Notebook: Benet
By Dave Owen
When Benet opens Class AA postseason play Wednesday in the Hancock Regional, the Redwings hope the journey into the city is just the start of a long, record-setting run.
Benet (16-3-1) enters as the no. 1 seed in the Hinsdale South Sectional and is on a quest to exceed its state tournament success of both 2003 and 2005. Those springs both ended with trips to the Class A quarterfinals.
But before that big dream can come into focus, the Redwings have another milestone very much within reach.
“We’re chasing the school record (for wins),” Benet senior Erin Flynn said. “Right now we have 16 wins, and the school record is 18. Hopefully we’ll beat it.”
Four previous Benet teams have won 18 games, the most recent the 2014 squad with an 18-3-3 record under former head coach Bob Gros.
To break that barrier, Benet needs to win both of its regional games (against a pair of Chicago Public League foes), then emerge victorious in a likely sectional semifinal rematch with Nazareth (which the Redwings beat 3-2 May 5).
Benet's only losses this season came against larger and ranked schools: no. 14 Deerfield (Class AA), no. 5 Neuqua Valley (3A); and no. 18 Carmel (3A). Team confidence is high for a strong postseason.
“We feel good,” Benet second-year head coach Gerard Oconer said. “We had a really good regular season, and we played a lot of good, tough competition. And we were able to play a lot of kids throughout the whole season, so we feel really confident in our depth too.”
As for Benet’s two state teams, both competed in the two-class system and lost in the quarterfinals at state. The 2003 squad finished 12-7-3 and the 2005 team went 17-3-5. Oconer was an assistant to head coach Henry Wind both of those years, roles that are now reversed.
Familiarity breeds success
The 2018 edition of the Redwings have hardly been a one-year wonder.
Seniors Flynn, Maddie Becker, Clare Bumpus and Jackie Schuman have all been on varsity since arriving as freshmen in 2015.
The same can be said for 2016 freshman class/current standouts Mary Kate Hansen, Nicole Burns, Mia Ullmer, Mary Kate Wilhelm and Abby Casmere.
The experience and chemistry developed over time among those nine players and their fellow teammates has paid off.
“It’s been a really close knit team this year obviously,” Hansen said. “A lot of us have been playing together for so long that it’s just falling back into old habits of, we know where we all will be and what runs we’re going to make.
“It’s definitely a special group of girls, and I’m excited to go into the playoffs with them.”
Balanced diet
While feasting on opposing defenses for 50 goals this season, the Redwings have relied on multiple scoring threats and great balance in the goal column.
Sophomore Mia Tommasone leads the Redwings with nine goals, followed by Flynn and Casmere with seven each. Other strong finishers include Kayla Brannigan with five goals and Hansen, Sarah Bozych and Nicole Burns with four apiece.
Hansen had the game-winning goal in Thursday’s regular season-ending 1-0 win at Hinsdale Central.
“We’ve had a good season, so it’s just riding what we’ve been doing,” Hansen said of the Redwings’ keys to postseason success.
“We just have to keep finding the back of the net somehow, someway. And we’ve had a lot of different people scoring. I think if we can continue that, we’ll be good.”
Flynn leads the Redwings with 12 assists, followed by Casmere and Maddie Becker with six each.
On the defensive
If defense wins in the postseason, Benet is on good footing.
The Redwings had 12 shutouts in the regular season including two against top-quality sides Wheaton Warrenville South and Lyons.
That defensive strength should give opponents fits and leave goal-scoring as the biggest key to a prolonged postseason.
“I think it’s going to come down to if we can consistently put the ball in the goal,” Oconer said. “We’ve proven for the vast majority of the season that we’re really solid in the back.”
But as noted earlier, the Redwings have strong scoring depth – and versatility at the offensive end.
“We create tons of opportunities – we have so many set pieces and corner kick opportunities,” Oconer said. “We just have to finish more of those, because at a certain point you’re only going to get a few of those against the good teams. So you need to be a lot more efficient.”
By Dave Owen
When Benet opens Class AA postseason play Wednesday in the Hancock Regional, the Redwings hope the journey into the city is just the start of a long, record-setting run.
Benet (16-3-1) enters as the no. 1 seed in the Hinsdale South Sectional and is on a quest to exceed its state tournament success of both 2003 and 2005. Those springs both ended with trips to the Class A quarterfinals.
But before that big dream can come into focus, the Redwings have another milestone very much within reach.
“We’re chasing the school record (for wins),” Benet senior Erin Flynn said. “Right now we have 16 wins, and the school record is 18. Hopefully we’ll beat it.”
Four previous Benet teams have won 18 games, the most recent the 2014 squad with an 18-3-3 record under former head coach Bob Gros.
To break that barrier, Benet needs to win both of its regional games (against a pair of Chicago Public League foes), then emerge victorious in a likely sectional semifinal rematch with Nazareth (which the Redwings beat 3-2 May 5).
Benet's only losses this season came against larger and ranked schools: no. 14 Deerfield (Class AA), no. 5 Neuqua Valley (3A); and no. 18 Carmel (3A). Team confidence is high for a strong postseason.
“We feel good,” Benet second-year head coach Gerard Oconer said. “We had a really good regular season, and we played a lot of good, tough competition. And we were able to play a lot of kids throughout the whole season, so we feel really confident in our depth too.”
As for Benet’s two state teams, both competed in the two-class system and lost in the quarterfinals at state. The 2003 squad finished 12-7-3 and the 2005 team went 17-3-5. Oconer was an assistant to head coach Henry Wind both of those years, roles that are now reversed.
Familiarity breeds success
The 2018 edition of the Redwings have hardly been a one-year wonder.
Seniors Flynn, Maddie Becker, Clare Bumpus and Jackie Schuman have all been on varsity since arriving as freshmen in 2015.
The same can be said for 2016 freshman class/current standouts Mary Kate Hansen, Nicole Burns, Mia Ullmer, Mary Kate Wilhelm and Abby Casmere.
The experience and chemistry developed over time among those nine players and their fellow teammates has paid off.
“It’s been a really close knit team this year obviously,” Hansen said. “A lot of us have been playing together for so long that it’s just falling back into old habits of, we know where we all will be and what runs we’re going to make.
“It’s definitely a special group of girls, and I’m excited to go into the playoffs with them.”
Balanced diet
While feasting on opposing defenses for 50 goals this season, the Redwings have relied on multiple scoring threats and great balance in the goal column.
Sophomore Mia Tommasone leads the Redwings with nine goals, followed by Flynn and Casmere with seven each. Other strong finishers include Kayla Brannigan with five goals and Hansen, Sarah Bozych and Nicole Burns with four apiece.
Hansen had the game-winning goal in Thursday’s regular season-ending 1-0 win at Hinsdale Central.
“We’ve had a good season, so it’s just riding what we’ve been doing,” Hansen said of the Redwings’ keys to postseason success.
“We just have to keep finding the back of the net somehow, someway. And we’ve had a lot of different people scoring. I think if we can continue that, we’ll be good.”
Flynn leads the Redwings with 12 assists, followed by Casmere and Maddie Becker with six each.
On the defensive
If defense wins in the postseason, Benet is on good footing.
The Redwings had 12 shutouts in the regular season including two against top-quality sides Wheaton Warrenville South and Lyons.
That defensive strength should give opponents fits and leave goal-scoring as the biggest key to a prolonged postseason.
“I think it’s going to come down to if we can consistently put the ball in the goal,” Oconer said. “We’ve proven for the vast majority of the season that we’re really solid in the back.”
But as noted earlier, the Redwings have strong scoring depth – and versatility at the offensive end.
“We create tons of opportunities – we have so many set pieces and corner kick opportunities,” Oconer said. “We just have to finish more of those, because at a certain point you’re only going to get a few of those against the good teams. So you need to be a lot more efficient.”