Caroline Henige’s hat-trick
leads Fenwick to regional title
Friars score 4 2nd half goals to put away Pritzker
By Michael Wojtychiw
RIVER FOREST -- Fenwick came into the state playoffs on a bit of a warm streak. The Friars won three of their last five matches and were hungry for a regional title.
But things are a little different from last year. After playing in the Class 3A playoffs in 2021, the highest class of girls soccer in Illinois, the Friars dropped down to Class AA, where they had played in the two previous state playoff series.
A luxury this spring for Fenwick is that it hosts both a regional and sectional. To get that regional prize and earn a berth at sectionals, the Friars had to go through Pritzker, a team they coincidentally faced the last time they hosted a sectional, back in 2018.
Like that season, Fenwick came out on top, taking down the Jaguars 5-0 Friday at the Priory Fields.
“These were great games for us to get re-focused and re-energized,” Fenwick manager Craig Blazer said. “Having parents and classmates there to watch and celebrate was a lot of fun.
“Starting to develop the traditions and consistencies within the program was great. This past week has been a lot of fun.”
“Confidence is really growing game to game,” Fenwick’s Caroline Henige said. “We weren’t really happy with our regional semifinal game, so we knew we had to get after it and score.
“I think that motivated us.”
Fenwick (10-6-2) got on the board quickly, with sophomore midfielder Henige scoring a goal in the game’s fourth minute. That made it look like a long afternoon was ahead for Pritzker (9-9-2).
However, the Jaguars got some stellar play from goalie Marina Frayre. The senior made 11 saves in the first half and consistently kept her squad in the game. She also used her booming leg to clear the ball past midfield seemingly every time she booted the ball.
Things changed after halftime.
“We figured out that shooting high wasn’t going to work because she was pretty tall,” Henige said. “So, we decided that low and hard to the corners would be better and more productive in scoring.”
Much like in the first half, the Friars got on the board early in the second, when Natalie LoGuidice earned a penalty kick in the third minute of the half and converted the spot-kick to provide her team some breathing room.
A little over three minutes later, Henige scored her second of the game and the gates were open. Abbie Rogowski saw her corner kick find the netting to make it 4-0 Friars with 23 minutes remaining. Then Henige completed the hat-trick about five minutes later on a beauty of a goal past the diving Pritzker keeper.
“Keeping up with our speed of play, playing the type of soccer we know how to play, like one-, two-touch and moving around in the box to open up space for us was big,” she said. “That’s how we were able to finish a lot of what we wanted to do.”
One thing that’s helped the Friars in their recent run has been the play of their defense.
Other than a 3-0 loss to Loyola on May 10th, Fenwick hasn’t conceded more than a single goal in a game since April 23, a span of eight games, five of which were clean-sheet victories.
It’s been the team’s cohesiveness that has helped the squad defensively.
“The biggest factor has been communication,” Henige said. “We’ve been building up our relationships, so we’re able to trust each other more now on the field. If we get close, we can trust our goalie Audrey and play the ball back to her if we need to.”
“We’re developing better rhythm, more consistency,” Blazer said. “Throughout the season, I think right now we’ve overcome a lot, and now we know that each game can be your last so there’s more focus, more concentration and a little more resolve by each of the players.”
With the win over the Jaguars, the Friars now prepare to face Lake View, the seventh-seeded team in the sectional, which pulled off an upset over second-seeded Westinghouse in the regional final. The regional title, according to IHSA.org, is the first in the Wildcats’ program history.
A win Wednesday would send the Friars to the sectional title game Saturday, most likely against top-seeded Payton, but Henige knows they can’t look past their sectional semifinal opponent.
“We just need to play every game as its own,” Henige said. “Because when you look too far ahead, that’s when it can get out of your hands. You need to finish the game you’re playing before worrying about the next game.
“We control how we play, and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing against.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Audrey Henrichs
D: Abbie Rogowski
D: Lizzie Brunick
D: Emily Ortiz
D: Gabi Kapusta
MF: Caroline Henige
MF: Fiona Roche
MF: Julia Cianci
F: Natalie LoGiudice
F: Kate Henige
F: Kiera Mullarky
Pritzker
GK: Marina Frayre
D: Emily Reyes
D: Viridiana Gutierrez
D: Diana Lagunas
D: Litzaira Paz
D: Yaxeny Erazo
MF: Angelina Serna
MF: Kalyne Rodriguez
MF: Leslie Silva
F: Stephanie Teutala
F: Esmeralda Millan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Caroline Henige, so., MF, Fenwick
Scoring summary
First half
F: Caroline Henige (unassisted), 4’
Second half
F: Natalie LoGuidice (PK), 43’
F: Caroline Henige (LoGuidice), 46’
F: Abbie Rogowski, 58’
F: Caroline Henige (Kiera Mullarkey), 63’
leads Fenwick to regional title
Friars score 4 2nd half goals to put away Pritzker
By Michael Wojtychiw
RIVER FOREST -- Fenwick came into the state playoffs on a bit of a warm streak. The Friars won three of their last five matches and were hungry for a regional title.
But things are a little different from last year. After playing in the Class 3A playoffs in 2021, the highest class of girls soccer in Illinois, the Friars dropped down to Class AA, where they had played in the two previous state playoff series.
A luxury this spring for Fenwick is that it hosts both a regional and sectional. To get that regional prize and earn a berth at sectionals, the Friars had to go through Pritzker, a team they coincidentally faced the last time they hosted a sectional, back in 2018.
Like that season, Fenwick came out on top, taking down the Jaguars 5-0 Friday at the Priory Fields.
“These were great games for us to get re-focused and re-energized,” Fenwick manager Craig Blazer said. “Having parents and classmates there to watch and celebrate was a lot of fun.
“Starting to develop the traditions and consistencies within the program was great. This past week has been a lot of fun.”
“Confidence is really growing game to game,” Fenwick’s Caroline Henige said. “We weren’t really happy with our regional semifinal game, so we knew we had to get after it and score.
“I think that motivated us.”
Fenwick (10-6-2) got on the board quickly, with sophomore midfielder Henige scoring a goal in the game’s fourth minute. That made it look like a long afternoon was ahead for Pritzker (9-9-2).
However, the Jaguars got some stellar play from goalie Marina Frayre. The senior made 11 saves in the first half and consistently kept her squad in the game. She also used her booming leg to clear the ball past midfield seemingly every time she booted the ball.
Things changed after halftime.
“We figured out that shooting high wasn’t going to work because she was pretty tall,” Henige said. “So, we decided that low and hard to the corners would be better and more productive in scoring.”
Much like in the first half, the Friars got on the board early in the second, when Natalie LoGuidice earned a penalty kick in the third minute of the half and converted the spot-kick to provide her team some breathing room.
A little over three minutes later, Henige scored her second of the game and the gates were open. Abbie Rogowski saw her corner kick find the netting to make it 4-0 Friars with 23 minutes remaining. Then Henige completed the hat-trick about five minutes later on a beauty of a goal past the diving Pritzker keeper.
“Keeping up with our speed of play, playing the type of soccer we know how to play, like one-, two-touch and moving around in the box to open up space for us was big,” she said. “That’s how we were able to finish a lot of what we wanted to do.”
One thing that’s helped the Friars in their recent run has been the play of their defense.
Other than a 3-0 loss to Loyola on May 10th, Fenwick hasn’t conceded more than a single goal in a game since April 23, a span of eight games, five of which were clean-sheet victories.
It’s been the team’s cohesiveness that has helped the squad defensively.
“The biggest factor has been communication,” Henige said. “We’ve been building up our relationships, so we’re able to trust each other more now on the field. If we get close, we can trust our goalie Audrey and play the ball back to her if we need to.”
“We’re developing better rhythm, more consistency,” Blazer said. “Throughout the season, I think right now we’ve overcome a lot, and now we know that each game can be your last so there’s more focus, more concentration and a little more resolve by each of the players.”
With the win over the Jaguars, the Friars now prepare to face Lake View, the seventh-seeded team in the sectional, which pulled off an upset over second-seeded Westinghouse in the regional final. The regional title, according to IHSA.org, is the first in the Wildcats’ program history.
A win Wednesday would send the Friars to the sectional title game Saturday, most likely against top-seeded Payton, but Henige knows they can’t look past their sectional semifinal opponent.
“We just need to play every game as its own,” Henige said. “Because when you look too far ahead, that’s when it can get out of your hands. You need to finish the game you’re playing before worrying about the next game.
“We control how we play, and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing against.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK: Audrey Henrichs
D: Abbie Rogowski
D: Lizzie Brunick
D: Emily Ortiz
D: Gabi Kapusta
MF: Caroline Henige
MF: Fiona Roche
MF: Julia Cianci
F: Natalie LoGiudice
F: Kate Henige
F: Kiera Mullarky
Pritzker
GK: Marina Frayre
D: Emily Reyes
D: Viridiana Gutierrez
D: Diana Lagunas
D: Litzaira Paz
D: Yaxeny Erazo
MF: Angelina Serna
MF: Kalyne Rodriguez
MF: Leslie Silva
F: Stephanie Teutala
F: Esmeralda Millan
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Caroline Henige, so., MF, Fenwick
Scoring summary
First half
F: Caroline Henige (unassisted), 4’
Second half
F: Natalie LoGuidice (PK), 43’
F: Caroline Henige (LoGuidice), 46’
F: Abbie Rogowski, 58’
F: Caroline Henige (Kiera Mullarkey), 63’