Carmel cruises past Saint Viator
McKenzie Runyan notches hat trick in 6-1 romp
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN -- Intensity, speed, ability all came down on the side of Carmel in their rivalry match with St. Viator on Wednesday afternoon. The Corsairs' McKenzie Runyan led the way on the offensive third of the field, while she and her teammates displayed dominance from the beginning in 6-1 romp.
Runyan produced her first hat trick of the season and led No. 18 Carmel to a surprising 6-1 romp over 20th-ranked Lions in the East Suburban Catholic Conference match.
The senior forward leads the Corsairs with 12 goals and 5 assists. She added to that total with her trio of scores and an assist.
"I've had two goals in a game before, but this was the first time to do it," said the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match of her hat trick. "I'm happy to see the results. Obviously, Saint Viator and Benet are our two toughest teams. Getting a hat trick in one of these important games is a huge accomplishment. But Saint Viator is always a big game, and we're always pumped and prepared to play them. It's great to get that win out of it."
Runyan scored the opening goal in the fifth minute off a service from Mary Murphy. Then, Runyan broke free for a couple other chances until she added her second goal in the 11th minute off an assist from Erin Johnston.
"We came out strong and caught them on their back foot," Carmel coach John Halloran said. "You have to be happy, because any time you can take it to a team that is as good and well-coached as St. Viator -- it's satisfying that your girls can put forth a special effort."
Carmel (10-1-1) kept pushing their attack forward and made it 3-0 past the half hour mark. When Kayla Handel launched a shot into the far upper corner of an assist from Runyan in the 34th minute.
Saint Viator was stunned by the onslaught.
"We didn't come to play," said Lions' coach Mike Taylor, whose team dropped to (9-3 and 5-2 in the ESCC). "If you don't come to play against a good team like that then you're going to get punished. Night and day, I told them that the first 10 minutes you've got to come and play. They scored in the early part of the game, and it put us behind the eight ball. I thought our goalkeeper (Anna Johnston - 13 saves) played a great game. If she didn't step up then it could've been a lot worse."
Saint Viator got a goal back before halftime. Kayne Stanley moved up and scored on a header off Emma Henry's corner kick in the 38th minute.
The score gave the Lions hope they could claw back in to the game.
"If you come back and get a goal, that puts you back within the eight ball,"Taylor said. "But we don't have that sense of urgency or that pride to put one of those away to make it a different game."
Carmel added a couple goals in a three-minute span. First, Haley Miller knocked a header into the corner off Handel's corner kick in the 55th minute. Then Runyan scored her third goal from Johnston's pass in the box three minutes later to make it 5-1.
"Erin (Johnston) did a lot of work on that one," Runyan said. "I was just camping out in the middle of the field. I thought she was going to take the shot, and she poked it to me. I really wasn't expecting it, and I just happened to finish it."
The Corsairs added one more in the 65th minute, when Madeline Lombardo finished Handel's assist.
The result didn't leave much to the imagination.
"We came out a little slow," said Saint Viator defender Stanley. "Within a few minutes (Carmel) put in a couple of goals into the back of the net. It was tough trying to come back. We just didn't come out to play like we normally do. We had a hard time connecting and finding our players."
Carmel won its seventh-straight game and kept remained unbeaten in the ESCC at 6-0. The Corsairs have a home date against unbeaten Benet on May 9th. Before that matchup Carmel will play Bishop McNamara, Joliet Catholic and Marian Central.
"We do have to keep in mind that we'll see (St. Viator) again at some point in the playoffs, and we have to make sure to treat it 0-0 and see what happens," Halloran said. "This was special, and we've got to enjoy it, reset and we've got some other games ahead of us. We're in a good position to play for the conference championship, and it's exciting."
Carmel keeper Christina O'Block stopped five-of-six shots. She was aided by a stout Corsairs defense that limited the Lions. Miller, Mary Murphy and Emma Kobitter contibuted to the resolute effort.
"We were able to stay organized and the communication was the key," Miller said. "The people in front of us like Megan Runyan do a good job of going up and down the field. The main thing is keeping the ball in front of us."
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
GK-Anna Johnston
D-Emma Henry
D-Maureen McGrath
D-Kayne Stanley
D-Maggie Leazer
MF-Lauren Kohn
MF-Molly Murphy
MF-Brinley McVeigh
MF-Susie Moynihan
F-Sarah Petrovich
F-Felicia Moncada
Carmel
GK-Christina O'Block
D-Emma Kobitter
D-Haley Miller
D-Mary Murphy
MF-Kayla Handel
MF-Amanda Lasso
MF-Megan Runyan
MF-Mackenzie Sheehan
F-McKenzie Runyan
F-Erin Johnston
F-Angela Salvi
MVP of the Match - McKenzie Runyan, F, Carmel
Referees - John Montellin, Jay Weiss and Bob Buege.
McKenzie Runyan notches hat trick in 6-1 romp
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN -- Intensity, speed, ability all came down on the side of Carmel in their rivalry match with St. Viator on Wednesday afternoon. The Corsairs' McKenzie Runyan led the way on the offensive third of the field, while she and her teammates displayed dominance from the beginning in 6-1 romp.
Runyan produced her first hat trick of the season and led No. 18 Carmel to a surprising 6-1 romp over 20th-ranked Lions in the East Suburban Catholic Conference match.
The senior forward leads the Corsairs with 12 goals and 5 assists. She added to that total with her trio of scores and an assist.
"I've had two goals in a game before, but this was the first time to do it," said the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match of her hat trick. "I'm happy to see the results. Obviously, Saint Viator and Benet are our two toughest teams. Getting a hat trick in one of these important games is a huge accomplishment. But Saint Viator is always a big game, and we're always pumped and prepared to play them. It's great to get that win out of it."
Runyan scored the opening goal in the fifth minute off a service from Mary Murphy. Then, Runyan broke free for a couple other chances until she added her second goal in the 11th minute off an assist from Erin Johnston.
"We came out strong and caught them on their back foot," Carmel coach John Halloran said. "You have to be happy, because any time you can take it to a team that is as good and well-coached as St. Viator -- it's satisfying that your girls can put forth a special effort."
Carmel (10-1-1) kept pushing their attack forward and made it 3-0 past the half hour mark. When Kayla Handel launched a shot into the far upper corner of an assist from Runyan in the 34th minute.
Saint Viator was stunned by the onslaught.
"We didn't come to play," said Lions' coach Mike Taylor, whose team dropped to (9-3 and 5-2 in the ESCC). "If you don't come to play against a good team like that then you're going to get punished. Night and day, I told them that the first 10 minutes you've got to come and play. They scored in the early part of the game, and it put us behind the eight ball. I thought our goalkeeper (Anna Johnston - 13 saves) played a great game. If she didn't step up then it could've been a lot worse."
Saint Viator got a goal back before halftime. Kayne Stanley moved up and scored on a header off Emma Henry's corner kick in the 38th minute.
The score gave the Lions hope they could claw back in to the game.
"If you come back and get a goal, that puts you back within the eight ball,"Taylor said. "But we don't have that sense of urgency or that pride to put one of those away to make it a different game."
Carmel added a couple goals in a three-minute span. First, Haley Miller knocked a header into the corner off Handel's corner kick in the 55th minute. Then Runyan scored her third goal from Johnston's pass in the box three minutes later to make it 5-1.
"Erin (Johnston) did a lot of work on that one," Runyan said. "I was just camping out in the middle of the field. I thought she was going to take the shot, and she poked it to me. I really wasn't expecting it, and I just happened to finish it."
The Corsairs added one more in the 65th minute, when Madeline Lombardo finished Handel's assist.
The result didn't leave much to the imagination.
"We came out a little slow," said Saint Viator defender Stanley. "Within a few minutes (Carmel) put in a couple of goals into the back of the net. It was tough trying to come back. We just didn't come out to play like we normally do. We had a hard time connecting and finding our players."
Carmel won its seventh-straight game and kept remained unbeaten in the ESCC at 6-0. The Corsairs have a home date against unbeaten Benet on May 9th. Before that matchup Carmel will play Bishop McNamara, Joliet Catholic and Marian Central.
"We do have to keep in mind that we'll see (St. Viator) again at some point in the playoffs, and we have to make sure to treat it 0-0 and see what happens," Halloran said. "This was special, and we've got to enjoy it, reset and we've got some other games ahead of us. We're in a good position to play for the conference championship, and it's exciting."
Carmel keeper Christina O'Block stopped five-of-six shots. She was aided by a stout Corsairs defense that limited the Lions. Miller, Mary Murphy and Emma Kobitter contibuted to the resolute effort.
"We were able to stay organized and the communication was the key," Miller said. "The people in front of us like Megan Runyan do a good job of going up and down the field. The main thing is keeping the ball in front of us."
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
GK-Anna Johnston
D-Emma Henry
D-Maureen McGrath
D-Kayne Stanley
D-Maggie Leazer
MF-Lauren Kohn
MF-Molly Murphy
MF-Brinley McVeigh
MF-Susie Moynihan
F-Sarah Petrovich
F-Felicia Moncada
Carmel
GK-Christina O'Block
D-Emma Kobitter
D-Haley Miller
D-Mary Murphy
MF-Kayla Handel
MF-Amanda Lasso
MF-Megan Runyan
MF-Mackenzie Sheehan
F-McKenzie Runyan
F-Erin Johnston
F-Angela Salvi
MVP of the Match - McKenzie Runyan, F, Carmel
Referees - John Montellin, Jay Weiss and Bob Buege.