Family connection lifts Benet past Carmel
Picha brothers unite for 3 goals in Redwings’ 4-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LISLE — A schedule alteration created new chances for the next generation of Benet players to strut their stuff on the big stage.
The Saturday morning tilt with Carmel was rescheduled from September 12.
The date change meant the Redwings had to play without two of their best players, forward Brayden Fagbemi and Chicagoland Soccer First Team all-state defender Nick Roe, who’d scheduled college recruiting trips.
A familiar and familial name stepped into the breach.
Star midfielder Nico Picha saw his freshman forward brother Mateo get called up for his varsity debut.
Defender Uareme Edeki and midfielder Teddy Nawrocki also got pulled up.
The moves generated a lot of excitement.
“It’s something I have been looking forward to since the beginning of the season,” Nico Picha said.
“We weren’t sure if he was going to end up playing with us. We practiced celebrations together.”
The Picha brothers combined for three goals as the no. 19 Redwings stayed perfect in East Suburban Catholic Conference play with a 4-1 victory.
Gradually regaining his strength, timing, and fluidity after an earlier season injury, Nico Picha scored two goals for the Redwings (8-3-0, 4-0-0).
The game showcased the depth and positional versatility of the Redwings, who moved players around to make up for the absence of Fagbemi at the top of the attack.
Senior Owen McGarry was the primary beneficiary of the altered lineup.
Listed as a defender, he plays multiple positions. McGarry toggled between the middle and the top of the attack.
He scored a goal and assisted Mateo Picha’s goal to earn the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“We talked about it yesterday during practice how Brayden wasn’t going to be here to help our offense,” McGarry said.
“I think we had an attacking mindset right off the bat. We wanted to get out, attack the goal and get as many chances as we could.”
Early offense meant early chances, and McGarry seized the initiative in the eighth minute.
Forward Ryan Augustyn made a forward push down the left edge and served a ball into the far post.
McGarry timed his run beautifully and met the ball in perfect position for the easy tap-in for the early 1-0 Benet lead.
He also had a family matter to honor.
“I had this feeling I’d be playing a little bit more up-top today, and I told my grandmother yesterday that I was going to score for her today, because it’s her birthday,” he said.
The next half of play really shaped the balance of the match. Despite the fast start, Benet actually was off rhythm for good parts of the opening stanza.
The team lacked its normal cohesion and fluidity. Carmel (5-5-1, 2-3-0) had the superior play for much of the rest of the half.
Forward Max Marrocco pushed a ball wide right. Carmel generated several corner opportunities.
Peter Hepburn, who plays a defensive midfielder for Benet, made a great clearance off another point-blank opportunity by the Corsairs.
“Today illustrated our season so far,” new coach Rob Etheridge said. “We’ve given away goals at the wrong time.
“I thought we were actually the slightly better team today. Goals win games, and they scored four.”
The huge Benet wave of momentum developed at the end of the half. The Hepburn clearance helped ignite a counter that defender Jack Kuelthau played ahead to the streaking Nico Picha down the left edge.
His left-footed blast from about 14 yards put the Redwings up 2-0 in the 38th minute.
“It was kind of a weird game,” Benet coach Sean Wesley said. “It was an early morning Saturday game, and I thought the energy from both teams at the start was a bit low.
“I thought the first half was sloppy on both sides. Even though we were sloppy, we defended well. We didn’t allow that many chances. The one or two we did allow, I was glad we got through them and did not give any up.”
That swing was crucial, a potential 1-1 tie instead became a two-goal cushion at the break.
That liberated the Redwings, according to Nico Picha.
“I don’t think we played to our full potential in the first half,” Nico Picha said. “We started off rocky.
“I think it speaks volumes about how we have the ability to punish teams with the one or two chances we did get even when we’re not playing well. That extra goal gave us more confidence, and that let us play more to our ability in the second half.”
Mateo Picha earned some spot minutes during the first half, allowing him the necessary space to get his rhythm and timing down.
“I just knew from the beginning I just had to step up and compete,” Mateo Picha said.
“It’s honestly a dream come true playing with my brother. With him being a senior we didn’t know whether I’d be able to play with him or not. Who knows if this is going to be my only chance?”
In the 61st minute, Mateo Picha made his mark.
Running off a header at the middle that McGarry cleared to him in space, he drove the ball and unleashed a sharp and clean shot from about 16 yards outside.
The Benet players all ran to congratulate him.
“I had an earlier chance on a ball from Peter Hepburn that I tried to score on, but I just couldn’t get there,” Mateo Picha said.
“I kept my head up. When I saw that ball that Colin played over the top, I just knew I had to score.”
Etheridge called that goal the back-breaker.
“We missed the ball in the middle of the field, and they go in and scored,” he said.
“We just can’t give away goals and win.”
Evan Lucas played the first 64 minutes, and posted three saves for the Redwings.
Riley Cooper scored on a penalty kick for the Carmel in the 69th minute.
Nico Picha put the finishing touches on the victory with his 72nd minute goal from Charlie Auble.
His proudest moment was seeing his brother’s contribution.
“It means a lot to me,” Nico Picha said. “I’m really happy for him.
“Hopefully he is going to continue playing with us, we are going to keep combining together, and he is going to get plenty of goals.”
Starting lineups
Carmel
GK: Luke Reynolds
D: B.J. Mensah
D: Augie Lombardo
D: Aiden Fendel
D: Vick Brayden
MF: Rolando Colin
MF: Nikita Glokke
MF: Matthew Gonzalez
F: Sammy Arroyo
F: Sandro Pineda
F: Max Marrocco
Benet
GK: Evan Lucas
D: Matthew Benka
D: Nick Nirtaut
D: Jack Kuelthau
D: Jack Walsh
MF: Owen McGarry
MF: Danny Boyle
MF: Nico Picha
MF: Peter Hepburn
F: Ryan Augustyn
F: Drew Fieldman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Owen McGarry, sr., MF, Benet
Scoring summary
First half
Benet—Owen McGarry (Ryan Augustyn), eighth minute
Benet—Nico Picha (Jack Kuelthau), 38th minute
Second half
Benet—Mateo Picha (McGarry), 61st
Carmel—Riley Cooper (penalty kick), 69th minute
Benet—Nico Picha (Charlie Auble), 72nd minute
Picha brothers unite for 3 goals in Redwings’ 4-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LISLE — A schedule alteration created new chances for the next generation of Benet players to strut their stuff on the big stage.
The Saturday morning tilt with Carmel was rescheduled from September 12.
The date change meant the Redwings had to play without two of their best players, forward Brayden Fagbemi and Chicagoland Soccer First Team all-state defender Nick Roe, who’d scheduled college recruiting trips.
A familiar and familial name stepped into the breach.
Star midfielder Nico Picha saw his freshman forward brother Mateo get called up for his varsity debut.
Defender Uareme Edeki and midfielder Teddy Nawrocki also got pulled up.
The moves generated a lot of excitement.
“It’s something I have been looking forward to since the beginning of the season,” Nico Picha said.
“We weren’t sure if he was going to end up playing with us. We practiced celebrations together.”
The Picha brothers combined for three goals as the no. 19 Redwings stayed perfect in East Suburban Catholic Conference play with a 4-1 victory.
Gradually regaining his strength, timing, and fluidity after an earlier season injury, Nico Picha scored two goals for the Redwings (8-3-0, 4-0-0).
The game showcased the depth and positional versatility of the Redwings, who moved players around to make up for the absence of Fagbemi at the top of the attack.
Senior Owen McGarry was the primary beneficiary of the altered lineup.
Listed as a defender, he plays multiple positions. McGarry toggled between the middle and the top of the attack.
He scored a goal and assisted Mateo Picha’s goal to earn the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
“We talked about it yesterday during practice how Brayden wasn’t going to be here to help our offense,” McGarry said.
“I think we had an attacking mindset right off the bat. We wanted to get out, attack the goal and get as many chances as we could.”
Early offense meant early chances, and McGarry seized the initiative in the eighth minute.
Forward Ryan Augustyn made a forward push down the left edge and served a ball into the far post.
McGarry timed his run beautifully and met the ball in perfect position for the easy tap-in for the early 1-0 Benet lead.
He also had a family matter to honor.
“I had this feeling I’d be playing a little bit more up-top today, and I told my grandmother yesterday that I was going to score for her today, because it’s her birthday,” he said.
The next half of play really shaped the balance of the match. Despite the fast start, Benet actually was off rhythm for good parts of the opening stanza.
The team lacked its normal cohesion and fluidity. Carmel (5-5-1, 2-3-0) had the superior play for much of the rest of the half.
Forward Max Marrocco pushed a ball wide right. Carmel generated several corner opportunities.
Peter Hepburn, who plays a defensive midfielder for Benet, made a great clearance off another point-blank opportunity by the Corsairs.
“Today illustrated our season so far,” new coach Rob Etheridge said. “We’ve given away goals at the wrong time.
“I thought we were actually the slightly better team today. Goals win games, and they scored four.”
The huge Benet wave of momentum developed at the end of the half. The Hepburn clearance helped ignite a counter that defender Jack Kuelthau played ahead to the streaking Nico Picha down the left edge.
His left-footed blast from about 14 yards put the Redwings up 2-0 in the 38th minute.
“It was kind of a weird game,” Benet coach Sean Wesley said. “It was an early morning Saturday game, and I thought the energy from both teams at the start was a bit low.
“I thought the first half was sloppy on both sides. Even though we were sloppy, we defended well. We didn’t allow that many chances. The one or two we did allow, I was glad we got through them and did not give any up.”
That swing was crucial, a potential 1-1 tie instead became a two-goal cushion at the break.
That liberated the Redwings, according to Nico Picha.
“I don’t think we played to our full potential in the first half,” Nico Picha said. “We started off rocky.
“I think it speaks volumes about how we have the ability to punish teams with the one or two chances we did get even when we’re not playing well. That extra goal gave us more confidence, and that let us play more to our ability in the second half.”
Mateo Picha earned some spot minutes during the first half, allowing him the necessary space to get his rhythm and timing down.
“I just knew from the beginning I just had to step up and compete,” Mateo Picha said.
“It’s honestly a dream come true playing with my brother. With him being a senior we didn’t know whether I’d be able to play with him or not. Who knows if this is going to be my only chance?”
In the 61st minute, Mateo Picha made his mark.
Running off a header at the middle that McGarry cleared to him in space, he drove the ball and unleashed a sharp and clean shot from about 16 yards outside.
The Benet players all ran to congratulate him.
“I had an earlier chance on a ball from Peter Hepburn that I tried to score on, but I just couldn’t get there,” Mateo Picha said.
“I kept my head up. When I saw that ball that Colin played over the top, I just knew I had to score.”
Etheridge called that goal the back-breaker.
“We missed the ball in the middle of the field, and they go in and scored,” he said.
“We just can’t give away goals and win.”
Evan Lucas played the first 64 minutes, and posted three saves for the Redwings.
Riley Cooper scored on a penalty kick for the Carmel in the 69th minute.
Nico Picha put the finishing touches on the victory with his 72nd minute goal from Charlie Auble.
His proudest moment was seeing his brother’s contribution.
“It means a lot to me,” Nico Picha said. “I’m really happy for him.
“Hopefully he is going to continue playing with us, we are going to keep combining together, and he is going to get plenty of goals.”
Starting lineups
Carmel
GK: Luke Reynolds
D: B.J. Mensah
D: Augie Lombardo
D: Aiden Fendel
D: Vick Brayden
MF: Rolando Colin
MF: Nikita Glokke
MF: Matthew Gonzalez
F: Sammy Arroyo
F: Sandro Pineda
F: Max Marrocco
Benet
GK: Evan Lucas
D: Matthew Benka
D: Nick Nirtaut
D: Jack Kuelthau
D: Jack Walsh
MF: Owen McGarry
MF: Danny Boyle
MF: Nico Picha
MF: Peter Hepburn
F: Ryan Augustyn
F: Drew Fieldman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Owen McGarry, sr., MF, Benet
Scoring summary
First half
Benet—Owen McGarry (Ryan Augustyn), eighth minute
Benet—Nico Picha (Jack Kuelthau), 38th minute
Second half
Benet—Mateo Picha (McGarry), 61st
Carmel—Riley Cooper (penalty kick), 69th minute
Benet—Nico Picha (Charlie Auble), 72nd minute