Benet soph Abello makes auspicious debut
Soars to hat trick and assist in 5-1 win over OPRF
By Matt Le Cren
OAK PARK – Benet sophomore forward Kerry Abello had no clue as to what to expect in her first high school game.
After her sensational performance Wednesday in her prep debut, it is clear that if opposing defenses don’t get a clue about how to shut her down, then it is going to be an incredible spring for Abello.
It took Abello less than six minutes to record her first assist, 14 minutes to score her first goal and 55 minutes to bag her first hat trick. The Penn State recruit finished with three goals and one assist to lead the Redwings (1-0) to a 5-1 victory over host Oak Park and River Forest.
Junior midfielder Ellie Bumpus, in the best statistical performance of her career, added two goals and two assists and Loretta Elder had one assist for Benet, which jumped on the overmatched Huskies (0-2) from the start and led 4-0 at halftime.
“It’s amazing. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Abello, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “I didn’t know anything about the team.
“We’ve only had a handful of practices, and I was so nervous coming into the game. But after I touched the ball the first time it was game on.”
The speedy Abello, who played club soccer last season, quickly caused havoc for the OPRF back line with her deft runs down the left wing. The Huskies quickly tried to contain her but Abello thwarted that by passing back outside the penalty area to Bumpus, who blasted an open shot up the middle for the game’s first score with 34:27 left in the opening half.
“My first goal was an outside shot,” Bumpus said. “That’s something I’ve been working on. It was a really nice lead from Kerry opening up the middle for me.”
Bumpus is one of Benet’s most experienced players in the midfield but she has never been a big scorer. That could change as she takes over the central midfield role from graduated star Michelle Morefield. Having a playmaker like Abello up front will only help.
“We played [the Huskies] last year and it was [a] 2-0 [win]. And we had a lot of great opportunities in the first half [of that match], and we just weren’t able to finish,” Bumpus said. “And I think having Kerry obviously really opens things up for me in the middle because they’re worried about her. I was able to have a wide-open shot in the middle. [The ball] just popped right out to me, and I popped it in.”
Eight minutes later Bumpus returned the favor as she sprung Abello up the left wing with a perfectly executed lead pass. Abello beat a defender into the box and slotted a left-footed shot past charging OPRF goalie Leah Silver and inside the right post for a 2-0 Benet cushion.
“It was a picture-perfect pass from Ellie,” Abello said. “We shared those first two goals because she couldn’t have set me up better for those.”
Much to the Huskies’ chagrin, Abello and Bumpus continued to jell as the first half continued, scoring twice just 58 seconds apart to extend the lead to an insurmountable 4-0.
Bumpus made it 3-0 at the 8:56 mark off Elder’s tightly placed corner kick from the left side. An OPRF defender attempted to clear the ball, but it went straight to Bumpus on the back post for an alert finish.
Abello then scored her second goal, again off a Bumpus pass and the rout was on.
“[Having Abello to pass to] is really nice, I’m not going to lie,” Bumpus said. “I feel like I can play those great balls, and she’s always there. We’ve only played for like a few weeks now and it’s already working out really well, so I’m excited.”
So, too, is Abello, who has embraced the prep scene.
“I was just so excited to start the season and now that we’re into it I’m just so pumped for our future games,” she said.
Abello completed her hat trick with 25:11 remaining in the second half on an unassisted effort to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Huskies got on the board 1:15 later as Julia Weiss beat backup Benet keeper Anna Keefe with a short shot inside the right post.
Avoiding the shutout was a small measure of consolation for the Huskies, who have given up nine goals in their first two matches against top-notch opponents.
“Every year we start off with two competitive games,” said OPRF coach Ignacio Ponce, whose squad lost 5-1 to Naperville Central on Monday. “I always like starting out with Naperville Central and Benet because obviously they are high-competition games and it really sets our tone in the sense of one of two things; either we can play with them or we have room for improvement.
“It’s obvious that we still need to improve quite a bit but it’s so early in the season that I think that we can develop. We’re still trying to find ourselves on the field, finding a strong back four and start building from there and getting possession and start attacking.
“To do that we really have to identify the back four and the toughness. I think we have the personnel to be tough. It’s just trying to develop as a group.”
Ponce is experimenting with his starting line-ups and substituting liberally in search of the best 11. He has identified what he thinks is his best options on defense in senior Chloe Beonsch and juniors Penny Hawthorn, Brianne Bujnowski and Jamie Heneghan.
That group limited the Redwings to four shots in the second half and goalies Leah Silver and Julliane Darden combined to make seven saves, including a point-blank stop by Darden on Betsy Keefe.
Beonsch and Silver are two of just three returning starters for the Huskies, who are fielding one of their most inexperienced teams ever.
“It’s definitely hard for us but we’re trying to build as a team, understand each other as players and find our strengths and definitely work on our weaknesses,” Beonsch said. “They didn’t shut us out so that’s definitely something.
“The build-ups were good. We just need to continue working on that, especially looking to the outsides to cross it in.”
The Huskies managed just two shots on goal, both by Weiss, the team’s other returning starter. As with most young teams, offensive efficiency will probably be the last aspect of the game the Huskies master.
“It definitely takes a while,” Beonsch said. “It doesn’t come in the first two games, and it’s definitely about practices. We haven’t had too many, and it’s been cold. Preseason we wished we could get outside. It completely changes the game, so we definitely have to build up in the next few weeks.”
Starting line-ups
Benet
GK: Emma Hlavin
D: Erin Flynn
D: Sophia Elbchiri
D: Rachel Bernicky
D: Elena McCarthy
M: Katie Gesior
M: Ellie Bumpus
M: Jackie Schuman
F: Kerry Abello
F: Hanna Pfeiffer
F: Kate Hennessy
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Leah Silver
D: Ashley Gurdian
D: Alex Kenoian
D: Carly Loughran
D: Brianne Bujnowski
M: Patricia Heneghan
M: Alexa Gillman
M: Grae Huettel
M: Esther Ramsey
F: Anna Eddelbuettel
F: Eden Miller
MVP of the Match: Kerry Abello, F, Benet.
Soars to hat trick and assist in 5-1 win over OPRF
By Matt Le Cren
OAK PARK – Benet sophomore forward Kerry Abello had no clue as to what to expect in her first high school game.
After her sensational performance Wednesday in her prep debut, it is clear that if opposing defenses don’t get a clue about how to shut her down, then it is going to be an incredible spring for Abello.
It took Abello less than six minutes to record her first assist, 14 minutes to score her first goal and 55 minutes to bag her first hat trick. The Penn State recruit finished with three goals and one assist to lead the Redwings (1-0) to a 5-1 victory over host Oak Park and River Forest.
Junior midfielder Ellie Bumpus, in the best statistical performance of her career, added two goals and two assists and Loretta Elder had one assist for Benet, which jumped on the overmatched Huskies (0-2) from the start and led 4-0 at halftime.
“It’s amazing. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Abello, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “I didn’t know anything about the team.
“We’ve only had a handful of practices, and I was so nervous coming into the game. But after I touched the ball the first time it was game on.”
The speedy Abello, who played club soccer last season, quickly caused havoc for the OPRF back line with her deft runs down the left wing. The Huskies quickly tried to contain her but Abello thwarted that by passing back outside the penalty area to Bumpus, who blasted an open shot up the middle for the game’s first score with 34:27 left in the opening half.
“My first goal was an outside shot,” Bumpus said. “That’s something I’ve been working on. It was a really nice lead from Kerry opening up the middle for me.”
Bumpus is one of Benet’s most experienced players in the midfield but she has never been a big scorer. That could change as she takes over the central midfield role from graduated star Michelle Morefield. Having a playmaker like Abello up front will only help.
“We played [the Huskies] last year and it was [a] 2-0 [win]. And we had a lot of great opportunities in the first half [of that match], and we just weren’t able to finish,” Bumpus said. “And I think having Kerry obviously really opens things up for me in the middle because they’re worried about her. I was able to have a wide-open shot in the middle. [The ball] just popped right out to me, and I popped it in.”
Eight minutes later Bumpus returned the favor as she sprung Abello up the left wing with a perfectly executed lead pass. Abello beat a defender into the box and slotted a left-footed shot past charging OPRF goalie Leah Silver and inside the right post for a 2-0 Benet cushion.
“It was a picture-perfect pass from Ellie,” Abello said. “We shared those first two goals because she couldn’t have set me up better for those.”
Much to the Huskies’ chagrin, Abello and Bumpus continued to jell as the first half continued, scoring twice just 58 seconds apart to extend the lead to an insurmountable 4-0.
Bumpus made it 3-0 at the 8:56 mark off Elder’s tightly placed corner kick from the left side. An OPRF defender attempted to clear the ball, but it went straight to Bumpus on the back post for an alert finish.
Abello then scored her second goal, again off a Bumpus pass and the rout was on.
“[Having Abello to pass to] is really nice, I’m not going to lie,” Bumpus said. “I feel like I can play those great balls, and she’s always there. We’ve only played for like a few weeks now and it’s already working out really well, so I’m excited.”
So, too, is Abello, who has embraced the prep scene.
“I was just so excited to start the season and now that we’re into it I’m just so pumped for our future games,” she said.
Abello completed her hat trick with 25:11 remaining in the second half on an unassisted effort to extend the lead to 5-0.
The Huskies got on the board 1:15 later as Julia Weiss beat backup Benet keeper Anna Keefe with a short shot inside the right post.
Avoiding the shutout was a small measure of consolation for the Huskies, who have given up nine goals in their first two matches against top-notch opponents.
“Every year we start off with two competitive games,” said OPRF coach Ignacio Ponce, whose squad lost 5-1 to Naperville Central on Monday. “I always like starting out with Naperville Central and Benet because obviously they are high-competition games and it really sets our tone in the sense of one of two things; either we can play with them or we have room for improvement.
“It’s obvious that we still need to improve quite a bit but it’s so early in the season that I think that we can develop. We’re still trying to find ourselves on the field, finding a strong back four and start building from there and getting possession and start attacking.
“To do that we really have to identify the back four and the toughness. I think we have the personnel to be tough. It’s just trying to develop as a group.”
Ponce is experimenting with his starting line-ups and substituting liberally in search of the best 11. He has identified what he thinks is his best options on defense in senior Chloe Beonsch and juniors Penny Hawthorn, Brianne Bujnowski and Jamie Heneghan.
That group limited the Redwings to four shots in the second half and goalies Leah Silver and Julliane Darden combined to make seven saves, including a point-blank stop by Darden on Betsy Keefe.
Beonsch and Silver are two of just three returning starters for the Huskies, who are fielding one of their most inexperienced teams ever.
“It’s definitely hard for us but we’re trying to build as a team, understand each other as players and find our strengths and definitely work on our weaknesses,” Beonsch said. “They didn’t shut us out so that’s definitely something.
“The build-ups were good. We just need to continue working on that, especially looking to the outsides to cross it in.”
The Huskies managed just two shots on goal, both by Weiss, the team’s other returning starter. As with most young teams, offensive efficiency will probably be the last aspect of the game the Huskies master.
“It definitely takes a while,” Beonsch said. “It doesn’t come in the first two games, and it’s definitely about practices. We haven’t had too many, and it’s been cold. Preseason we wished we could get outside. It completely changes the game, so we definitely have to build up in the next few weeks.”
Starting line-ups
Benet
GK: Emma Hlavin
D: Erin Flynn
D: Sophia Elbchiri
D: Rachel Bernicky
D: Elena McCarthy
M: Katie Gesior
M: Ellie Bumpus
M: Jackie Schuman
F: Kerry Abello
F: Hanna Pfeiffer
F: Kate Hennessy
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Leah Silver
D: Ashley Gurdian
D: Alex Kenoian
D: Carly Loughran
D: Brianne Bujnowski
M: Patricia Heneghan
M: Alexa Gillman
M: Grae Huettel
M: Esther Ramsey
F: Anna Eddelbuettel
F: Eden Miller
MVP of the Match: Kerry Abello, F, Benet.