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Kits will discover where they stand among the state’s top teams when they play in the 19th annual Naperville Invitational.

“Being successful in a tournament of this caliber gives us confidence moving forward when we play some of our toughest conference games,” senior Julia Kenney said.

The tournament consists of eight groups and every group contains three teams. Once each team in the pool has played each other, the team with the most points and best goal differential moves on to the championship bracket.

The Kits began last night against Fremd and they finish their pool play tonight against a solid Hinsdale Central team.

The tournament gives the team a better understanding of who they are and benefits them greatly in the long run.

“It used to be a rule of thumb that whoever won this tournament would go on to win state,” coach Maurizio Grillo said.

The squad has gotten off to a great start with a record of nine wins, three ties and one loss. The one loss came against top ranked New Trier in overtime.

The girls recently played in the Pepsi Showdown, a tournament similar to the Naperville Invitational. They finished the tournament with a record of 3-1.

“Our last few games we played some of the strongest soccer we have yet,” senior Kira Favakeh said. “We’re proving ourselves to be as good as some of the top teams in the country.”

They’re strong point so far has been their stingy defense lead by Kate Kremin and Julia Kenney. They have only allowed six goals through 13 games. They have also recieved consistency in the midfield from Maia Cella and Alex Berkley, which balances out their attack.

“This team is exciting because we still haven’t clicked. A lot of players are still waiting to explode,” Grillo said. “There’s a lot left in the tank.”