The Long Game
Six years together, and North Shore FC’s U14 Elite team is hitting its stride.
For North Shore FC’s U14 Elite girls, a standout 2026 soccer season has been years in the making. The résumé from 2026 alone is impressive. North Shore FC’s U14 Elite team brought home championships from the SC Del Sol Cup in Phoenix and the St. Louis Midwest Junior Championship, finished runner-up in the Illinois Presidents Cup, and went on to represent Illinois at the IYSA Midwest Presidents Cup Regional Tournament in Indiana. Now competing in both the National 1 League, where they currently hold a 3-0-1 record, and the IYSA State Premiership League, the girls have established themselves as a team capable of competing well beyond home. But ask 12-year-old Natalie Huffman what makes this particular group work, and she doesn’t mention a trophy. “We’ve been together for five years and just have a special bond,” she says. Six years is a long time when you’re twelve.
The girls have grown up together on the field - through practices, tournaments, long weekends, wins and losses. Along the way, they’ve developed the kind of familiarity that can be difficult to teach at practice. Lake Bluff mom Lauren Hirsh, who has watched the group grow over the years, says their success hasn’t changed what makes them special. “They know when to lock in and work hard, but they never lose sight of having fun,” Hirsch says. “They love their coach, love each other, and have a special bond that has been fun to watch over the years.” There will undoubtedly be more games, tournaments and opportunities to add to the résumé. But for a group of girls who have already spent nearly half their young lives playing together, perhaps the best thing they’ve built isn’t sitting in the trophy case. It’s the team itself.
Lake Bluff Girls
Charlotte Cramer
Lela Derrick
Hadley Hirsh
Natalie Huffman
Gweneth Kelley
Molly McKendry
Abby McNiven
Alexandra Shoemaker