Benet boogies after win over Joliet Catholic
Redwings clip Angels 4-0 in AA sectional semi
By Bill McLean
WEST CHICAGO — Benet’s beaming booters had another airtight excuse to dance together, this time using mostly their arms atop an incline at sectional host Wheaton Academy's Performance Trust Field on Tuesday night.
The Redwings had just defeated Joliet Catholic’s Angels 4-0 in an Class AA semifinal to run their postseason win total to three and their overall victory streak to 10.
“We were dancin’ to the dubs (as in Ws, for wins),” Benet junior center-mid Reese MacDonald said. “(Junior defender and Middle Tennessee State recruit) Sadie Sterbenz came up with the idea last year.
“She’s always dancing, because she has music in her head all the time,” the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match added. “And Sadie is the team’s best dancer.”
Coach Gerard Oconer’s 19-4-0 club — seeded no. 1 and ranked no. 13 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — sashayed its way to a sectional final berth against second-seeded Lemont at 4:30 p.m. Friday back at Wheaton Academy.
Lemont edged third-seeded Nazareth 1-0 in Tuesday’s second semifinal.
Another W on Friday afternoon would give Benet its sixth sectional title in program history.
Benet, which posted a 4-1 East Suburban Catholic Conference home win against Joliet Catholic on May 5, led only 1-0 after 55 minutes of action Tuesday.
“It was a relief to get that second goal,” said Oconer, a 1998 Benet graduate.
Senior midfielder Katie Lewellyan’s tally — from just outside the top of the 18 — came off a 56th-minute assist from classmate and fellow co-captain Mariana Pinto, who was a Chicagoland Soccer all-stater last season.
“Our depth came through again,” Oconer said.
Indeed. Three reserves figured in the Redwings’ scoring in sunny, mild conditions: junior midfielder Rachel Burns (assist), junior forward Anna Casmere (goal) and sophomore midfielder Rania Fikri (assist).
“We’re solid at every position, and we have very little drop-off when we sub,” said Oconer, who guided Benet to a 24-3-0 record and the AA state title in 2019. “That enables us to wear down opponents.”
Benet freshman Keira Petrucelli busted a 0-0 match in the 28th minute with a close-in goal. Burns delivered the helper from just inside the 18.
But both defenses stood out in the first 40 minutes.
Young MacDonald was seemingly everywhere on the farm — make that, the field — to either disrupt a Joliet Catholic rush or chance. Sterbenz didn’t let the tunes in her head keep her from playing the only way she knows how: resolutely. And Lewellyan, a superb two-way player, and sophomore midfielder Bailey Abbott forced turnovers.
“Reese is terrifying on defense,” the Lewis-bound Pinto praised afterward. “She’s intense and super hard on forwards.”
Joliet Catholic senior backs Emy Diaz and Reagan Willie, meanwhile, competed quite well in front of goalkeeper Abby Pasternak (seven saves) for the fourth-seeded Angels (14-6-1).
Entering the 2022 season, MacDonald had played about a minute of Benet varsity soccer. A pair of ACL tears robbed her of time on the pitch.
Oconer let her battle for 60 seconds in a late contest last spring, either on Senior Night or in a playoff game, he said. What the coach knows for sure: “Reese is strong in the middle,” he said. “Wins every ball in the middle.”
Pinto put Benet up 3-0 in the 64th minute. The unassisted goal featured Pinto’s trademark shiftiness, along with her quickness. The Redwing they call “Mar” was, well, marvelous. She created space for herself before blasting a left-footed, 15-yard shot past backup keeper Mary Pietras (two saves).
Pinto reacted to the goal with a grin and a quick fist pump.
“Slippery, elusive,” Oconer said of Pinto. “And she finishes well with either foot.”
Added MacDonald: “Nobody can stop Mar. She can get by anyone. Double-teaming her? She gets by both players, every time.”
Casmere capped the scoring two minutes later with Fikri providing the assist.
“I tip my cap to Benet,” Joliet Catholic coach and former Belize National Football Team member Oscar Valdez said, adding he deployed a slightly different lineup Tuesday than the one he did against Benet in the regular season. “They played really well. They’re well-coordinated, strong, too.
“We were there, in the game early. Had we taken advantage of our first chance … maybe it’s a different game. We played a strong game.”
The winning keeper was junior Shannon Clark (four saves). She recorded her best save in the 55th minute, soaring to grab a shot off the foot of fantastic freshman forward Liz Cardwell, Joliet Catholic’s constant threat.
“Liz,” Valdez said, “is aggressive, and she’s very unselfish, always looking to pass. We have a lot of promising young players. But the heart of the team is our group of seniors."
The Angels soccer team's newest graduates are Lexi Mikuska, Kate Gerdes, Emma Gruber, Betsy Kennedy, Brynn Higgins, Claire O'Donnell, Willie, Pasternak and Diaz.
“I’ll miss all of them,” Valdez said.
Footnotes
Pinto set a nice tone in the first minute Tuesday afternoon, booting a shot that got Joliet Catholic’s attention, though it went wide. “Keep pressing!” Redwings keeper Clark shouted. … Benet sophomore backup keeper Kate Grubish entered Tuesday’s sectional semifinal in the 70th minute and made her only save five minutes later. …. Speaking of 70, Pinto uttered the number afterward. “That’s where we are right now, a 70-minute team,” she said. “We want to be a team that plays a full 80 minutes, but I liked our relentlessness and how high our energy was today.” … Benet junior forward Gabi DiMatteo often displayed her impressive speed and dribbling skills on rushes near sidelines. … Angels junior midfielder Lanie Czerkies alertly boomed a clear that doubled as a non-goalie save in the 50th minute. … Oconer, in his sixth year at the helm at Benet, could have studied and played soccer as a back at a Division III school but chose instead to major in finance at Notre Dame. “Notre Dame,” he said, “didn’t have club soccer then, so I played intramural soccer as often as possible.” Oconer served as a Benet assistant coach for 14 seasons before succeeding Bob Gros in 2017. … Oconer improved his career varsity record to a sterling 95-19-3 on Tuesday. … Valdez, who played professional soccer at the age of 19, attended the Illinois-Springfield, majoring in math/business administration.
Starting lineups
Joliet Catholic
GK Abby Pasternak
D Reagan Willie
D Kate Gerdes
D Emy Diaz
M Lanie Czerkies
M Brynn Higgins
M Bella Berta
M Sophia Aiello
F Liz Cardwell
F Lexi Mikuska
F Emma Gruber
Benet
GK Shannon Clark
D Nora Hanson
D Annastacia Thiel
D Sadie Sterbenz
M Baily Abbott
M Katie Lewellyan
M Binkley Douglas
M Reese MacDonald
F Gabi DiMatteo
F Mariana Pinto
F Keira Petrucelli
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Reese MacDonald, jr., CMF, Benet
Scoring summary
First half
Benet — Petrucelli (Rachel Burns), 28’
Second half
Benet — Lewellyan (Pinto), 56’
Benet — Pinto (UA), 64’
Benet — Anna Casmere (Rania Fikri), 66’
Redwings clip Angels 4-0 in AA sectional semi
By Bill McLean
WEST CHICAGO — Benet’s beaming booters had another airtight excuse to dance together, this time using mostly their arms atop an incline at sectional host Wheaton Academy's Performance Trust Field on Tuesday night.
The Redwings had just defeated Joliet Catholic’s Angels 4-0 in an Class AA semifinal to run their postseason win total to three and their overall victory streak to 10.
“We were dancin’ to the dubs (as in Ws, for wins),” Benet junior center-mid Reese MacDonald said. “(Junior defender and Middle Tennessee State recruit) Sadie Sterbenz came up with the idea last year.
“She’s always dancing, because she has music in her head all the time,” the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match added. “And Sadie is the team’s best dancer.”
Coach Gerard Oconer’s 19-4-0 club — seeded no. 1 and ranked no. 13 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — sashayed its way to a sectional final berth against second-seeded Lemont at 4:30 p.m. Friday back at Wheaton Academy.
Lemont edged third-seeded Nazareth 1-0 in Tuesday’s second semifinal.
Another W on Friday afternoon would give Benet its sixth sectional title in program history.
Benet, which posted a 4-1 East Suburban Catholic Conference home win against Joliet Catholic on May 5, led only 1-0 after 55 minutes of action Tuesday.
“It was a relief to get that second goal,” said Oconer, a 1998 Benet graduate.
Senior midfielder Katie Lewellyan’s tally — from just outside the top of the 18 — came off a 56th-minute assist from classmate and fellow co-captain Mariana Pinto, who was a Chicagoland Soccer all-stater last season.
“Our depth came through again,” Oconer said.
Indeed. Three reserves figured in the Redwings’ scoring in sunny, mild conditions: junior midfielder Rachel Burns (assist), junior forward Anna Casmere (goal) and sophomore midfielder Rania Fikri (assist).
“We’re solid at every position, and we have very little drop-off when we sub,” said Oconer, who guided Benet to a 24-3-0 record and the AA state title in 2019. “That enables us to wear down opponents.”
Benet freshman Keira Petrucelli busted a 0-0 match in the 28th minute with a close-in goal. Burns delivered the helper from just inside the 18.
But both defenses stood out in the first 40 minutes.
Young MacDonald was seemingly everywhere on the farm — make that, the field — to either disrupt a Joliet Catholic rush or chance. Sterbenz didn’t let the tunes in her head keep her from playing the only way she knows how: resolutely. And Lewellyan, a superb two-way player, and sophomore midfielder Bailey Abbott forced turnovers.
“Reese is terrifying on defense,” the Lewis-bound Pinto praised afterward. “She’s intense and super hard on forwards.”
Joliet Catholic senior backs Emy Diaz and Reagan Willie, meanwhile, competed quite well in front of goalkeeper Abby Pasternak (seven saves) for the fourth-seeded Angels (14-6-1).
Entering the 2022 season, MacDonald had played about a minute of Benet varsity soccer. A pair of ACL tears robbed her of time on the pitch.
Oconer let her battle for 60 seconds in a late contest last spring, either on Senior Night or in a playoff game, he said. What the coach knows for sure: “Reese is strong in the middle,” he said. “Wins every ball in the middle.”
Pinto put Benet up 3-0 in the 64th minute. The unassisted goal featured Pinto’s trademark shiftiness, along with her quickness. The Redwing they call “Mar” was, well, marvelous. She created space for herself before blasting a left-footed, 15-yard shot past backup keeper Mary Pietras (two saves).
Pinto reacted to the goal with a grin and a quick fist pump.
“Slippery, elusive,” Oconer said of Pinto. “And she finishes well with either foot.”
Added MacDonald: “Nobody can stop Mar. She can get by anyone. Double-teaming her? She gets by both players, every time.”
Casmere capped the scoring two minutes later with Fikri providing the assist.
“I tip my cap to Benet,” Joliet Catholic coach and former Belize National Football Team member Oscar Valdez said, adding he deployed a slightly different lineup Tuesday than the one he did against Benet in the regular season. “They played really well. They’re well-coordinated, strong, too.
“We were there, in the game early. Had we taken advantage of our first chance … maybe it’s a different game. We played a strong game.”
The winning keeper was junior Shannon Clark (four saves). She recorded her best save in the 55th minute, soaring to grab a shot off the foot of fantastic freshman forward Liz Cardwell, Joliet Catholic’s constant threat.
“Liz,” Valdez said, “is aggressive, and she’s very unselfish, always looking to pass. We have a lot of promising young players. But the heart of the team is our group of seniors."
The Angels soccer team's newest graduates are Lexi Mikuska, Kate Gerdes, Emma Gruber, Betsy Kennedy, Brynn Higgins, Claire O'Donnell, Willie, Pasternak and Diaz.
“I’ll miss all of them,” Valdez said.
Footnotes
Pinto set a nice tone in the first minute Tuesday afternoon, booting a shot that got Joliet Catholic’s attention, though it went wide. “Keep pressing!” Redwings keeper Clark shouted. … Benet sophomore backup keeper Kate Grubish entered Tuesday’s sectional semifinal in the 70th minute and made her only save five minutes later. …. Speaking of 70, Pinto uttered the number afterward. “That’s where we are right now, a 70-minute team,” she said. “We want to be a team that plays a full 80 minutes, but I liked our relentlessness and how high our energy was today.” … Benet junior forward Gabi DiMatteo often displayed her impressive speed and dribbling skills on rushes near sidelines. … Angels junior midfielder Lanie Czerkies alertly boomed a clear that doubled as a non-goalie save in the 50th minute. … Oconer, in his sixth year at the helm at Benet, could have studied and played soccer as a back at a Division III school but chose instead to major in finance at Notre Dame. “Notre Dame,” he said, “didn’t have club soccer then, so I played intramural soccer as often as possible.” Oconer served as a Benet assistant coach for 14 seasons before succeeding Bob Gros in 2017. … Oconer improved his career varsity record to a sterling 95-19-3 on Tuesday. … Valdez, who played professional soccer at the age of 19, attended the Illinois-Springfield, majoring in math/business administration.
Starting lineups
Joliet Catholic
GK Abby Pasternak
D Reagan Willie
D Kate Gerdes
D Emy Diaz
M Lanie Czerkies
M Brynn Higgins
M Bella Berta
M Sophia Aiello
F Liz Cardwell
F Lexi Mikuska
F Emma Gruber
Benet
GK Shannon Clark
D Nora Hanson
D Annastacia Thiel
D Sadie Sterbenz
M Baily Abbott
M Katie Lewellyan
M Binkley Douglas
M Reese MacDonald
F Gabi DiMatteo
F Mariana Pinto
F Keira Petrucelli
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Reese MacDonald, jr., CMF, Benet
Scoring summary
First half
Benet — Petrucelli (Rachel Burns), 28’
Second half
Benet — Lewellyan (Pinto), 56’
Benet — Pinto (UA), 64’
Benet — Anna Casmere (Rania Fikri), 66’