Neither lightning, nor graduation, nor Saint Viator stays Carmel from sectional title
Corsairs take hard-fought 2-0 battle
By Ken Keenan
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS -- With Carmel's Class of 2015 graduation set to
begin merely three hours after the rescheduled start of the Class 2A
Saint Viator Sectional final match against the host Lions, the
Corsairs had more on their minds late Friday afternoon than the
ensuing battle between the two longtime archrivals.
Throw in a 20-minute delay due to lightning, and the anxiety level
amped up even more.
But after all was said and done, Carmel (18-3-1) emerged with a 2-0
win at Morris Field at Forest View Educational Center to advance to the Concordia Chicago Supersectional, set for 5:30 p.m. June 2 at the River Forest campus.
"I think it says a lot about these girls," said Corsairs coach John
Halloran. "There was the distraction of graduation, then the delay.
They were nervous about being late for graduation. But we found a way
to get it done."
Meanwhile, Saint Viator (16-4-1) saw another strong campaign come to an end. It marked the third-consecutive season in which the Lions reached a sectional final.
"I'm proud of the girls -- we had a good season and played well," said
Saint Viator head coach Mike Taylor. "We told the seniors they've
accomplished a lot in four years. My kids are expected to make the
Final Four -- we always look to that as our benchmark. Our program
expects that.
"We had the opportunities. If we just had that final touch, that
finishing touch. But it was a good game. We had our chances."
"Most definitely, I'm proud of my team coming this far," added Lions
senior midfielder Susie Moynihan. "We have that family bond, so it
stinks to end on this note. But we still had a successful season."
A goal by Carmel senior Kayla Handel, with 24:01 left in the first
half, proved to be the difference. Handel -- Chicagoland Soccer's MVP
of the Match -- took a feed from senior forward McKenzie Runyan,
eluded the Lions' defense, and cut to the right side before slipping a
low shot past Saint Viator freshman goalkeeper Anna Johnston.
"It was a great cross in from McKenzie, and I was fortunate enough to
have the composure to finish," Handel said. "For us (eight) seniors,
it was a little chaotic (Friday), but we found the composure to get to
the end of the match."
Carmel senior midfielder Jennifer Doyle added an insurance marker with
2:46 to go in regulation, scoring low to the far post from the right
side. Sophomore middie Angela Salvi earned the assist with a perfect
pass from the left flank.
"It was a tight game until the last goal," said Corsairs senior
defender Mary Murphy, who helped junior goalkeeper Christina O'Block
earn the shutout with consistently stellar play on the backline. "It
was all about staying focused on defense and clearing the ball as soon
as we could. When we got the second goal, we could breathe much easier
back there."
Fellow defender Haley Miller, a sophomore, did her part with tight
marking on the wings, and timely clears -- with both her feet and
head.
"The (Corsairs') offense was doing its job, and we had to do our part,
too," Miller said. "I expected a tough game. We knew (Saint Viator) would
come out hard -- it's always a battle with them. The first goal, that
takes the weight off your chest. But I was still holding my breath,
because any fluke goal could have gone in and tied it. The second
goal, after the (lightning) delay (4:40 into the second half), I was
able to breathe more."
There was little breathing room in the first half, with both teams
finding good chances hard to come by in what was an extremely physical
tilt. Saint Viator junior midfielder Maggie Leazer fired a shot over
the top of the net in the fourth minute, followed a minute later by a
long shot on goal from Lions junior mid Lauren Kohn.
O'Block made a diving save on a left-footed try by Kohn with 28:20
left before halftime, and less than five minutes after Handel's goal,
Carmel senior forward McKenzie Runyan's solid opportunity from the
left side sailed inches wide with Johnston airborne on a full dive.
"We had a chance to fight back after the first goal, but I think we
were just a little off," said Lions senior defender Dominique DiVito,
who began the season on the jv team. "When it was physical, we kind of
lost focus. You have to slow down, focus, and play the game."
"Carmel is always a rival, so the tension was present," added
Moynihan. "They just capitalized on some of our mistakes."
After play resumed following the second-half lightning delay,
opportunities for both teams remained in short supply. Looking for the
equalizer, Saint Viator sophomore forward Delia Douglas deflected a
cross from senior middie Molly Murphy over the top of the net, and
Leazer did the same on a try with 16:20 to go.
A corner kick by Kohn was headed over the crossbar by Lions senior
defender Kayne Staley in the 66th minute, and a corner by Henry was
spoiled when Carmel's Murphy headed the ball out of danger with 8:50
left. Exactly one minute later, O'Block raced out to scoop up a ball
in the nick of time with Douglas in hot pursuit.
"Saint Viator is exceptionally well-coached, and they played hard
today," Halloran said. "Give them a lot of credit. This was probably
the toughest match we had all year. This sectional was a bloodbath,
and whoever comes out of it is battle-tested."
Starting lineups
Carmel
GK: Christina O'Block
D: Emma Kobitter
D: Haley Miller
D: Mary Murphy
D: Megan Runyan
M: Sheehan MacKenzie
M: Angela Salvi
M: Amanda Lasso
M: Kayla Handel
F: Erin Johnston
F: McKenzie Runyan
Saint Viator
GK: Anna Johnston
D: Emma Henry
D: Maureen McGrath
D: Felicia Moncada
D: Kayne Stanley
M: Lauren Kohn
M: Molly Murphy
M: Maggie Leazer
M: Brinley McVeigh
F: Delia Douglas
F: Michelle Trovato
MVP of the Match: Kayla Handel, M, Carmel
Officials: Rick Geati, John Anderson, Christopher Weiland
Corsairs take hard-fought 2-0 battle
By Ken Keenan
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS -- With Carmel's Class of 2015 graduation set to
begin merely three hours after the rescheduled start of the Class 2A
Saint Viator Sectional final match against the host Lions, the
Corsairs had more on their minds late Friday afternoon than the
ensuing battle between the two longtime archrivals.
Throw in a 20-minute delay due to lightning, and the anxiety level
amped up even more.
But after all was said and done, Carmel (18-3-1) emerged with a 2-0
win at Morris Field at Forest View Educational Center to advance to the Concordia Chicago Supersectional, set for 5:30 p.m. June 2 at the River Forest campus.
"I think it says a lot about these girls," said Corsairs coach John
Halloran. "There was the distraction of graduation, then the delay.
They were nervous about being late for graduation. But we found a way
to get it done."
Meanwhile, Saint Viator (16-4-1) saw another strong campaign come to an end. It marked the third-consecutive season in which the Lions reached a sectional final.
"I'm proud of the girls -- we had a good season and played well," said
Saint Viator head coach Mike Taylor. "We told the seniors they've
accomplished a lot in four years. My kids are expected to make the
Final Four -- we always look to that as our benchmark. Our program
expects that.
"We had the opportunities. If we just had that final touch, that
finishing touch. But it was a good game. We had our chances."
"Most definitely, I'm proud of my team coming this far," added Lions
senior midfielder Susie Moynihan. "We have that family bond, so it
stinks to end on this note. But we still had a successful season."
A goal by Carmel senior Kayla Handel, with 24:01 left in the first
half, proved to be the difference. Handel -- Chicagoland Soccer's MVP
of the Match -- took a feed from senior forward McKenzie Runyan,
eluded the Lions' defense, and cut to the right side before slipping a
low shot past Saint Viator freshman goalkeeper Anna Johnston.
"It was a great cross in from McKenzie, and I was fortunate enough to
have the composure to finish," Handel said. "For us (eight) seniors,
it was a little chaotic (Friday), but we found the composure to get to
the end of the match."
Carmel senior midfielder Jennifer Doyle added an insurance marker with
2:46 to go in regulation, scoring low to the far post from the right
side. Sophomore middie Angela Salvi earned the assist with a perfect
pass from the left flank.
"It was a tight game until the last goal," said Corsairs senior
defender Mary Murphy, who helped junior goalkeeper Christina O'Block
earn the shutout with consistently stellar play on the backline. "It
was all about staying focused on defense and clearing the ball as soon
as we could. When we got the second goal, we could breathe much easier
back there."
Fellow defender Haley Miller, a sophomore, did her part with tight
marking on the wings, and timely clears -- with both her feet and
head.
"The (Corsairs') offense was doing its job, and we had to do our part,
too," Miller said. "I expected a tough game. We knew (Saint Viator) would
come out hard -- it's always a battle with them. The first goal, that
takes the weight off your chest. But I was still holding my breath,
because any fluke goal could have gone in and tied it. The second
goal, after the (lightning) delay (4:40 into the second half), I was
able to breathe more."
There was little breathing room in the first half, with both teams
finding good chances hard to come by in what was an extremely physical
tilt. Saint Viator junior midfielder Maggie Leazer fired a shot over
the top of the net in the fourth minute, followed a minute later by a
long shot on goal from Lions junior mid Lauren Kohn.
O'Block made a diving save on a left-footed try by Kohn with 28:20
left before halftime, and less than five minutes after Handel's goal,
Carmel senior forward McKenzie Runyan's solid opportunity from the
left side sailed inches wide with Johnston airborne on a full dive.
"We had a chance to fight back after the first goal, but I think we
were just a little off," said Lions senior defender Dominique DiVito,
who began the season on the jv team. "When it was physical, we kind of
lost focus. You have to slow down, focus, and play the game."
"Carmel is always a rival, so the tension was present," added
Moynihan. "They just capitalized on some of our mistakes."
After play resumed following the second-half lightning delay,
opportunities for both teams remained in short supply. Looking for the
equalizer, Saint Viator sophomore forward Delia Douglas deflected a
cross from senior middie Molly Murphy over the top of the net, and
Leazer did the same on a try with 16:20 to go.
A corner kick by Kohn was headed over the crossbar by Lions senior
defender Kayne Staley in the 66th minute, and a corner by Henry was
spoiled when Carmel's Murphy headed the ball out of danger with 8:50
left. Exactly one minute later, O'Block raced out to scoop up a ball
in the nick of time with Douglas in hot pursuit.
"Saint Viator is exceptionally well-coached, and they played hard
today," Halloran said. "Give them a lot of credit. This was probably
the toughest match we had all year. This sectional was a bloodbath,
and whoever comes out of it is battle-tested."
Starting lineups
Carmel
GK: Christina O'Block
D: Emma Kobitter
D: Haley Miller
D: Mary Murphy
D: Megan Runyan
M: Sheehan MacKenzie
M: Angela Salvi
M: Amanda Lasso
M: Kayla Handel
F: Erin Johnston
F: McKenzie Runyan
Saint Viator
GK: Anna Johnston
D: Emma Henry
D: Maureen McGrath
D: Felicia Moncada
D: Kayne Stanley
M: Lauren Kohn
M: Molly Murphy
M: Maggie Leazer
M: Brinley McVeigh
F: Delia Douglas
F: Michelle Trovato
MVP of the Match: Kayla Handel, M, Carmel
Officials: Rick Geati, John Anderson, Christopher Weiland