Class AA state tournament
finals preview
By Curt Herron
Fenwick (13-6-2)
The Friars went 8-6-2 in the regular season but once the playoffs began, they outscored their five opponents by an 18-1 margin, which included a 1-0 win over Payton in the Fenwick Sectional final and a shootout victory (0-0, 4-2) over DeLaSalle in the Brooks Supersectional.
Fenwick meets defending champion Triad (23-1-0) in Friday's 11 a.m. semifinal. This is the Friars' fourth state appearance, and it will deliver their third state trophy. They turned in their best-ever finish in their last trip to state in 2013, when they finished third in Class AA.
Coach Craig Blazer, who is 24-10-2 after two seasons at the helm, was men's coach at DePaul University from 2001-17 and also coached with U.S. Soccer as a National Team coordinator from 1993-2001. His assistants are Dave Hartsfield, Dan Hussey and Esmeralda Torres.
Fenwick's top scorers are senior forward and captain Kate Henige (19 goals, 7 assists), sophomore midfielder Caroline Henige (12 goals, 3 assists), freshman midfielder Kiera Mullarkey (7 goals, 3 assists), senior midfielder Natalie LoGiudice (6 goals, 3 assists) and senior midfielder Julia Cianci (5 goals, 2 assists).
The Friars goalies are sophomore Leah Hyland (17 matches, 0.59 GAA) and senior Audrey Hinrichs (15 matches, 0.40 GAA). Hinrichs has an unusual distinction among players at her position. She also was a four-year performer in volleyball and basketball. The pair and their backline helped Fenwick post 11 shutouts and yield one goal in five other matches.
Senior defenders Emily Ortiz and Abbie Rogowski share the team captaining duties. Earning Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division all-conference honors were the Henige sisters, Rogowski and Ortiz.
Players who appeared in all 21 matches are sophomore defender Lizzie Brunick, sophomore midfielder Grace Kapsch, sophomore defender Gabi Kapusta, senior midfielder Natalie Larucci, Caroline Henige, Cianci, LoGuidice, Mullarkey and Ortiz while sisters Abbie and sophomore midfielder Maddie Rogowski were in all but one match. Kate Henige has played in all but two. Maddie Rogowski, who had six assists, reinjured an ankle and isn't expected to play.
The squad has an all-stater from another sport. Senior forward Lindsey Drumm medaled in the 100 butterfly and 200 medley relay at the IHSA swimming finals. She will continue to compete in that sport at Dartmouth College.
In one of its most noteworthy matches, Fenwick played to a 2-2 home draw with Deerfield when the eventual semifinalists met on March 31 at the Priory.
"We need to give ourselves a chance against Triad by being organized defensively, giving us confidence and then possession which leads to shots or fouls, we need free kicks." Blazer said. "We need to show Triad that they can lose this game, and we can win this game."
Triad (23-1-0)
The defending champions hope to repeat after outscoring their opponents by a 30-0 margin in the playoffs. A year ago, Triad started the season with a draw in its first match and then won the next 24. The Knights capped things off with a 1-0 victory over Joliet Catholic in the final.
Coach Matt Bettlach's squad has only allowed five goals all season and has recorded 20 shutouts, which includes clean-sheets in its last eight matches and no goals allowed in 13 of its last 14 outings.
The team's lone setback came on April 28 when it fell 2-0 to Waterloo, which snapped the Knights 39-match winning streak. Triad, which started off 15-0-0, avenged that defeat in their sectional final with a 1-0 victory. Triad won 2-0 over the hosts of the Glenwood Supersectional to assure the program its fourth trophy in the last five seasons.
Top scorers for the Mississippi Valley Conference champions are senior forward Gina Catanzaro (24 goals, 8 assists), sophomore forward Hannah Sparks (11 goals, 9 assists), senior forward Breanna Zurek (11 goals, 2 assists), junior forward Karen Speer, (9 goals, 4 assists), senior midfielder Ezra Wilder (8 goals, 13 assists) and junior midfielder Caty Burton (7 goals, 9 assists).
The Knights' goalies are senior twins Kendall Chigas, who has allowed four goals, and Reagan Chigas, who has given up just one goal thus far.
Bettlach, who has a 154-33-14 record in eight seasons at the school, led the program to the state title in 2017 and another squad to a third place finish in 2019. Assistant coaches for the Knights are Sydney Keller, Jim Jackson, Bailey Stack and Heather Wright.
Triad, which finished top-ranked in Chicagoland Soccer's Illinois 10 poll, returns 18 players from its 2021 championship team which allowed just three goals all season and concluded the campaign with 15-consecutive shutouts.
Senior defenders Avery Bohnenstiehl and Brynn Presley in addition to Wilder captain the Knights.
Triad also won a state title in 2011 and took second place in 2003.
Benet (21-4-0)
The Redwings meet Deerfield in Friday's 1 p.m. semifinal after winning all of their matches against teams in their class.
Benet's four losses were by one goal to Class 3A programs who had successful seasons. They fell to Final Four member Metea Valley, sectional champion Glenbard West, sectional finalist St. Charles North and sectional semifinalist Oswego East. The quartet combined for a 72-15-2 record.
The Redwings followed a 2-2 start with seven-straight wins, After suffering their other two defeats, they captured 12-consecutive victories. They've gone 19-2-0 in their last 21 matches, capping that run by winning 4-1 over Lemont in the Wheaton Academy Sectional final and 1-0 over Dunlap in the St. Francis Supersectional to advance to the state finals for the fourth time.
Coach Gerard Oconer's squad has outscored their opponents by a 24-1 margin in the playoffs, recording shutouts in four of those matches. The East Suburban Catholic Conference champions have scored three or more goals in 15 of their matches.
Oconer, who is 97-19-3 in his fifth season coaching at the school where he competed, led the program to the 2019 Class AA championship, where they beat Triad in the semifinals and Wauconda in the title match. His assistants are Martin Uscila, Henry Wind, Kim Sayers and Kate Hennessy.
The team's top scorers are senior forward Mariana Pinto (25 goals, 13 assists), senior midfielder Katie Lewellyan (14 goals, 8 assists), freshman forward Keira Petrucelli (12 goals, 8 assists), junior forward Gabi DiMatteo (11 goals, 5 assists), junior midfielder Rachel Burns (7 goals, 8 assists) and junior forward Anna Casmere (7 goals, 7 assists).
Junior goalie Shannon Clark has recorded 13 shutouts in 25 matches, and has an 0.52 GAA. The team has also allowed just one goal on eight occasions.
Lewellyan was the co-Player of the Year in the ESCC. The Redwings all-conference selections were senior defender Annastacia Thiel, junior defender Sadie Sterbenz, junior midfielder Brinkley Douglas, sophomore defender Bailey Abbott, Clark and Pinto. Lewellyan is the only player on the squad who was a member of the 2019 championship team.
Players who've seen action in all of the Redwings' matches are sophomore defender Nora Hanson, Abbott, Burns, Casmere and Pinto. Taking part in all but one of the matches are freshman forward Chloe Sentman, DiMatteo, Lewellyan, Petrucelli, Sterbenz and Thiel.
Team captains for the Redwings, who finished the regular season ranked 13th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, are Lewellyan, Pinto and Thiel. A team member who will be part of a second trophy-winning team this season is Sterbenz, who played on Benet's fourth place basketball team.
"Benet enters Friday's semifinal on a 12-game win streak, outscoring their opponents 50-4 in that span," Oconer said. "The East Suburban Catholic Conference champions are led offensively by Mariana Pinto, a Lewis University recruit, and Katie Lewellyan and have a solid defense in front of goalkeeper Shannon Clark."
Deerfield (22-3-2)
The Warriors used a 10-match winning streak to help them go 15-2-1 down the stretch and advance to the state finals for the second time in their history. Now they look to improve on their previous state appearance when they took second in Class AA in 2016.
Beside consecutive losses to 3A semifinalist Evanston and then Warren last month, Deerfield has been on a roll, scoring three or more goals in 13 of its last 18 matches while recording nine-consecutive shutouts during the run, which helped it to capture top honors in the Central Suburban League North Division.
Coach Rich Grady's club has outscored its five playoff opponents by a 25-5 margin, highlighted by a pair of thrilling victories which saw them win 3-1 in double overtime over Lake Forest in the Wauconda Sectional finals and then capture a shootout victory (2-2, 4-1) over Boylan Catholic in the Grayslake Central Supersectional.
The 22 victories equals Deerfield's win total in 2016 when it edged St. Francis 1-0 in the semifinals before falling 4-0 to Rochester for the state championship.
Grady is 206-120-43 during his 15 years of leading the program. His assistant coaches are Ryan Crane, Dave Tuckey, Dave Hiegel, Elliott Hurtig, Melanie Imyak and Mirelle Haas.
Leading scorers for the Warriors are sophomore midfielder Emily Fox (25 goals, 14 assists), senior midfielder Holly Deutsch (14 goals, 29 assists), senior forward Riley Schimanski (18 goals, 11 assists), freshman forward Ryane Emory (11 goals, 4 assists) and senior midfielder Ally Linn (6 goals, 15 assists).
Sophomore goalie Lauren Gottlieb has an 0.89 GAA and her defense has helped her collect 15 shutouts and have five other matches where they allowed just one goal.
The Warriors, who were ranked 14th in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, have six CSL North all-conference selections. They are senior defender Katie Morgan, senior midfielder Erin Emory, senior goalie/defender Emma Gassman, Deutsch, Fox and Schimanski. Their four captains are Deutsch, Linn, Morgan and Schimanski.
Players who competed in all 27 of the Warriors' matches are junior forward Maggie Culver, sophomore midfielder Avery Kingsepp, Ryane Emory, Deutsch, Gassman and Linn.
Junior midfielder Jessie Fisher, sophomore defender Madeline Stevens and Erin Emory have played in 26 matches. Junior midfielder Sara Goldstone, Fox, Morgan and Schimanski have competed in 25 matches.
"We are excited for the opportunity and plan to play our brand of attacking soccer that got us this far," Grady said. "We know that we are competing with three programs with pedigrees of success at the state tournament, and we are looking forward to the challenge."
finals preview
By Curt Herron
Fenwick (13-6-2)
The Friars went 8-6-2 in the regular season but once the playoffs began, they outscored their five opponents by an 18-1 margin, which included a 1-0 win over Payton in the Fenwick Sectional final and a shootout victory (0-0, 4-2) over DeLaSalle in the Brooks Supersectional.
Fenwick meets defending champion Triad (23-1-0) in Friday's 11 a.m. semifinal. This is the Friars' fourth state appearance, and it will deliver their third state trophy. They turned in their best-ever finish in their last trip to state in 2013, when they finished third in Class AA.
Coach Craig Blazer, who is 24-10-2 after two seasons at the helm, was men's coach at DePaul University from 2001-17 and also coached with U.S. Soccer as a National Team coordinator from 1993-2001. His assistants are Dave Hartsfield, Dan Hussey and Esmeralda Torres.
Fenwick's top scorers are senior forward and captain Kate Henige (19 goals, 7 assists), sophomore midfielder Caroline Henige (12 goals, 3 assists), freshman midfielder Kiera Mullarkey (7 goals, 3 assists), senior midfielder Natalie LoGiudice (6 goals, 3 assists) and senior midfielder Julia Cianci (5 goals, 2 assists).
The Friars goalies are sophomore Leah Hyland (17 matches, 0.59 GAA) and senior Audrey Hinrichs (15 matches, 0.40 GAA). Hinrichs has an unusual distinction among players at her position. She also was a four-year performer in volleyball and basketball. The pair and their backline helped Fenwick post 11 shutouts and yield one goal in five other matches.
Senior defenders Emily Ortiz and Abbie Rogowski share the team captaining duties. Earning Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division all-conference honors were the Henige sisters, Rogowski and Ortiz.
Players who appeared in all 21 matches are sophomore defender Lizzie Brunick, sophomore midfielder Grace Kapsch, sophomore defender Gabi Kapusta, senior midfielder Natalie Larucci, Caroline Henige, Cianci, LoGuidice, Mullarkey and Ortiz while sisters Abbie and sophomore midfielder Maddie Rogowski were in all but one match. Kate Henige has played in all but two. Maddie Rogowski, who had six assists, reinjured an ankle and isn't expected to play.
The squad has an all-stater from another sport. Senior forward Lindsey Drumm medaled in the 100 butterfly and 200 medley relay at the IHSA swimming finals. She will continue to compete in that sport at Dartmouth College.
In one of its most noteworthy matches, Fenwick played to a 2-2 home draw with Deerfield when the eventual semifinalists met on March 31 at the Priory.
"We need to give ourselves a chance against Triad by being organized defensively, giving us confidence and then possession which leads to shots or fouls, we need free kicks." Blazer said. "We need to show Triad that they can lose this game, and we can win this game."
Triad (23-1-0)
The defending champions hope to repeat after outscoring their opponents by a 30-0 margin in the playoffs. A year ago, Triad started the season with a draw in its first match and then won the next 24. The Knights capped things off with a 1-0 victory over Joliet Catholic in the final.
Coach Matt Bettlach's squad has only allowed five goals all season and has recorded 20 shutouts, which includes clean-sheets in its last eight matches and no goals allowed in 13 of its last 14 outings.
The team's lone setback came on April 28 when it fell 2-0 to Waterloo, which snapped the Knights 39-match winning streak. Triad, which started off 15-0-0, avenged that defeat in their sectional final with a 1-0 victory. Triad won 2-0 over the hosts of the Glenwood Supersectional to assure the program its fourth trophy in the last five seasons.
Top scorers for the Mississippi Valley Conference champions are senior forward Gina Catanzaro (24 goals, 8 assists), sophomore forward Hannah Sparks (11 goals, 9 assists), senior forward Breanna Zurek (11 goals, 2 assists), junior forward Karen Speer, (9 goals, 4 assists), senior midfielder Ezra Wilder (8 goals, 13 assists) and junior midfielder Caty Burton (7 goals, 9 assists).
The Knights' goalies are senior twins Kendall Chigas, who has allowed four goals, and Reagan Chigas, who has given up just one goal thus far.
Bettlach, who has a 154-33-14 record in eight seasons at the school, led the program to the state title in 2017 and another squad to a third place finish in 2019. Assistant coaches for the Knights are Sydney Keller, Jim Jackson, Bailey Stack and Heather Wright.
Triad, which finished top-ranked in Chicagoland Soccer's Illinois 10 poll, returns 18 players from its 2021 championship team which allowed just three goals all season and concluded the campaign with 15-consecutive shutouts.
Senior defenders Avery Bohnenstiehl and Brynn Presley in addition to Wilder captain the Knights.
Triad also won a state title in 2011 and took second place in 2003.
Benet (21-4-0)
The Redwings meet Deerfield in Friday's 1 p.m. semifinal after winning all of their matches against teams in their class.
Benet's four losses were by one goal to Class 3A programs who had successful seasons. They fell to Final Four member Metea Valley, sectional champion Glenbard West, sectional finalist St. Charles North and sectional semifinalist Oswego East. The quartet combined for a 72-15-2 record.
The Redwings followed a 2-2 start with seven-straight wins, After suffering their other two defeats, they captured 12-consecutive victories. They've gone 19-2-0 in their last 21 matches, capping that run by winning 4-1 over Lemont in the Wheaton Academy Sectional final and 1-0 over Dunlap in the St. Francis Supersectional to advance to the state finals for the fourth time.
Coach Gerard Oconer's squad has outscored their opponents by a 24-1 margin in the playoffs, recording shutouts in four of those matches. The East Suburban Catholic Conference champions have scored three or more goals in 15 of their matches.
Oconer, who is 97-19-3 in his fifth season coaching at the school where he competed, led the program to the 2019 Class AA championship, where they beat Triad in the semifinals and Wauconda in the title match. His assistants are Martin Uscila, Henry Wind, Kim Sayers and Kate Hennessy.
The team's top scorers are senior forward Mariana Pinto (25 goals, 13 assists), senior midfielder Katie Lewellyan (14 goals, 8 assists), freshman forward Keira Petrucelli (12 goals, 8 assists), junior forward Gabi DiMatteo (11 goals, 5 assists), junior midfielder Rachel Burns (7 goals, 8 assists) and junior forward Anna Casmere (7 goals, 7 assists).
Junior goalie Shannon Clark has recorded 13 shutouts in 25 matches, and has an 0.52 GAA. The team has also allowed just one goal on eight occasions.
Lewellyan was the co-Player of the Year in the ESCC. The Redwings all-conference selections were senior defender Annastacia Thiel, junior defender Sadie Sterbenz, junior midfielder Brinkley Douglas, sophomore defender Bailey Abbott, Clark and Pinto. Lewellyan is the only player on the squad who was a member of the 2019 championship team.
Players who've seen action in all of the Redwings' matches are sophomore defender Nora Hanson, Abbott, Burns, Casmere and Pinto. Taking part in all but one of the matches are freshman forward Chloe Sentman, DiMatteo, Lewellyan, Petrucelli, Sterbenz and Thiel.
Team captains for the Redwings, who finished the regular season ranked 13th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, are Lewellyan, Pinto and Thiel. A team member who will be part of a second trophy-winning team this season is Sterbenz, who played on Benet's fourth place basketball team.
"Benet enters Friday's semifinal on a 12-game win streak, outscoring their opponents 50-4 in that span," Oconer said. "The East Suburban Catholic Conference champions are led offensively by Mariana Pinto, a Lewis University recruit, and Katie Lewellyan and have a solid defense in front of goalkeeper Shannon Clark."
Deerfield (22-3-2)
The Warriors used a 10-match winning streak to help them go 15-2-1 down the stretch and advance to the state finals for the second time in their history. Now they look to improve on their previous state appearance when they took second in Class AA in 2016.
Beside consecutive losses to 3A semifinalist Evanston and then Warren last month, Deerfield has been on a roll, scoring three or more goals in 13 of its last 18 matches while recording nine-consecutive shutouts during the run, which helped it to capture top honors in the Central Suburban League North Division.
Coach Rich Grady's club has outscored its five playoff opponents by a 25-5 margin, highlighted by a pair of thrilling victories which saw them win 3-1 in double overtime over Lake Forest in the Wauconda Sectional finals and then capture a shootout victory (2-2, 4-1) over Boylan Catholic in the Grayslake Central Supersectional.
The 22 victories equals Deerfield's win total in 2016 when it edged St. Francis 1-0 in the semifinals before falling 4-0 to Rochester for the state championship.
Grady is 206-120-43 during his 15 years of leading the program. His assistant coaches are Ryan Crane, Dave Tuckey, Dave Hiegel, Elliott Hurtig, Melanie Imyak and Mirelle Haas.
Leading scorers for the Warriors are sophomore midfielder Emily Fox (25 goals, 14 assists), senior midfielder Holly Deutsch (14 goals, 29 assists), senior forward Riley Schimanski (18 goals, 11 assists), freshman forward Ryane Emory (11 goals, 4 assists) and senior midfielder Ally Linn (6 goals, 15 assists).
Sophomore goalie Lauren Gottlieb has an 0.89 GAA and her defense has helped her collect 15 shutouts and have five other matches where they allowed just one goal.
The Warriors, who were ranked 14th in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, have six CSL North all-conference selections. They are senior defender Katie Morgan, senior midfielder Erin Emory, senior goalie/defender Emma Gassman, Deutsch, Fox and Schimanski. Their four captains are Deutsch, Linn, Morgan and Schimanski.
Players who competed in all 27 of the Warriors' matches are junior forward Maggie Culver, sophomore midfielder Avery Kingsepp, Ryane Emory, Deutsch, Gassman and Linn.
Junior midfielder Jessie Fisher, sophomore defender Madeline Stevens and Erin Emory have played in 26 matches. Junior midfielder Sara Goldstone, Fox, Morgan and Schimanski have competed in 25 matches.
"We are excited for the opportunity and plan to play our brand of attacking soccer that got us this far," Grady said. "We know that we are competing with three programs with pedigrees of success at the state tournament, and we are looking forward to the challenge."