Carmel, Saint Viator
meeting always a good 1
Game has league implications
By Rusty Silber
When Saint Viator meets up with Carmel in an East Suburban Catholic Conference battle Wednesday afternoon in Mundelein, you can throw the team records out the window. But you can't ignore the game's meaning to the league race.
So far Benet has the upper hand with an overtime victory over St. Viator (9-2-0) that left the Lions a game back (5-1). Carmel (9-1-1) and the Redwings (12-1-1) are unbeaten with matching 5-0 league marks.
"It's not how big the game is," Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. "It always comes down to the top three in the conference: Benet, Carmel and us. To me, it's another game and another game in the conference hunt.
"To some the ultimate goal is to win the conference but to me that's not our ultimate goal. We look towards the end of the year. We want to be playing our best for the postseason so we can go far in the tournament.
"It should be a great game with two good teams. There have been great games over the years."
Carmel will take on Benet on May 9. But this is one matchup that the Corsairs look forward to on their schedule each season.
"We did what we had to do against the mid-table teams," Carmel coach John Halloran said. "We beat Providence, we beat Fenwick, we beat Nazareth and we beat Marist. So we set ourselves up. We've got Saint Viator, Joliet Catholic, Marian Central and Benet (left). That's our season right now. That's the conference championship. Obviously, there's the playoffs. Right now, the number one priority is winning the conference."
Expectations for the match are high.
"I expect an unbelievable game," Halloran said. "(Mike) Taylor does a great job getting his kids ready. I'm excited, and I'm nervous at the same time. It's more of a must win for them, but we view it the same way. We don't want to go into that game with anything less than a win, because Benet is still out there."
Both teams enter the game without any major injuries at this point of the season. Carmel eight days off to heal before its 2-0 win over Marist on Monday. Saint Viator had several early season nagging injuries that haven't affected their play.
Other than the Benet loss, Saint Viator's only other blemish is a 5-1 defeat at the feet of No. 4 Barrington in the Naperville Invitational last week.
"We've been playing pretty well," Taylor said. "Losing to Barrington, they're a good team and caught us on the wrong foot on that day. We play those types of teams so we can get better in the long run.
"Finishing our chances will be the key, but that can be the key for both teams. I haven't seen Carmel this season, but they're not any secret to me. We don't have a stud that leads our team. We have a number of players that play well together. I think we're better than last year with more depth and ability."
Carmel's lone loss occurred on April Fools Day, when visiting Lake Zurich posted a 2-0 win. Since then, the Corsairs have won six-straight games. Carmel also had a 1-1 draw with Hersey in the third game of the season.
"Our fitness and form are good right now," Halloran said. "Everybody is on the same page. We couldn't be in any better shape heading into the game against Saint Viator. Expect the game to be a battle, whether its here or there or boys or girls. It's Viator that's all you have to say."
meeting always a good 1
Game has league implications
By Rusty Silber
When Saint Viator meets up with Carmel in an East Suburban Catholic Conference battle Wednesday afternoon in Mundelein, you can throw the team records out the window. But you can't ignore the game's meaning to the league race.
So far Benet has the upper hand with an overtime victory over St. Viator (9-2-0) that left the Lions a game back (5-1). Carmel (9-1-1) and the Redwings (12-1-1) are unbeaten with matching 5-0 league marks.
"It's not how big the game is," Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. "It always comes down to the top three in the conference: Benet, Carmel and us. To me, it's another game and another game in the conference hunt.
"To some the ultimate goal is to win the conference but to me that's not our ultimate goal. We look towards the end of the year. We want to be playing our best for the postseason so we can go far in the tournament.
"It should be a great game with two good teams. There have been great games over the years."
Carmel will take on Benet on May 9. But this is one matchup that the Corsairs look forward to on their schedule each season.
"We did what we had to do against the mid-table teams," Carmel coach John Halloran said. "We beat Providence, we beat Fenwick, we beat Nazareth and we beat Marist. So we set ourselves up. We've got Saint Viator, Joliet Catholic, Marian Central and Benet (left). That's our season right now. That's the conference championship. Obviously, there's the playoffs. Right now, the number one priority is winning the conference."
Expectations for the match are high.
"I expect an unbelievable game," Halloran said. "(Mike) Taylor does a great job getting his kids ready. I'm excited, and I'm nervous at the same time. It's more of a must win for them, but we view it the same way. We don't want to go into that game with anything less than a win, because Benet is still out there."
Both teams enter the game without any major injuries at this point of the season. Carmel eight days off to heal before its 2-0 win over Marist on Monday. Saint Viator had several early season nagging injuries that haven't affected their play.
Other than the Benet loss, Saint Viator's only other blemish is a 5-1 defeat at the feet of No. 4 Barrington in the Naperville Invitational last week.
"We've been playing pretty well," Taylor said. "Losing to Barrington, they're a good team and caught us on the wrong foot on that day. We play those types of teams so we can get better in the long run.
"Finishing our chances will be the key, but that can be the key for both teams. I haven't seen Carmel this season, but they're not any secret to me. We don't have a stud that leads our team. We have a number of players that play well together. I think we're better than last year with more depth and ability."
Carmel's lone loss occurred on April Fools Day, when visiting Lake Zurich posted a 2-0 win. Since then, the Corsairs have won six-straight games. Carmel also had a 1-1 draw with Hersey in the third game of the season.
"Our fitness and form are good right now," Halloran said. "Everybody is on the same page. We couldn't be in any better shape heading into the game against Saint Viator. Expect the game to be a battle, whether its here or there or boys or girls. It's Viator that's all you have to say."