing alongside Sophie Ackerman (Loyola), Carly Sides (Northern Michigan), and Ava Lukyan (Kent State)?
“Frannie can sometimes fly under the radar but is one of those cogs in the machine that is absolutely necessary for it to run,” Vernon Hills coach Cory Smith said. “She’s such a hard worker but seamlessly and flawlessly fits into any system that you want to play. We slot her in at offensive or defensive midfield or put her a little higher if we need to score goals.”
Well, the Cougars needed a goal during their Class 2A Vernon Hills Regional semifinal on Tuesday, and Poulos delivered it.
Ackerman sent a cross to Poulos, who was perfectly positioned just 3 yards from the goal line and scored the only goal in the 47th minute of the seventh-seeded Cougars’ 1-0 victory against 10th-seeded Grayslake Central.
Sides recorded three of her nine saves in the final five minutes to preserve the lead for Vernon Hills (9-7-2), which advances to the regional championship game on Friday and will play second-seeded Deerfield (17-5-2). The Warriors defeated Vernon Hills 4-2 on April 12.
Poulos, a captain who also scored a goal in the Cougars’ win against Wauconda in the regional semifinals last year, is an excellent passer and has nine assists this season. Against Grayslake Central (6-7-2), she was a constant threat in the final third of the field, and her patience and vision led to three shots that just missed the mark during an eight-minute stretch after her goal.
Smith said Poulos’ unselfishness and chemistry with her teammates, especially Ackerman, is a driving force behind the Cougars’ success.
“We see in every practice and game the potential that seems so high,” Smith said. “She’s a humble person who’s never going to want the credit or limelight yet is the perfect person for it because she’s so talented in so many ways. She’s one of the most genuine and authentic teammates, and for her to put that goal in is just a perfect point on what we like to do as a team.”
Vernon Hills’ Frannie Poulos (8) keeps the ball away from Grayslake Central’s Sara Armstrong (10) and Jordan Sutter during a Class 2A Vernon Hills Regional semifinal on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
Grayslake Central had difficulty slowing down the Ackerman-Poulos duo, according to coach Keith Andersson.
“Those two are very tough to stop,” Andersson said. “They’re fast. We did our homework on Ackerman and Poulos, but they were very, very quick, so we knew what we were getting into. We played hard and battled. That’s all I can ask.”
Poulos, a point guard in basketball, said she played with Ackerman on the same travel team “about eight or nine years ago” before becoming teammates again this season.
“Sophie always starts the attack,” Poulos said. “On the goal, she dribbled around the corner, so I knew to make the run and she would find me. She found me front post, and I just curled to the near post.”
Vernon Hills’ Sophie Ackerman (2) shoots the ball past Grayslake Central’s Peyton Hoffmann (13) during a Class 2A Vernon Hills Regional semifinal on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Mark Ukena / News-Sun)
Ackerman said she wasn’t surprised Poulos slotted her pass into the back of the net.
“I know when I make a run that she’s able to find those little balls to me, or when I try to get those crosses, she’s always open to finish the opportunity, especially like in today’s game,” Ackerman said.
“Once I got the ball and was dribbling down, I looked up, and I knew that was an angle I was never going to get a shot off. I looked up and saw Frannie was there, so I crossed it, and she’s a consistent finisher.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
