Benet stunned at home
by Fenwick’s late goal
Banged-up Redwings fall to Friars' 'best 80 minutes of season'
By Matt Le Cren
LISLE – Benet is literally limping to the finish line.
The Redwings, who conclude the regular season Thursday night when they host Hinsdale Central, are dealing with a rash of injuries to top players. That is a big reason when they have lost two-of-their-last-three games.
Benet was without its top offensive and defensive players Tuesday and coughed up a 1-0 lead in a stunning 2-1 East Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Fenwick.
Senior forward Caroline Knight scored the game winner with 1:26 remaining in the second half to complete an impressive comeback for Fenwick.
“We weren’t sure how it would go because it’s always a really good game, and it’s very competitive,” Knight said. “The last year against them (a 2-0 Benet win on the same field) was rough, but we came out strong today and we ended up on top, so I’m really happy for my team and proud of the team.”
The winning goal came against the run of play. Benet (15-3-3, 8-2) had pressed to take the lead but came up empty on several scoring chances.
Fenwick freshman Lauren Stibich made a run into the right side of the Benet penalty area and made a nifty move to shake a defender before sending a pass to Knight in the middle of the box. Knight tallied her seventh goal of the season on a textbook finish from 8 yards out, beating Benet goalkeeper Emma Hlavin into the lower left corner.
“Lauren Stibich passed it to me, and I just relaxed and looked around and then just turned and took it to the corner,” said Knight, who called the goal the most dramatic of her career.
The Friars (8-6-2, 4-3-1) won despite being outshot 19-9 and trailing 1-0 at halftime after Katie Gesior scored on a penalty kick for Benet with 3:43 left in the opening half.
Gesior’s goal, which came after AnnMarie Berry had been knocked down on a breakaway, could easily have opened the floodgates after Fenwick’s tough defense had bottled up the Redwings in the early going, but that wasn’t the case.
‘I think we came back stronger and played relaxed and played with our mind instead of just freaking out,” said Knight, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. “I think we were good containing and passing and definitely pressuring them and winning the 50-50s.”
That impressed Fenwick coach Rob Watson, whose team seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.
“I think that it speaks volumes that we come back from a goal down. Against a good team like Benet, sometimes when you go down a goal, it’s very, very hard to recover and get back. Not only did we beat Benet but we came from behind to do it,” Watson said. “Any time you beat a team of this caliber with players of that level it’s a good thing. I’d say that’s our best 80 minutes of the season for sure.”
The result, while meaningless in terms of the conference standings (Benet had been eliminated from contention with Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Carmel), was important for a Fenwick club that battled adversity in the first half of the season. Benet, meanwhile, is facing adversity at the end of the season because of injuries.
“I think (the win) is really big,” Watson said. “We’ve had a really tough season in terms of resiliency. We have three (league) losses in penalty kicks and overtimes and we just always felt that we were doing the work, we were doing the right things and for one reason or another we weren’t creating enough luck or weren’t getting the benefit. I think this is the first time all season that the work paid off.”
The Friars tied the game with 28:54 left in the second half. Stibich was the instigator on that play as well, sending a high cross into the wind. Benet defender Sophia Elbchiri was unable to clear it before being confronted by Fenwick’s Maura Mullen, who stole the ball and sent a quick pass to senior Mary Nettleton for a short shot past the lunging Hlavin.
The Redwings were unable to answer, and Rodriguez was one reason why. She made four of her eight saves down the stretch and got plenty of congratulatory slaps from her teammates.
This was by far Fenwick’s most notable win of the season, and it could not have come at a better time.
“It’s nice for the kids,” Watson said. “It doesn’t mean anything in terms of results for the conference or anything, but the fact that we’re a week away from our state tournament, to see that we can play like this with two of our best players banged up is encouraging.”
Fenwick had been without top midfielder Colette Jaslowski, who just returned to the lineup after missing six weeks with an injury, while senior sweeper Sydney Jensen has played through injuries all season.
Injuries were the theme of the day for Benet, which is hurting at just the wrong time. Senior forward Jacquie Kaufman, second on the team with 11 goals, is likely out for the season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Saturday. Standout defender Rachel Bernicky is sidelined with an ankle injury.
If that weren’t bad enough, two other top players played sparingly and left early Tuesday after reaggravating sprained ankles. Sophomore forward Kerry Abello, Benet’s leading scorer with 15 goals, and senior midfielder Loretta Elder, who is fourth on the team in scoring, were sorely missed when they went to the bench.
“I hate to beat that drum, but to be a top team, I need those people back on the field,” Benet coach Bob Gros said. “Not that the other kids don’t work hard – you can see that we still generated some things – but there is a big difference.”
Gros, who praised Gesior’s play in the midfield, is optimistic the Redwings can make a deep run in the playoffs if they are healthy. The earliest Kaufman would be able to return is the sectional semifinals, but the other three are day-to-day.
“(Our players) are pretty long in the face right now, and that’s to be understood,” Gros said. “But it’s a resilient bunch of girls. We’ve got to get a little smile back on their face, got to get a little practice time in. Hopefully some of these kids are healed up.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Lexi Rodriguez
D: Moira Hillsman
D: Sydney Jensen
D: Rylee Brennan
D: Tara Wilson
M: Caitlin Josephs
M: Kaylie Fredian
M: Quinn Reilly
M: Colette Jaslowski
F: Alysia Beirne
F: Lauren Stibich
Benet
GK: Emma Hlavin
D: Erin Flynn
D: Margaret Johnson
D: Elena McCarthy
D: Sophia Elbchiri
M: Elizabeth Keefe
M: Katie Gesior
M: Ellie Bumpus
M: Madeleine Becker
F: Kathryn Hennessy
F: Kerry Abello
MVP of the Match: Caroline Knight, F, Fenwick
by Fenwick’s late goal
Banged-up Redwings fall to Friars' 'best 80 minutes of season'
By Matt Le Cren
LISLE – Benet is literally limping to the finish line.
The Redwings, who conclude the regular season Thursday night when they host Hinsdale Central, are dealing with a rash of injuries to top players. That is a big reason when they have lost two-of-their-last-three games.
Benet was without its top offensive and defensive players Tuesday and coughed up a 1-0 lead in a stunning 2-1 East Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Fenwick.
Senior forward Caroline Knight scored the game winner with 1:26 remaining in the second half to complete an impressive comeback for Fenwick.
“We weren’t sure how it would go because it’s always a really good game, and it’s very competitive,” Knight said. “The last year against them (a 2-0 Benet win on the same field) was rough, but we came out strong today and we ended up on top, so I’m really happy for my team and proud of the team.”
The winning goal came against the run of play. Benet (15-3-3, 8-2) had pressed to take the lead but came up empty on several scoring chances.
Fenwick freshman Lauren Stibich made a run into the right side of the Benet penalty area and made a nifty move to shake a defender before sending a pass to Knight in the middle of the box. Knight tallied her seventh goal of the season on a textbook finish from 8 yards out, beating Benet goalkeeper Emma Hlavin into the lower left corner.
“Lauren Stibich passed it to me, and I just relaxed and looked around and then just turned and took it to the corner,” said Knight, who called the goal the most dramatic of her career.
The Friars (8-6-2, 4-3-1) won despite being outshot 19-9 and trailing 1-0 at halftime after Katie Gesior scored on a penalty kick for Benet with 3:43 left in the opening half.
Gesior’s goal, which came after AnnMarie Berry had been knocked down on a breakaway, could easily have opened the floodgates after Fenwick’s tough defense had bottled up the Redwings in the early going, but that wasn’t the case.
‘I think we came back stronger and played relaxed and played with our mind instead of just freaking out,” said Knight, Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match. “I think we were good containing and passing and definitely pressuring them and winning the 50-50s.”
That impressed Fenwick coach Rob Watson, whose team seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.
“I think that it speaks volumes that we come back from a goal down. Against a good team like Benet, sometimes when you go down a goal, it’s very, very hard to recover and get back. Not only did we beat Benet but we came from behind to do it,” Watson said. “Any time you beat a team of this caliber with players of that level it’s a good thing. I’d say that’s our best 80 minutes of the season for sure.”
The result, while meaningless in terms of the conference standings (Benet had been eliminated from contention with Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Carmel), was important for a Fenwick club that battled adversity in the first half of the season. Benet, meanwhile, is facing adversity at the end of the season because of injuries.
“I think (the win) is really big,” Watson said. “We’ve had a really tough season in terms of resiliency. We have three (league) losses in penalty kicks and overtimes and we just always felt that we were doing the work, we were doing the right things and for one reason or another we weren’t creating enough luck or weren’t getting the benefit. I think this is the first time all season that the work paid off.”
The Friars tied the game with 28:54 left in the second half. Stibich was the instigator on that play as well, sending a high cross into the wind. Benet defender Sophia Elbchiri was unable to clear it before being confronted by Fenwick’s Maura Mullen, who stole the ball and sent a quick pass to senior Mary Nettleton for a short shot past the lunging Hlavin.
The Redwings were unable to answer, and Rodriguez was one reason why. She made four of her eight saves down the stretch and got plenty of congratulatory slaps from her teammates.
This was by far Fenwick’s most notable win of the season, and it could not have come at a better time.
“It’s nice for the kids,” Watson said. “It doesn’t mean anything in terms of results for the conference or anything, but the fact that we’re a week away from our state tournament, to see that we can play like this with two of our best players banged up is encouraging.”
Fenwick had been without top midfielder Colette Jaslowski, who just returned to the lineup after missing six weeks with an injury, while senior sweeper Sydney Jensen has played through injuries all season.
Injuries were the theme of the day for Benet, which is hurting at just the wrong time. Senior forward Jacquie Kaufman, second on the team with 11 goals, is likely out for the season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Saturday. Standout defender Rachel Bernicky is sidelined with an ankle injury.
If that weren’t bad enough, two other top players played sparingly and left early Tuesday after reaggravating sprained ankles. Sophomore forward Kerry Abello, Benet’s leading scorer with 15 goals, and senior midfielder Loretta Elder, who is fourth on the team in scoring, were sorely missed when they went to the bench.
“I hate to beat that drum, but to be a top team, I need those people back on the field,” Benet coach Bob Gros said. “Not that the other kids don’t work hard – you can see that we still generated some things – but there is a big difference.”
Gros, who praised Gesior’s play in the midfield, is optimistic the Redwings can make a deep run in the playoffs if they are healthy. The earliest Kaufman would be able to return is the sectional semifinals, but the other three are day-to-day.
“(Our players) are pretty long in the face right now, and that’s to be understood,” Gros said. “But it’s a resilient bunch of girls. We’ve got to get a little smile back on their face, got to get a little practice time in. Hopefully some of these kids are healed up.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Lexi Rodriguez
D: Moira Hillsman
D: Sydney Jensen
D: Rylee Brennan
D: Tara Wilson
M: Caitlin Josephs
M: Kaylie Fredian
M: Quinn Reilly
M: Colette Jaslowski
F: Alysia Beirne
F: Lauren Stibich
Benet
GK: Emma Hlavin
D: Erin Flynn
D: Margaret Johnson
D: Elena McCarthy
D: Sophia Elbchiri
M: Elizabeth Keefe
M: Katie Gesior
M: Ellie Bumpus
M: Madeleine Becker
F: Kathryn Hennessy
F: Kerry Abello
MVP of the Match: Caroline Knight, F, Fenwick