Northern Illinois Lightning: Welcome

WELCOME TO THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS LIGHTNING FASTPITCH SOFTBALL WEBSITE. WE ARE AN INTERACTIVE ORGANIZATION. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AS WELL AS THIS WEBSITE.

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   THE LIGHTNING IS EXCITED TO ANOUNCE THE ADDITION OF MAGGIE O'BRIEN TO OUR 14U COACHING STAFF. WELCOME MAGGIE!

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The 2011-2012 Lightning Organization!

CONGRATS TO COACH MISSY KRUEGER, FOR GUIDING HER TEAM TO A SECOND PLACE FINISH AT THE 2012 NEVADA STATE TOURNAMENT. COACH KRUEGER PLAYED FOR THE ORIGINAL LIGHTNING TEAM IN 2001.

CONGRATS TO ALY KELLEY, HEAD COACH AT WAUBONSIE VALLEY, FOR WINNING AN UPSTATE EIGHT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP. COACH KELLEY PLAYED FOR THE 18 & OVER TEAM FOR 3 YEARS.

CURRENT 18 & OVER PLAYER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

ALEX LAGESSE AND TARAH McSHANE COMPETED IN THE 2012 NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT FOR VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY.

BRANDI HERNANDEZ AND MEGAN MATTERA COMPETED IN THE 2012 NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT FOR MIAMI UNIVERSITY IN OHIO.

KAITLIN HARDIE PLAYED IN THE NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT FOR WINONA STATE.

KAYLA HURD PLAYED IN THE NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT FOR GRAND VALLEY STATE.

ERIN SWEENEY COMPETED WITH ILLINOIS WESLEYAN IN THE NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT.

GENNY DUFFY COMPETED IN THE NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT WITH ST. THOMAS IN MINNESOTA.

The rosters have been set and the players invited for the Ninth Annual Dave Fehlman Memorial Senior All-Star Softball Game.

The game will be played at Judson University in Elgin on Monday, June 11. June 18 is the rain date. Game time is 6:30 p.m. and admission is free. Judson University, the Northern Illinois Lightning, Kohl’s, Feeny Autos of Elgin, and Scheffler Electric are the sponsors of the game.

Elgin coaches Chad Dahlman and Doug Holtz will coach the East team, and Crystal Lake South coaches Scott Busam and Mark Hardie will be the West coaches. Matt Schacht, one of the founders of the event, and Courtney LaFerle, a Larkin and Valparaiso University graduate who is also an assistant coach for the 18U Northern Illinois Lightning, will serve as volunteer umpires.

The game originated in 2004 as the Fox Valley Senior All-Star Game and in 2008 was renamed the Dave Fehlman Memorial Senior All-Star Game. Fehlman, whose daughter Lissa is a St. Edward and Evansville University graduate and a former Daily Herald All-Area captain, was a former past president of the Fox Valley Renegades and a longtime supporter of fastpitch softball in the Fox Valley. He passed away late in the summer of 2007.

An MVP will be selected from each team.

The team rosters are as follows: West team: Tara Lycos and Ashley Knutsen of Huntley; Delani Vest of Kaneland; Katie Kirker and Maggie Hansen of Jacobs; Maggie Hoffman, Lexi Smithberg, Nikki Banks and Kiernan Schock of Larkin; Liz Adams, Hannah Mahoney, Kim McElman, Sam Golf and Alli Bochat of Crystal Lake South; Sara Markelonis and Taylor Dunne of Cary-Grove; Amanda Ritchie, Emily Bell, Haley Albamonte and Sarah Kisch of Burlington Central; and Melany Love of Dundee-Crown.

East team: Courtney Smith, Sara Hausl and Shannon Caliri of St. Charles North; Becca Vodraska and Tiffany Bentley of Hampshire; Steph Tomazin, Andreana Taormina, Amanda Montbriand and Tori Burke of Bartlett; Casey Basic and Shannon Pedersen of St. Charles East; Logan Cahill and Tara Palandri of Lake Park; Elena Wright and Clare Stribling of Geneva; Sam Bolin of South Elgin; Maddie Kerr and Morgin Coughlin of St. Edward; and Hannah Perryman of Elgin.

For further information on the game, call (847) 812-1522 or email northernillinoislightning@gmail.com.

WE HAVE A NEW SUMMER FUNDRAISER THAT HAS JUST STARTED!! RAFFLE TICKETS FOR $5 EACH ARE BEING SOLD NOW!! THE DRAWING IS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2012!!!

1ST PRIZE = $100 BP GIFT CARD

2ND PRIZE = $50 BP GIFT CARD

TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE CAR WASH ON SUNDAY, MAY 20TH, 2012.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING TICKETS AND SUPPORTING THE LIGHTNING, PLEASE CONTACT JOHN RADTKE AT 847-812-1522 OR NORTHERNILLINOISLIGHTNING@GMAIL.COM.

 Click the handout below to download registration form.

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THE 2012 LIGHTNING SUMMER BASH AND RADTKE MEMORIAL INFORMATION IS NOW ON THIS SITE. $50 DISCOUNT APPLIED FOR 14U, 16U, AND 18U TEAMS WHO PAY FULL ENTRY FEE BY MARCH 1, 2012. CLICK ON THE TABS TO THE LEFT! 

Our home field is at Judson University and is located in Elgin, IL. The field includes a press box, dugouts, a 200 ft. outfield fence, 4 sets of field lights, and a pitching bullpen on each outfield foul line.  A full-service scoreboard stands in left field featuring # at-bat, balls, strikes, outs, total h/e, as well as home and visitor score-by-inning, hits, runs, and errors. The field currently seats 1,000.

In May of 2008, the field received a new look with grass turf upgrades and a special dirt for the infield.  The special dirt for the infield will help with water and is laid atop the Illinois soil.  This new dirt is only the third of its kind in the state of Illinois, as DePaul University and Northwestern University softball are the only other two softball fields to receive this dirt.  Judson is the first NAIA institution to receive this kind of infield for softball.

Click Photos in the Menu box, then click Our Home Field - Judson Univ. to look at more photos!!

Join us on facebook!!! Click below to go directly to the Northern Illinois Lightning Fastpitch Softball on Facebook.