Benet, Carmel meet for key ESCC match
By Rusty Silber
The East Suburban Catholic Conference matchup between Benet and Carmel is always a battle. The latest skirmish will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Mundelein.
Benet (12-1-0, 2-1-0) is ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. The Redwings only blemish is a home loss to surprising Joliet Catholic.
"Our team has really started to play well lately, especially after our one loss of the season to Joliet Catholic," Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. "The (recent) game against Naperville Central on Saturday was probably the sharpest that we've looked from start to finish all season."
Carmel (4-7-3, 1-2-1) on the other side the coin has been up and down this season. The Corsairs have been competitive but haven't been getting the results they prefer.
On Monday, Carmel had to take a road trip down to Joliet Catholic. The stay took longer than expected with a couple of weather delays. The Corsairs rallied from a 2-0 deficit at the break before tying the match. Joliet Catholic scored a late goal before the match was called with three minutes left due to the weather.
"We just have to forget about Joliet Catholic," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "There's not a lot of time, and it[s a quick turnaround. So anything can happen."
Tuesday's matchup between Benet and Carmel will be highly competitive once again for a number of reasons.
"Our game against Carmel every year is vitally important," Oconer said. "The result has frequently had a direct impact on the ESCC conference championship for the past several seasons.
"Getting off to a good start, winning 50/50 balls in the midfield, and utilizing all the space on their wide field will be critical in the game. Carmel has some very good attacking players who could be dangerous."
The hosts know what they are in for.
"Benet always plays a physical game," Krawzak said. "They have an attitude that they never give up and tackle hard. It's always a pretty good rivalry."
By Rusty Silber
The East Suburban Catholic Conference matchup between Benet and Carmel is always a battle. The latest skirmish will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Mundelein.
Benet (12-1-0, 2-1-0) is ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25. The Redwings only blemish is a home loss to surprising Joliet Catholic.
"Our team has really started to play well lately, especially after our one loss of the season to Joliet Catholic," Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. "The (recent) game against Naperville Central on Saturday was probably the sharpest that we've looked from start to finish all season."
Carmel (4-7-3, 1-2-1) on the other side the coin has been up and down this season. The Corsairs have been competitive but haven't been getting the results they prefer.
On Monday, Carmel had to take a road trip down to Joliet Catholic. The stay took longer than expected with a couple of weather delays. The Corsairs rallied from a 2-0 deficit at the break before tying the match. Joliet Catholic scored a late goal before the match was called with three minutes left due to the weather.
"We just have to forget about Joliet Catholic," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "There's not a lot of time, and it[s a quick turnaround. So anything can happen."
Tuesday's matchup between Benet and Carmel will be highly competitive once again for a number of reasons.
"Our game against Carmel every year is vitally important," Oconer said. "The result has frequently had a direct impact on the ESCC conference championship for the past several seasons.
"Getting off to a good start, winning 50/50 balls in the midfield, and utilizing all the space on their wide field will be critical in the game. Carmel has some very good attacking players who could be dangerous."
The hosts know what they are in for.
"Benet always plays a physical game," Krawzak said. "They have an attitude that they never give up and tackle hard. It's always a pretty good rivalry."