Benet makes itself
feel at home at Wheaton A.
Redwings roll on Warriors' turf, post surprising 4-0 victory
By Matt Le Cren
WEST CHICAGO – Unplayable field conditions forced Benet to give up a home game Monday and travel to Wheaton Academy, which has a turf field.
But what should have been a home field advantage for the new hosts was anything but.
Defender Clare Bumpus bounced a 50-yard shot over the head of Wheaton Academy goalkeeper Chrislyn Herring just 2:47 into the game and Benet rolled to a shockingly easy 4-0 victory in a matchup of two of the area’s top Class 2A teams.
Maddie Becker, Abby Casmere and Nicole Burns also scored as the Redwings (10-5-0) won their third-straight match while halting Wheaton Academy’s seven-game winning streak.
It was the worst loss for the Warriors (12-4-0) in five years.
“They’ve always been a really good team, and it was really good to get this win,” Becker said. “We knew it was going to be a close game.
“We didn’t realize it was going to be (4-0), so that was really good. Especially going into the playoffs, you want to build that confidence so you’re ready, and you’re playing good teams, and you’re winning.”
The Redwings were winning nearly from the start. The visitors controlled the midfield and made a habit of intercepting errant passes.
That was how Bumpus came to score her second goal of the season. The junior hustled to win a 50-50 ball at midfield and then launched a moon shot through a driving rainstorm toward the Wheaton Academy net.
The ball hit just inside the 18 and caught Herring a bit too far off her line and wound up in the back of the net. Ironically, that kind of bounce likely never would have happened on Benet’s grass field.
“I was just trying to beat the girl to the ball because it was kind of an awkward touch out. (Once I got it) I wasn’t going to aim outside of the goal,” Bumpus said. “I didn’t even really see the goal. Someone was like, ‘Clare, you scored.’”
And with that, the tone had been set. The Redwings were fired up and the Warriors stunned.
“I think it was good for the team,” Bumpus said. “For me personally, after my goal I was like, ‘Let’s do this.’
“We have been getting back in the groove again, which is nice to see, and we also switched the ball a lot.
“It was just fun to play. It was just easy soccer for me personally.”
Nothing was easy for the Warriors. They have fallen behind in games before but aren’t used to being dominated like they were by Benet.
“It’s not common when that happens,” Wheaton Academy senior defender Holland Kosiek said. “They were aggressive. They were winning 50-50s which was unfortunate.
“The weather conditions obviously weren’t great, but we both were putting up with it. We weren’t capitalizing on the opportunities we had, and they worked hard and finished when they had the opportunities.”
Kosiek, part of a backline that had surrendered just 11 goals all season and never more than two in any match, wasn’t alarmed by Bumpus’ goal.
“It was an unfortunate start to the game,” Kosiek said. “We’ve gone down 1-0 before and we’ve fought back. So I was hopeful that we’d be able to fight back. We stepped it up, but it just wasn’t our time, I guess.”
Benet's Becker, a junior midfielder who bagged her second goal of the season in the game, had a theory about the great start.
“It was the beginning of the week,” she said. “We have a lot of energy.
“(The Bumpus goal) definitely boosted morale for our team. I think everybody realized we can do this, and we’re already in it.”
The Redwings controlled the action throughout, though the Warriors stayed within a goal until Becker’s 30-yard cracker went under the crossbar with 11:21 to go in the first half.
“We had the wind for the first half, and my coach told me before I went in to keep taking shots and look for those because it’s definitely attainable,” Becker noted.
Benet increased the lead to 3-0 at the 5:03 mark when four underclassmen teamed up for a game of tic-tac-toe.
Sophomore midfielder Mae Tully sent a lead pass to freshman Cami Picha, who tapped it into the box to Maggie Roche. The ball was moving too fast for Roche to settle and shoot, so she took the ball to the end line and then passed back to Casmere at the top of the box. Casmere’s right-footed shot toward the left post deflected off a defender and in.
The Redwings completed the scoring at the 33:13 mark of the second half when Burns ran on to a through-ball from Katie Gesior and blasted a far-post finish past Herring.
“They did a nice job,” Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. “I thought they adjusted to the circumstances. They had to travel over here and with the weather. I thought they played pretty quick, pretty physical, and they did a really nice job, so hats off to them.”
Goalkeeper Anna Keefe made two saves, five fewer than Herring, to earn the shutout. Benet’s backline of Bumpus, sophomores Mary Kate Hansen and Mary Kate Wilhelm and freshman Kate Flynn completely shut down Wheaton stars Gretchen Pearson and Erin Teevans, who combined to get off four shots, only one of which was on frame.
Part of the reason for that was that Pearson and Teevans, who have a combined 31 goals, rarely touched the ball in space.
“I just thought there were so many technical errors on our side that we just couldn’t keep the ball,” Brooke said. “Just a lot of mistakes.
“I don’t know if it was the weather or their physicality. But that’s something that we can work on for three weeks -- how to be cleaner and technical so we can play our possession style.”
The game was a possible preview of a Class 2A state semifinal. The Redwings have a much tougher path to a potential rematch, but they are gaining confidence.
The Warriors, however, now have the revenge factor going for them.
“I think it just puts a fire in our bellies,” Kosiek said. “I am 100 percent confident that we can beat them if we play them again.
“We know what they do well, and we know what we can do. I don’t think we showed them our full potential. So if we were able to see them again I believe we could give them a good competition. It would be an awesome opportunity to play them again.”
Starting lineups
Benet
GK Anna Keefe
D Kate Flynn
D Mary Kate Hansen
D Mary Kate Wilhelm
D Clare Bumpus
M Katie Gesior
M Abby Casmere
M Grace Girard
F Nicole Burns
F Erin Flynn
F Betsy Keefe
Wheaton Academy
GK Chrislyn Herring
D Emmerson Fuller
D Anah Southard
D Holland Kosiek
D Izzy McNally
D Anna Joy Setran
M A.C. Hardy
M Maggie Liechty
F Sophie Lindquist
F Erin Teevans
F Gretchen Pearson
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Maddie Becker, jr., F, Benet
feel at home at Wheaton A.
Redwings roll on Warriors' turf, post surprising 4-0 victory
By Matt Le Cren
WEST CHICAGO – Unplayable field conditions forced Benet to give up a home game Monday and travel to Wheaton Academy, which has a turf field.
But what should have been a home field advantage for the new hosts was anything but.
Defender Clare Bumpus bounced a 50-yard shot over the head of Wheaton Academy goalkeeper Chrislyn Herring just 2:47 into the game and Benet rolled to a shockingly easy 4-0 victory in a matchup of two of the area’s top Class 2A teams.
Maddie Becker, Abby Casmere and Nicole Burns also scored as the Redwings (10-5-0) won their third-straight match while halting Wheaton Academy’s seven-game winning streak.
It was the worst loss for the Warriors (12-4-0) in five years.
“They’ve always been a really good team, and it was really good to get this win,” Becker said. “We knew it was going to be a close game.
“We didn’t realize it was going to be (4-0), so that was really good. Especially going into the playoffs, you want to build that confidence so you’re ready, and you’re playing good teams, and you’re winning.”
The Redwings were winning nearly from the start. The visitors controlled the midfield and made a habit of intercepting errant passes.
That was how Bumpus came to score her second goal of the season. The junior hustled to win a 50-50 ball at midfield and then launched a moon shot through a driving rainstorm toward the Wheaton Academy net.
The ball hit just inside the 18 and caught Herring a bit too far off her line and wound up in the back of the net. Ironically, that kind of bounce likely never would have happened on Benet’s grass field.
“I was just trying to beat the girl to the ball because it was kind of an awkward touch out. (Once I got it) I wasn’t going to aim outside of the goal,” Bumpus said. “I didn’t even really see the goal. Someone was like, ‘Clare, you scored.’”
And with that, the tone had been set. The Redwings were fired up and the Warriors stunned.
“I think it was good for the team,” Bumpus said. “For me personally, after my goal I was like, ‘Let’s do this.’
“We have been getting back in the groove again, which is nice to see, and we also switched the ball a lot.
“It was just fun to play. It was just easy soccer for me personally.”
Nothing was easy for the Warriors. They have fallen behind in games before but aren’t used to being dominated like they were by Benet.
“It’s not common when that happens,” Wheaton Academy senior defender Holland Kosiek said. “They were aggressive. They were winning 50-50s which was unfortunate.
“The weather conditions obviously weren’t great, but we both were putting up with it. We weren’t capitalizing on the opportunities we had, and they worked hard and finished when they had the opportunities.”
Kosiek, part of a backline that had surrendered just 11 goals all season and never more than two in any match, wasn’t alarmed by Bumpus’ goal.
“It was an unfortunate start to the game,” Kosiek said. “We’ve gone down 1-0 before and we’ve fought back. So I was hopeful that we’d be able to fight back. We stepped it up, but it just wasn’t our time, I guess.”
Benet's Becker, a junior midfielder who bagged her second goal of the season in the game, had a theory about the great start.
“It was the beginning of the week,” she said. “We have a lot of energy.
“(The Bumpus goal) definitely boosted morale for our team. I think everybody realized we can do this, and we’re already in it.”
The Redwings controlled the action throughout, though the Warriors stayed within a goal until Becker’s 30-yard cracker went under the crossbar with 11:21 to go in the first half.
“We had the wind for the first half, and my coach told me before I went in to keep taking shots and look for those because it’s definitely attainable,” Becker noted.
Benet increased the lead to 3-0 at the 5:03 mark when four underclassmen teamed up for a game of tic-tac-toe.
Sophomore midfielder Mae Tully sent a lead pass to freshman Cami Picha, who tapped it into the box to Maggie Roche. The ball was moving too fast for Roche to settle and shoot, so she took the ball to the end line and then passed back to Casmere at the top of the box. Casmere’s right-footed shot toward the left post deflected off a defender and in.
The Redwings completed the scoring at the 33:13 mark of the second half when Burns ran on to a through-ball from Katie Gesior and blasted a far-post finish past Herring.
“They did a nice job,” Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said. “I thought they adjusted to the circumstances. They had to travel over here and with the weather. I thought they played pretty quick, pretty physical, and they did a really nice job, so hats off to them.”
Goalkeeper Anna Keefe made two saves, five fewer than Herring, to earn the shutout. Benet’s backline of Bumpus, sophomores Mary Kate Hansen and Mary Kate Wilhelm and freshman Kate Flynn completely shut down Wheaton stars Gretchen Pearson and Erin Teevans, who combined to get off four shots, only one of which was on frame.
Part of the reason for that was that Pearson and Teevans, who have a combined 31 goals, rarely touched the ball in space.
“I just thought there were so many technical errors on our side that we just couldn’t keep the ball,” Brooke said. “Just a lot of mistakes.
“I don’t know if it was the weather or their physicality. But that’s something that we can work on for three weeks -- how to be cleaner and technical so we can play our possession style.”
The game was a possible preview of a Class 2A state semifinal. The Redwings have a much tougher path to a potential rematch, but they are gaining confidence.
The Warriors, however, now have the revenge factor going for them.
“I think it just puts a fire in our bellies,” Kosiek said. “I am 100 percent confident that we can beat them if we play them again.
“We know what they do well, and we know what we can do. I don’t think we showed them our full potential. So if we were able to see them again I believe we could give them a good competition. It would be an awesome opportunity to play them again.”
Starting lineups
Benet
GK Anna Keefe
D Kate Flynn
D Mary Kate Hansen
D Mary Kate Wilhelm
D Clare Bumpus
M Katie Gesior
M Abby Casmere
M Grace Girard
F Nicole Burns
F Erin Flynn
F Betsy Keefe
Wheaton Academy
GK Chrislyn Herring
D Emmerson Fuller
D Anah Southard
D Holland Kosiek
D Izzy McNally
D Anna Joy Setran
M A.C. Hardy
M Maggie Liechty
F Sophie Lindquist
F Erin Teevans
F Gretchen Pearson
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Maddie Becker, jr., F, Benet