Notebook: Triad-Benet
By Michael Wojtychiw
NAPERVILLE -- Triad and Benet came into Saturday’s title game as the winners of the previous two Class AA tournaments. The Knights took the title last season while Benet lost in a Class 3A sectional final to eventual runnerup Lyons. The Redwings took the title in 2019.
Benet outlasted Deerfield 3-2 in the semis; Triad needed to play an extra 20 minutes to take down Fenwick 3-1.
In the Saturday title game, Triad’s Gina Catanzaro, a Maryville University recruit, did Gina Catanzaro things and scored her second goal of the weekend to help her team collect the 1-0 win.
Triad gets defensive
Triad has earned its reputation as strong defensive program. After the dust settled on the season, the Knights allowed a mere six goals. When mixed with their strong offense, the combination was almost impossible to beat.
Prior to surrendering a goal to Fenwick, Triad hadn’t allowed a goal time since their only loss, a 2-0 decision to Waterloo nine games earlier. Triad avenged that loss 1-0 in a sectional final.
Jackie Barkus, Brynn Presley and Avery Bohnenstiehl were dynamite in front of twin keepers Reagan and Kendall Chigas, who only faced a total of 61 shots before finals weekend.
“We were just trying to get the goals to take the lead, because we knew we have the defense,” Barkus said. “We knew we had to come and play like we did at the end of yesterday if we wanted to win.”
Triad’s offense plays a huge part in the Knights stinginess. Their possession game is strong.
“I thought we moved the ball well today, but credit Benet,” coach Matt Bettlach said. “We possessed well but when we got the ball in the offensive third, we couldn’t do anything there.”
Repeat trips
Triad is quite the regular at the state tournament. In the past 10 state tournaments, the Knights have made it to the state’s Final Four five times, including four of the last five gatherings. There was no event in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Last year’s team won the state title thanks to two 1-0 victories.
“The target this team had on their back from Day One was unbelievable,” Bettlach said. “All of the girls have the word “Focus” written on the back of their shoes for a reason: to eliminate distractions because every game we got into, everyone wants to take you down.
“Because of last year’s success ... for this team to go 25-1-0 and win a state title, after the gauntlet that we ran through, it’s impressive.”
Many of the leaders on the team were seniors, including Catanzaro, who finished the season with 27 goals. She scored the game-tying goal in the semifinals, and the game-winner for the final.
The Knights have several candidates to try to replace Catanzaro: Laney Harshany will return for her senior year after a season-ending knee injury; and Hannah Sparks hinted at good days ahead after a sophomore season that led the underclassmen goal scorers.
They will also need to replace top midfielders Kinlee Lippert and Maddie Milligan, who helped form the potent attack.
“We had 12 seniors to lead this group," Bettlach said. "This one’s different because of the focus these girls had, to come every day focused, no distractions. This is a special group.”
Benet made it back
Benet’s last trip to the state finals was unforgettable. The Redwings won their first state title with wins over Triad and Wauconda.
In 2021, the team went undefeated in the COVID-shortened regular-season, before ultimately dropping the sectional final to traditional Class 3A power Lyons.
It was after that match that manager Gerard Oconer felt his squad could be special this year.
“The resolve of going through everything they’ve gone through the past couple years, there could have been a lot of excuses on why we didn’t do well this year,” he said. “But they kept fighting, they kept pushing.
“We started out tough, losing a couple games early in a tough tournament (to eventual Class 3A champion Metea Valley and sectional titleist Glenbard West in the Wheaton North Kickoff Classic), and we’re not used to losing.
“For the girls to battle through that kind of adversity was encouraging to see, and that’s how we knew we’d have a chance to push through and get far through the state tournament.”
And he was right. The Redwings whipped off seven wins before falling in tight matches to ranked 3A foes Oswego East and St. Charles North at the state's toughest in-season tournament -- the Naperville Invitational.
Then Benet won 13 in a row before its championship loss.
The Redwings are already thinking about win streaks in 2023.
“Next year we return all but something like four players,” said now senior midfielder Rachel Burns. “So, let’s just go again.”
“Second-half team”
Benet has excelled in the second half all season.
After a quick semifinal lead against Deerfield, the Redwings needed two goals after the break to take the win.
The title game was tied 0-0 at the half.
“We came out a little slow, but we did (Friday) as well,” Burns said. “I know we’re a second-half team, so we were all saying ‘Let’s pick it up in the second half.’ We were saying ‘You’ve just got to want this.’
“Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
While Triad was able to shut down the Benet offense, the Redwings defense did the same. The Knights had only five shots and scored on their only one on goal.
“We just stayed organized in the back,” Oconer said. “We closed down the space as quickly as we could, limiting the amount of shots they had and tried to do to them what they did to us,” the manager said.
“There’s a reason they’ve only given up a handful of goals all year, and we knew this was going to come down to probably a 1-0 game, and it was going to come down to an amazing shot to win the game.
“That’s exactly what happened.”
By Michael Wojtychiw
NAPERVILLE -- Triad and Benet came into Saturday’s title game as the winners of the previous two Class AA tournaments. The Knights took the title last season while Benet lost in a Class 3A sectional final to eventual runnerup Lyons. The Redwings took the title in 2019.
Benet outlasted Deerfield 3-2 in the semis; Triad needed to play an extra 20 minutes to take down Fenwick 3-1.
In the Saturday title game, Triad’s Gina Catanzaro, a Maryville University recruit, did Gina Catanzaro things and scored her second goal of the weekend to help her team collect the 1-0 win.
Triad gets defensive
Triad has earned its reputation as strong defensive program. After the dust settled on the season, the Knights allowed a mere six goals. When mixed with their strong offense, the combination was almost impossible to beat.
Prior to surrendering a goal to Fenwick, Triad hadn’t allowed a goal time since their only loss, a 2-0 decision to Waterloo nine games earlier. Triad avenged that loss 1-0 in a sectional final.
Jackie Barkus, Brynn Presley and Avery Bohnenstiehl were dynamite in front of twin keepers Reagan and Kendall Chigas, who only faced a total of 61 shots before finals weekend.
“We were just trying to get the goals to take the lead, because we knew we have the defense,” Barkus said. “We knew we had to come and play like we did at the end of yesterday if we wanted to win.”
Triad’s offense plays a huge part in the Knights stinginess. Their possession game is strong.
“I thought we moved the ball well today, but credit Benet,” coach Matt Bettlach said. “We possessed well but when we got the ball in the offensive third, we couldn’t do anything there.”
Repeat trips
Triad is quite the regular at the state tournament. In the past 10 state tournaments, the Knights have made it to the state’s Final Four five times, including four of the last five gatherings. There was no event in 2020 because of the pandemic.
Last year’s team won the state title thanks to two 1-0 victories.
“The target this team had on their back from Day One was unbelievable,” Bettlach said. “All of the girls have the word “Focus” written on the back of their shoes for a reason: to eliminate distractions because every game we got into, everyone wants to take you down.
“Because of last year’s success ... for this team to go 25-1-0 and win a state title, after the gauntlet that we ran through, it’s impressive.”
Many of the leaders on the team were seniors, including Catanzaro, who finished the season with 27 goals. She scored the game-tying goal in the semifinals, and the game-winner for the final.
The Knights have several candidates to try to replace Catanzaro: Laney Harshany will return for her senior year after a season-ending knee injury; and Hannah Sparks hinted at good days ahead after a sophomore season that led the underclassmen goal scorers.
They will also need to replace top midfielders Kinlee Lippert and Maddie Milligan, who helped form the potent attack.
“We had 12 seniors to lead this group," Bettlach said. "This one’s different because of the focus these girls had, to come every day focused, no distractions. This is a special group.”
Benet made it back
Benet’s last trip to the state finals was unforgettable. The Redwings won their first state title with wins over Triad and Wauconda.
In 2021, the team went undefeated in the COVID-shortened regular-season, before ultimately dropping the sectional final to traditional Class 3A power Lyons.
It was after that match that manager Gerard Oconer felt his squad could be special this year.
“The resolve of going through everything they’ve gone through the past couple years, there could have been a lot of excuses on why we didn’t do well this year,” he said. “But they kept fighting, they kept pushing.
“We started out tough, losing a couple games early in a tough tournament (to eventual Class 3A champion Metea Valley and sectional titleist Glenbard West in the Wheaton North Kickoff Classic), and we’re not used to losing.
“For the girls to battle through that kind of adversity was encouraging to see, and that’s how we knew we’d have a chance to push through and get far through the state tournament.”
And he was right. The Redwings whipped off seven wins before falling in tight matches to ranked 3A foes Oswego East and St. Charles North at the state's toughest in-season tournament -- the Naperville Invitational.
Then Benet won 13 in a row before its championship loss.
The Redwings are already thinking about win streaks in 2023.
“Next year we return all but something like four players,” said now senior midfielder Rachel Burns. “So, let’s just go again.”
“Second-half team”
Benet has excelled in the second half all season.
After a quick semifinal lead against Deerfield, the Redwings needed two goals after the break to take the win.
The title game was tied 0-0 at the half.
“We came out a little slow, but we did (Friday) as well,” Burns said. “I know we’re a second-half team, so we were all saying ‘Let’s pick it up in the second half.’ We were saying ‘You’ve just got to want this.’
“Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”
While Triad was able to shut down the Benet offense, the Redwings defense did the same. The Knights had only five shots and scored on their only one on goal.
“We just stayed organized in the back,” Oconer said. “We closed down the space as quickly as we could, limiting the amount of shots they had and tried to do to them what they did to us,” the manager said.
“There’s a reason they’ve only given up a handful of goals all year, and we knew this was going to come down to probably a 1-0 game, and it was going to come down to an amazing shot to win the game.
“That’s exactly what happened.”