IC Catholic Prep rolls to regional title
Knights oust Lycee Francais de Chicago with 1st half blitz
By Matt Le Cren
ELMHURST – Sophie Zanoni did not score a goal Saturday.
She just helped all of her teammates do so.
At least that's what it seemed like as the IC Catholic Prep senior midfielder sent cross after cross into the opposing penalty area during the IC Catholic Prep Class A Regional championship game at Plunkett Park.
Officially, Zanoni finished with only one assist, but her impact went far beyond statistics. The senior, along with classmate and co-captain Grace Fuller, were the instigators of an all-out blitz that saw the Knights rout Lycee Francais de Chicago 9-0.
It was the second-straight regional championship and fifth in the past seven years for the third-seeded Knights (12-10-0), who will host Francis Parker in an IC Catholic Prep Sectional semifinal Tuesday.
“I think that I need to help the younger players – and all the upperclassmen do – and show them what the program is about and make them feel welcome,” Zanoni said. “I think we’ve been harder on each other (this year).
“We’ve been jelling a lot because a lot of our seniors last year were key people on our team. So I think we have come up and really helped fill those positions (that were opened by graduation).”
The graduation losses from last year’s state semifinal team were heavy but not, as it turns out, insurmountable.
The Knights had no problems dismissing second-seeded Lycee Francais de Chicago, which hadn’t seen a team as experienced or talented as IC. The home team raced to an 8-0 halftime lead, which reduced the match to 60 minutes.
It took less than three minutes for the Knights to take command.
Fuller scored off a cross from Bella Leslie. Junior Olivia Hurt made it 2-0 two minutes later with the first of her three goals, and IC Catholic Prep later scored three times in as many minutes to increase the cushion to 5-0.
Hurt finished with the hat-trick and three assists. Fuller contributed two goals and Leslie, Abi Wagner, Rachel Simonides and goalkeeper Gabbie Smola, who switched to forward in the second half, all had one. Leslie, Wagner, Zanoni and Suzy Maloney recorded assists for the Knights, who outshot Lycee Francais de Chicago 25-1.
“I think that we’re connecting our passes really well,” Hurt said. “Me and Bella in the middle, we’re really working well together and playing it up to Abi and Grace and Sophie Zanoni out wide. So that’s been helping us, and we finish our opportunities.”
That is an understatement. IC Catholic Prep has won its last six games by a combined score of 40-2, including 26-0 over the last three. The Knights have won both playoff games by 9-0 margins.
“They’re jelling well,” said Knights first-year coach Antonio Godinez. “They’re putting everything together.
“They’re executing what we’re working on in training sessions, so I think they’re adapting more to the coaching staff. They know what our expectations are.”
IC Catholic Prep expects to get back to the state finals. Prior to the season that seemed like a foregone conclusion, but the Knights struggled earlier in the year as they adapted to Godinez and battled through a tough schedule filled with bigger schools. They did not play a Class A school outside of their conference.
“It’s helped us out tremendously,” Godinez said. “It’s put as at another level because the speed of play and just the thinking is important for us to work on. Those type of teams push you, and they challenge you.”
Zanoni wasn’t optimistic about how the Knights would fare against the tough competition, and the team lost eight-of-10 games at one point. Yet only two of their 10 losses this season were by more than two goals, so they proved their mettle.
“I think it really helped us,” Zanoni said. “We weren’t really sure about it going into the season, but I think in the long run it really helped us. It showed us where the open spots are and what to do when we really need to step up.
“It’s helped us work together more than when we’re playing teams when we’re winning by a lot.”
Such has been the case lately. The Knights kept control of the ball and sustained their offensive attack throughout the first half against Lycee Francais de Chicago. They didn’t take their foot off the accelerator until the second half, when they worked on their passing game and ignored open shot opportunities.
“I just feel like our communication has been working a lot better,” Zanoni said. “We’ve been telling each other where we want the ball, telling them we’re open.
“I also feel like we’ve been passing the ball better, connecting passes, not just kicking it up or shooting it. We’ve been really selfless with the ball, too.”
With six different scorers Saturday, the Knights demonstrated that opposing defenses can't just key on the dynamic Hurt.
“I think it was really important to get everyone together because you can’t always rely on one person,” Zanoni said. “We need other people to step up when they can.
“In the regional a lot of people really stepped up who maybe aren’t playing normally. They came in and put in good minutes, and that’s really been helping us.”
IC Catholic Prep had a short bench on Saturday but everyone played and contributed. One of the reserves was Simonides, a sophomore forward who bagged her first varsity goal.
“Just happy to see that,” Godinez said. “She’s listened throughout the season, and she’s come a long way, and she executed that goal really well.
“I’m really happy that she scored that goal.”
Now the stage is set for a rematch of the 2017 sectional, which also was held at Plunkett. The Knights knocked off Francis Parker 6-3 in last year’s semifinal before beating DePaul in the final. DePaul plays Holy Trinity in the other semifinal.
“The lineup is the same as last year for the next two games,” Fuller said. “It was a brutal game last year.
“Hopefully we can finish strong. Even though we lost people (to graduation) and people might not think that we’ll make it that far, I think we’re going to do good.”
So does Hurt.
“This is what we work for the whole season,” Hurt said. “I think we’re going to be able to step up to the challenge, where if we all work together as a group we should be able to win and accomplish the goal.”
Starting lineups
Lycee Francais de Chicago
Not available
IC Catholic Prep
GK Gabbie Smola
D Sophie Hurt
D Annie Guinan
D Jalene Pina
D Suzy Maloney
M Sophie Zanoni
M Bella Leslie
M Oliva Hurt
M Kelly Murray
F Grace Fuller
F Abi Wagner
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Olivia Hurt, jr., M, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
3rd minute – Grace Fuller (Bella Leslie)
5th minute – Olivia Hurt (unassisted)
17th minute – Hurt (Suzy Maloney)
18th minute – Leslie (Abi Wagner)
19th minute – Hurt (Sophie Zanoni)
24th minute – Wagner (Hurt)
26th minute – Fuller (Hurt)
38th minute – Rachel Simonides (Hurt)
Second half
53rd minute – Gabbie Smola (unassisted)
Knights oust Lycee Francais de Chicago with 1st half blitz
By Matt Le Cren
ELMHURST – Sophie Zanoni did not score a goal Saturday.
She just helped all of her teammates do so.
At least that's what it seemed like as the IC Catholic Prep senior midfielder sent cross after cross into the opposing penalty area during the IC Catholic Prep Class A Regional championship game at Plunkett Park.
Officially, Zanoni finished with only one assist, but her impact went far beyond statistics. The senior, along with classmate and co-captain Grace Fuller, were the instigators of an all-out blitz that saw the Knights rout Lycee Francais de Chicago 9-0.
It was the second-straight regional championship and fifth in the past seven years for the third-seeded Knights (12-10-0), who will host Francis Parker in an IC Catholic Prep Sectional semifinal Tuesday.
“I think that I need to help the younger players – and all the upperclassmen do – and show them what the program is about and make them feel welcome,” Zanoni said. “I think we’ve been harder on each other (this year).
“We’ve been jelling a lot because a lot of our seniors last year were key people on our team. So I think we have come up and really helped fill those positions (that were opened by graduation).”
The graduation losses from last year’s state semifinal team were heavy but not, as it turns out, insurmountable.
The Knights had no problems dismissing second-seeded Lycee Francais de Chicago, which hadn’t seen a team as experienced or talented as IC. The home team raced to an 8-0 halftime lead, which reduced the match to 60 minutes.
It took less than three minutes for the Knights to take command.
Fuller scored off a cross from Bella Leslie. Junior Olivia Hurt made it 2-0 two minutes later with the first of her three goals, and IC Catholic Prep later scored three times in as many minutes to increase the cushion to 5-0.
Hurt finished with the hat-trick and three assists. Fuller contributed two goals and Leslie, Abi Wagner, Rachel Simonides and goalkeeper Gabbie Smola, who switched to forward in the second half, all had one. Leslie, Wagner, Zanoni and Suzy Maloney recorded assists for the Knights, who outshot Lycee Francais de Chicago 25-1.
“I think that we’re connecting our passes really well,” Hurt said. “Me and Bella in the middle, we’re really working well together and playing it up to Abi and Grace and Sophie Zanoni out wide. So that’s been helping us, and we finish our opportunities.”
That is an understatement. IC Catholic Prep has won its last six games by a combined score of 40-2, including 26-0 over the last three. The Knights have won both playoff games by 9-0 margins.
“They’re jelling well,” said Knights first-year coach Antonio Godinez. “They’re putting everything together.
“They’re executing what we’re working on in training sessions, so I think they’re adapting more to the coaching staff. They know what our expectations are.”
IC Catholic Prep expects to get back to the state finals. Prior to the season that seemed like a foregone conclusion, but the Knights struggled earlier in the year as they adapted to Godinez and battled through a tough schedule filled with bigger schools. They did not play a Class A school outside of their conference.
“It’s helped us out tremendously,” Godinez said. “It’s put as at another level because the speed of play and just the thinking is important for us to work on. Those type of teams push you, and they challenge you.”
Zanoni wasn’t optimistic about how the Knights would fare against the tough competition, and the team lost eight-of-10 games at one point. Yet only two of their 10 losses this season were by more than two goals, so they proved their mettle.
“I think it really helped us,” Zanoni said. “We weren’t really sure about it going into the season, but I think in the long run it really helped us. It showed us where the open spots are and what to do when we really need to step up.
“It’s helped us work together more than when we’re playing teams when we’re winning by a lot.”
Such has been the case lately. The Knights kept control of the ball and sustained their offensive attack throughout the first half against Lycee Francais de Chicago. They didn’t take their foot off the accelerator until the second half, when they worked on their passing game and ignored open shot opportunities.
“I just feel like our communication has been working a lot better,” Zanoni said. “We’ve been telling each other where we want the ball, telling them we’re open.
“I also feel like we’ve been passing the ball better, connecting passes, not just kicking it up or shooting it. We’ve been really selfless with the ball, too.”
With six different scorers Saturday, the Knights demonstrated that opposing defenses can't just key on the dynamic Hurt.
“I think it was really important to get everyone together because you can’t always rely on one person,” Zanoni said. “We need other people to step up when they can.
“In the regional a lot of people really stepped up who maybe aren’t playing normally. They came in and put in good minutes, and that’s really been helping us.”
IC Catholic Prep had a short bench on Saturday but everyone played and contributed. One of the reserves was Simonides, a sophomore forward who bagged her first varsity goal.
“Just happy to see that,” Godinez said. “She’s listened throughout the season, and she’s come a long way, and she executed that goal really well.
“I’m really happy that she scored that goal.”
Now the stage is set for a rematch of the 2017 sectional, which also was held at Plunkett. The Knights knocked off Francis Parker 6-3 in last year’s semifinal before beating DePaul in the final. DePaul plays Holy Trinity in the other semifinal.
“The lineup is the same as last year for the next two games,” Fuller said. “It was a brutal game last year.
“Hopefully we can finish strong. Even though we lost people (to graduation) and people might not think that we’ll make it that far, I think we’re going to do good.”
So does Hurt.
“This is what we work for the whole season,” Hurt said. “I think we’re going to be able to step up to the challenge, where if we all work together as a group we should be able to win and accomplish the goal.”
Starting lineups
Lycee Francais de Chicago
Not available
IC Catholic Prep
GK Gabbie Smola
D Sophie Hurt
D Annie Guinan
D Jalene Pina
D Suzy Maloney
M Sophie Zanoni
M Bella Leslie
M Oliva Hurt
M Kelly Murray
F Grace Fuller
F Abi Wagner
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Olivia Hurt, jr., M, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
3rd minute – Grace Fuller (Bella Leslie)
5th minute – Olivia Hurt (unassisted)
17th minute – Hurt (Suzy Maloney)
18th minute – Leslie (Abi Wagner)
19th minute – Hurt (Sophie Zanoni)
24th minute – Wagner (Hurt)
26th minute – Fuller (Hurt)
38th minute – Rachel Simonides (Hurt)
Second half
53rd minute – Gabbie Smola (unassisted)