Return to Class 2A doesn't provide easy road for Benet's state tournament hopes
By Matt LeCren
If Benet was hoping a move back to Class 2A for the 2017 season would open up an easier path to the state finals, it was sorely disappointed.
The IHSA put four of the top teams in the Chicago area into the Nazareth Sectional, meaning the Redwings will again have to go through a meat grinder to realize their dream of advancing to state for the first time since 2005, when there were two classes instead of three.
Benet is the no. 3 seed at Nazareth behind the host Roadrunners and Hinsdale South. The fourth seed is St. Francis, which finished fourth in the state last year. Nazareth stands at 11th in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 of the regular season. Benet, Hinsdale South and St. Francis have been ranked during the campaign.
Redwings co-captain Katie Gesior was upbeat when asked about the playoffs after the Redwings’ 1-1 tie with 10th-ranked Metea Valley on May 9.
“It’s definitely going to be a rough trip to the state finals, but we have a good team this year and from what we saw today, I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Gesior said.”So I’m excited for playoffs to start.”
The Redwings (12-6-1) open the playoffs at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Glenbard South Regional against 14th-seeded Kenwood. Sixth-seed Glenbard South plays 10th-seeded DeLaSalle in the other semifinal, with the winners meeting Friday in the title game.
Benet will be heavily favored to get through the regional and rightly so, considering the Redwings have done well against a schedule littered with tough Class 3A opponents.
Benet features 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team member Gesior, a four-year varsity player and consummate leader, and All-State Watchlist members Erin Flynn, a junior who has made an impact at left wing and left back, and forward Betsy Keefe, a dynamic senior forward.
Gesior and Keefe each have scored 11 goals, which ranks them second on the team scoring list. Flynn has two goals and a team-high nine assists.
The play of that trio will largely determine how far the Redwings go, but they have plenty of help from a rather youthful yet talented supporting cast.
“I think we have to stick together as a team,” Gesior said. “As long as we stay together and keep playing our game instead of trying to change how we play against the other teams (we’ll be fine).”
Gesior has been nursing a sore ankle the past 10 days. She missed one game but returned to score on a booming 35-yard free kick against Metea Valley.
But the Redwings lost another key piece when sophomore center back Mary Kate Hansen was lost for the season with a broken collarbone. That necessitated moving Flynn from forward back to defense, which is where she played last season.
That shores up a defense that has been solid thanks to the play of junior Clare Bumpus, sophomore Mary Kate Wilhelm and Flynn’s freshman sister, Kate, but it could take some of the potency out of the offense.
But Benet coach Gerard Oconer isn’t too worried about that.
“Our offense will be impacted, but we will be able to attack in different ways depending on the opponent,” Oconer said. “And we can always move Erin up into the attack whenever we need it.”
Midfielders Abby Casmere and Maddie Becker have been solid, but a name many teams are unfamiliar with could make the biggest difference.
Freshman forward Mia Tommasone leads the team with 12 goals and has the confidence of her older teammates.
“I know Mia has a killer shot and when she gets those opportunities, she’s able to finish them,” Gesior said. “So I think she’ll come in and surprise the other teams.”
But Tommasone won’t surprise Oconer.
“She was a goal-scoring machine over the winter,” Oconer said. “We usually put together a couple of indoor teams.
“That’s a good way for us to evaluate the talent that is coming in. She definitely stood out.”
Can the Redwings stand out enough to hoist the sectional championship plaque on May 26 at Elmhurst College?
If they do, it will be a good feat. Assuming the seeds hold, they would have to knock off no. 2 seed Hinsdale South (14-4-3) in the sectional semifinal and then beat either top-seeded Nazareth (18-2-1) or fourth seed St. Francis (8-5-3) in the final.
“The top four seeds are capable of winning it,” Oconer said. “It’s just a matter of who plays well on that day.”
The Redwings did not play Hinsdale South or St. Francis during the regular season. They lost to Nazareth 3-1 in overtime on the road on April 4.
“This is what we’ve been working toward all season,” Oconer said. “It’s a great opportunity for us and just getting through the sectional will be an accomplishment.”
By Matt LeCren
If Benet was hoping a move back to Class 2A for the 2017 season would open up an easier path to the state finals, it was sorely disappointed.
The IHSA put four of the top teams in the Chicago area into the Nazareth Sectional, meaning the Redwings will again have to go through a meat grinder to realize their dream of advancing to state for the first time since 2005, when there were two classes instead of three.
Benet is the no. 3 seed at Nazareth behind the host Roadrunners and Hinsdale South. The fourth seed is St. Francis, which finished fourth in the state last year. Nazareth stands at 11th in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 of the regular season. Benet, Hinsdale South and St. Francis have been ranked during the campaign.
Redwings co-captain Katie Gesior was upbeat when asked about the playoffs after the Redwings’ 1-1 tie with 10th-ranked Metea Valley on May 9.
“It’s definitely going to be a rough trip to the state finals, but we have a good team this year and from what we saw today, I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Gesior said.”So I’m excited for playoffs to start.”
The Redwings (12-6-1) open the playoffs at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Glenbard South Regional against 14th-seeded Kenwood. Sixth-seed Glenbard South plays 10th-seeded DeLaSalle in the other semifinal, with the winners meeting Friday in the title game.
Benet will be heavily favored to get through the regional and rightly so, considering the Redwings have done well against a schedule littered with tough Class 3A opponents.
Benet features 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team member Gesior, a four-year varsity player and consummate leader, and All-State Watchlist members Erin Flynn, a junior who has made an impact at left wing and left back, and forward Betsy Keefe, a dynamic senior forward.
Gesior and Keefe each have scored 11 goals, which ranks them second on the team scoring list. Flynn has two goals and a team-high nine assists.
The play of that trio will largely determine how far the Redwings go, but they have plenty of help from a rather youthful yet talented supporting cast.
“I think we have to stick together as a team,” Gesior said. “As long as we stay together and keep playing our game instead of trying to change how we play against the other teams (we’ll be fine).”
Gesior has been nursing a sore ankle the past 10 days. She missed one game but returned to score on a booming 35-yard free kick against Metea Valley.
But the Redwings lost another key piece when sophomore center back Mary Kate Hansen was lost for the season with a broken collarbone. That necessitated moving Flynn from forward back to defense, which is where she played last season.
That shores up a defense that has been solid thanks to the play of junior Clare Bumpus, sophomore Mary Kate Wilhelm and Flynn’s freshman sister, Kate, but it could take some of the potency out of the offense.
But Benet coach Gerard Oconer isn’t too worried about that.
“Our offense will be impacted, but we will be able to attack in different ways depending on the opponent,” Oconer said. “And we can always move Erin up into the attack whenever we need it.”
Midfielders Abby Casmere and Maddie Becker have been solid, but a name many teams are unfamiliar with could make the biggest difference.
Freshman forward Mia Tommasone leads the team with 12 goals and has the confidence of her older teammates.
“I know Mia has a killer shot and when she gets those opportunities, she’s able to finish them,” Gesior said. “So I think she’ll come in and surprise the other teams.”
But Tommasone won’t surprise Oconer.
“She was a goal-scoring machine over the winter,” Oconer said. “We usually put together a couple of indoor teams.
“That’s a good way for us to evaluate the talent that is coming in. She definitely stood out.”
Can the Redwings stand out enough to hoist the sectional championship plaque on May 26 at Elmhurst College?
If they do, it will be a good feat. Assuming the seeds hold, they would have to knock off no. 2 seed Hinsdale South (14-4-3) in the sectional semifinal and then beat either top-seeded Nazareth (18-2-1) or fourth seed St. Francis (8-5-3) in the final.
“The top four seeds are capable of winning it,” Oconer said. “It’s just a matter of who plays well on that day.”
The Redwings did not play Hinsdale South or St. Francis during the regular season. They lost to Nazareth 3-1 in overtime on the road on April 4.
“This is what we’ve been working toward all season,” Oconer said. “It’s a great opportunity for us and just getting through the sectional will be an accomplishment.”