Benet notebook
By Matt Le Cren
With apologies to Forrest Gump, watching Benet this spring has been like eating a box of chocolates.
You never know what you are going to get. Most days it will be a sweet treat. But every so often you’ll crack a tooth on a hard center.
Saturday was one of the latter.
The Redwings (11-6-0) came into Lyons’ “Pink Out” game riding a four-game winning streak and promptly got blown out 6-1. The host Lions (11-4-1), who used the game to raise money for charity, scored twice in a 39-second span in the first half and twice more 1:33 apart early in the second half.
“The first 12 or 13 minutes we actually had the better of the run of play and didn’t finish on some chances,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “Then they got two quick ones, and we were chasing from there.
“They were very clinical with their finishing.”
The Redwings played without two key starters: senior co-captain Katie Gesior, who tweaked an ankle in practice; and sophomore center back Mary Kate Hansen, who is out for the season after suffering a broken collarbone.
“We got really lucky in the first two months of the season because we had no injuries,” said Oconer, whose team had only 15 healthy players on Saturday. “Now they’re starting to pile up. But every team is dealing with that.”
Things don’t get easier when no. 10 Metea Valley (12-3-3), which is riding a six-game unbeaten streak, visits Lisle on Tuesday. But Oconer said the team has not lost confidence despite enduring a series of peaks and valleys. The Redwings started the season 7-2-0, then lost three straight before recovering to win four in a row.
“We definitely have had a very roller-coaster type of season,” Oconer said. “But everybody is still looking forward to the state tournament.”
Twin kicks
One scores goals, the other prevents them.
Which is better?
Both are good for Benet.
Senior twins Betsy and Anna Keefe are enjoying their third, and final, season playing together. Betsy is the Redwings’ leading striker, while Anna is in her second season as the starting goalkeeper.
Fellow Katie Gesior said the Keefes bring immeasurable value and leadership to the team.
“I know I can always rely on Betsy,” Gesior said. “She’s always in the right spot for me to play it through to her, and I know she’ll get on the end of it.
“She’s really consistent, same with Anna. Anna makes great saves and has good leadership in the back.
“Both of them are good friends and good teammates, so being able to play with them is really special. I trust both of them.”
Betsy Keefe leads the Redwings with 11 goals and six assists and had racked up 25 goals and 24 assists in her three-year varsity career. Anna Keefe has posted 13 career shutouts, including seven this year.
“They bring great leadership,” Oconer said. “Obviously, Betsy has been our biggest goal scorer over the last couple years, and Anna has helped stabilize the goalkeeping position for us because that was a bit of a question the last couple of years, so it’s just nice to have her experience back there.”
Interestingly, each of the sisters faces their biggest test in practice when they are pitted against each other.
“Whenever she’s up against me in practice I always want to stop her,” Anna said.
Betsy has noticed.
“She always tries a little harder against me,” Betsy said.
If you want a scouting report on one sister, just ask the other.
“I think she’s really good at communicating in the back with the defensive players,” Betsy said of Anna. “Another one of her strengths is she is really good at coming out when the players come 1-on-1 with her. She’s aggressive, but she’s a really solid all-around goalkeeper.”
Likewise, Anna can vouch for Betsy’s prowess.
“I think she’s really fun to watch,” Anna said. “I can see everything on the field, and I always want her to get the ball, because I know she can do something with it.
“I think her speed is one of her main strengths, and she can go around people and then she can usually finish or cross it in. She will give our team some sort of chance to score.”
Neither of the Keefes will play college soccer. The honor students have chosen to focus on academics. Betsy is headed to Notre Dame, while Anna plans to attend Boston College.
Midfield maestro
Senior midfielder Gesior has been synonymous with Benet soccer for four years now. She has continually improving her game while providing a consistent scoring threat every team needs, but which many lack.
“I remember seeing her at our camp going into seventh grade, and she’s been at our camp every single summer since,” Oconer said. “When she came in as a seventh grader, she was a good player but I didn’t know if she was going to be that great of a player.
“She’s just elevated her game every single year. She carries us when we really need it. She is the one person that you can always count on.”
Gesior has 10 goals and five assists this season, giving her 33 goals and 23 assists for her career.
Gesior, who passed up the chance to play in college, is the only four-year varsity player on the current roster.
“Essentially she is Benet soccer,” Oconer said. “She is the kind of player that you hope to mold your younger players after because every single year she’s found a way to improve her game in some aspect.”
A defensive-minded player earlier in her career, Gesior transformed into a deadly weapon on free kicks and now is scoring more often in the run of play.
“Katie is definitely the glue to our team,” said fellow co-captain Betsy Keefe. “She brings us all together, and she knows exactly what to say when we need it.
“On the field, she’s what we need in the center leading us. She’s definitely an important part of the team, and I don’t know what they’re going to do next year. Luckily I don’t have to play without her.”
The Redwings played without Gesior for the first time Saturday and were bounced 6-1 by Lyons. She tweaked an ankle in practice Friday and was held out as a precaution, but hopes to return to action this week.
“I think my team has confidence in me, so it doesn’t worry me that, 'Oh, I have to finish it, there’s so much pressure,'” Gesior said. “So then I can just calmly step up to the ball.
“I know that I’ve done it before and I have confidence to put it in. My team is not going to yell at me and kill me for it if I don’t put it in, and I know that they’ll come out strong.”
By Matt Le Cren
With apologies to Forrest Gump, watching Benet this spring has been like eating a box of chocolates.
You never know what you are going to get. Most days it will be a sweet treat. But every so often you’ll crack a tooth on a hard center.
Saturday was one of the latter.
The Redwings (11-6-0) came into Lyons’ “Pink Out” game riding a four-game winning streak and promptly got blown out 6-1. The host Lions (11-4-1), who used the game to raise money for charity, scored twice in a 39-second span in the first half and twice more 1:33 apart early in the second half.
“The first 12 or 13 minutes we actually had the better of the run of play and didn’t finish on some chances,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “Then they got two quick ones, and we were chasing from there.
“They were very clinical with their finishing.”
The Redwings played without two key starters: senior co-captain Katie Gesior, who tweaked an ankle in practice; and sophomore center back Mary Kate Hansen, who is out for the season after suffering a broken collarbone.
“We got really lucky in the first two months of the season because we had no injuries,” said Oconer, whose team had only 15 healthy players on Saturday. “Now they’re starting to pile up. But every team is dealing with that.”
Things don’t get easier when no. 10 Metea Valley (12-3-3), which is riding a six-game unbeaten streak, visits Lisle on Tuesday. But Oconer said the team has not lost confidence despite enduring a series of peaks and valleys. The Redwings started the season 7-2-0, then lost three straight before recovering to win four in a row.
“We definitely have had a very roller-coaster type of season,” Oconer said. “But everybody is still looking forward to the state tournament.”
Twin kicks
One scores goals, the other prevents them.
Which is better?
Both are good for Benet.
Senior twins Betsy and Anna Keefe are enjoying their third, and final, season playing together. Betsy is the Redwings’ leading striker, while Anna is in her second season as the starting goalkeeper.
Fellow Katie Gesior said the Keefes bring immeasurable value and leadership to the team.
“I know I can always rely on Betsy,” Gesior said. “She’s always in the right spot for me to play it through to her, and I know she’ll get on the end of it.
“She’s really consistent, same with Anna. Anna makes great saves and has good leadership in the back.
“Both of them are good friends and good teammates, so being able to play with them is really special. I trust both of them.”
Betsy Keefe leads the Redwings with 11 goals and six assists and had racked up 25 goals and 24 assists in her three-year varsity career. Anna Keefe has posted 13 career shutouts, including seven this year.
“They bring great leadership,” Oconer said. “Obviously, Betsy has been our biggest goal scorer over the last couple years, and Anna has helped stabilize the goalkeeping position for us because that was a bit of a question the last couple of years, so it’s just nice to have her experience back there.”
Interestingly, each of the sisters faces their biggest test in practice when they are pitted against each other.
“Whenever she’s up against me in practice I always want to stop her,” Anna said.
Betsy has noticed.
“She always tries a little harder against me,” Betsy said.
If you want a scouting report on one sister, just ask the other.
“I think she’s really good at communicating in the back with the defensive players,” Betsy said of Anna. “Another one of her strengths is she is really good at coming out when the players come 1-on-1 with her. She’s aggressive, but she’s a really solid all-around goalkeeper.”
Likewise, Anna can vouch for Betsy’s prowess.
“I think she’s really fun to watch,” Anna said. “I can see everything on the field, and I always want her to get the ball, because I know she can do something with it.
“I think her speed is one of her main strengths, and she can go around people and then she can usually finish or cross it in. She will give our team some sort of chance to score.”
Neither of the Keefes will play college soccer. The honor students have chosen to focus on academics. Betsy is headed to Notre Dame, while Anna plans to attend Boston College.
Midfield maestro
Senior midfielder Gesior has been synonymous with Benet soccer for four years now. She has continually improving her game while providing a consistent scoring threat every team needs, but which many lack.
“I remember seeing her at our camp going into seventh grade, and she’s been at our camp every single summer since,” Oconer said. “When she came in as a seventh grader, she was a good player but I didn’t know if she was going to be that great of a player.
“She’s just elevated her game every single year. She carries us when we really need it. She is the one person that you can always count on.”
Gesior has 10 goals and five assists this season, giving her 33 goals and 23 assists for her career.
Gesior, who passed up the chance to play in college, is the only four-year varsity player on the current roster.
“Essentially she is Benet soccer,” Oconer said. “She is the kind of player that you hope to mold your younger players after because every single year she’s found a way to improve her game in some aspect.”
A defensive-minded player earlier in her career, Gesior transformed into a deadly weapon on free kicks and now is scoring more often in the run of play.
“Katie is definitely the glue to our team,” said fellow co-captain Betsy Keefe. “She brings us all together, and she knows exactly what to say when we need it.
“On the field, she’s what we need in the center leading us. She’s definitely an important part of the team, and I don’t know what they’re going to do next year. Luckily I don’t have to play without her.”
The Redwings played without Gesior for the first time Saturday and were bounced 6-1 by Lyons. She tweaked an ankle in practice Friday and was held out as a precaution, but hopes to return to action this week.
“I think my team has confidence in me, so it doesn’t worry me that, 'Oh, I have to finish it, there’s so much pressure,'” Gesior said. “So then I can just calmly step up to the ball.
“I know that I’ve done it before and I have confidence to put it in. My team is not going to yell at me and kill me for it if I don’t put it in, and I know that they’ll come out strong.”