Heavyweight title bout: St. Patrick at Benet
By Mike Garofola
Two high-speed soccer clubs will collide head at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lisle when East Suburban Catholic Conference kingpins St. Patrick and Benet meet with the league crown on the line.
The battle pits Chicagoland Soccer's no. 2-ranked Shamrocks versus the 4th-ranked and host Redwings.
It's the final week of the regular season and there's no doubt these two sides are the best in the ESCC after showing their skill in advance of this highly anticipated contest.
As fans from both sides prepare for the biggest fixture of the season, this showpiece has a slight twist. St. Patrick enters the game with two nonconference losses in its last three games, including its heart-breaking defeat to Morton in kicks at the Sunday Showcase at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
"We played well enough to win, so it was a tough loss to take for all of us," said Shamrocks senior Jonathan Rodriguez, easily one of the top all-around players in the state.
"I won't use it as an excuse, and it's not to take anything away from Morton, but the last five days have been both an emotional and physical grind, and it may have caught up to us on Sunday."
Rodriguez's mention of the Shamrocks schedule leading up to this game is a fair point.
Last Wednesday evening the Shamrocks (20-2-2) hosted and and beat longtime league power Saint Viator 10-1. Less than 24 hours later, new no. 14 and host Oak Park and River Forest gave St. Patrick its first loss of the season in its 22nd match and ended a 13-game winning streak.
On Saturday, the Shamrocks were back in form for an 8-0 wn against league foe Marian before the 5-4 PK deficit against Morton after losing two leads in a 2-2 regulation tie Sunday.
"We're all feeling very confident about playing Benet, but we're well aware of how well they defend," Rodriguez said. "That combined with some great attacking players should make for a great game and one that could make us a two-time conference champion."
St. Patrick dashed the hopes of Benet and Saint Viator last year when they sent off each side.
Since 1990, Benet and St. Viator had either won the league title solo or shared it.
"Last year Pat's beat us to end our chances, but that was last year and this is a new season. That's all our focus is about," said Benet senior Nick Renfro, who along with Nick Augustyn, Thomas Miskim and Vyto Staniskis are key figures for manager Sean Wesley.
"Right now, our team chemistry is great," Wesley said. "And a great senior class, led by those four, has been tremendous with the way they've been leading this team."
Since it's weather-shortened unofficial match that saw the Redwings leading back-to-back state Class 3A frunnerup Libertyville 2-0 on September 21, Benet's determined club has gone 6-0-1, including five wins over league opponents.
"Since Libertyville, the real difference I've noticed in our team is we're all buying into our training sessions, and we've come to trust and rely on each other," said Renfro.
"Our backline is playing great soccer, and all of that begins with our center back, Anthony Klos, who's just a dynamic player back there and can distribute and be the point of our attack really well."
Renfro said the Benet 4-3-3 formation is led by its no. 10 -- junior Sam Hepburn. Like his counterpart Aaron Moreno-Lopez at St. Patrick, he will run the show and be the engine that makes the attack run at full speed.
Both sides have put the rest of the league on notice after plenty of dominating performances this fall. Benet (13-1-1, 7-0-0) has outscored its ESCC opponents 37-1. St. Patrick (7-0-1) is at 39 goals for, six against in East Suburban Catholic Conference play.
"This (game) is just another good challenge for us, only this one will give us a chance at a team trophy," said Wesley, whose men will not forget about their season finale Friday at Saint Viator, who would like nothing more than to tarnish a possible Redwings celebration.
By Mike Garofola
Two high-speed soccer clubs will collide head at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lisle when East Suburban Catholic Conference kingpins St. Patrick and Benet meet with the league crown on the line.
The battle pits Chicagoland Soccer's no. 2-ranked Shamrocks versus the 4th-ranked and host Redwings.
It's the final week of the regular season and there's no doubt these two sides are the best in the ESCC after showing their skill in advance of this highly anticipated contest.
As fans from both sides prepare for the biggest fixture of the season, this showpiece has a slight twist. St. Patrick enters the game with two nonconference losses in its last three games, including its heart-breaking defeat to Morton in kicks at the Sunday Showcase at the Lyons Soccer Complex.
"We played well enough to win, so it was a tough loss to take for all of us," said Shamrocks senior Jonathan Rodriguez, easily one of the top all-around players in the state.
"I won't use it as an excuse, and it's not to take anything away from Morton, but the last five days have been both an emotional and physical grind, and it may have caught up to us on Sunday."
Rodriguez's mention of the Shamrocks schedule leading up to this game is a fair point.
Last Wednesday evening the Shamrocks (20-2-2) hosted and and beat longtime league power Saint Viator 10-1. Less than 24 hours later, new no. 14 and host Oak Park and River Forest gave St. Patrick its first loss of the season in its 22nd match and ended a 13-game winning streak.
On Saturday, the Shamrocks were back in form for an 8-0 wn against league foe Marian before the 5-4 PK deficit against Morton after losing two leads in a 2-2 regulation tie Sunday.
"We're all feeling very confident about playing Benet, but we're well aware of how well they defend," Rodriguez said. "That combined with some great attacking players should make for a great game and one that could make us a two-time conference champion."
St. Patrick dashed the hopes of Benet and Saint Viator last year when they sent off each side.
Since 1990, Benet and St. Viator had either won the league title solo or shared it.
"Last year Pat's beat us to end our chances, but that was last year and this is a new season. That's all our focus is about," said Benet senior Nick Renfro, who along with Nick Augustyn, Thomas Miskim and Vyto Staniskis are key figures for manager Sean Wesley.
"Right now, our team chemistry is great," Wesley said. "And a great senior class, led by those four, has been tremendous with the way they've been leading this team."
Since it's weather-shortened unofficial match that saw the Redwings leading back-to-back state Class 3A frunnerup Libertyville 2-0 on September 21, Benet's determined club has gone 6-0-1, including five wins over league opponents.
"Since Libertyville, the real difference I've noticed in our team is we're all buying into our training sessions, and we've come to trust and rely on each other," said Renfro.
"Our backline is playing great soccer, and all of that begins with our center back, Anthony Klos, who's just a dynamic player back there and can distribute and be the point of our attack really well."
Renfro said the Benet 4-3-3 formation is led by its no. 10 -- junior Sam Hepburn. Like his counterpart Aaron Moreno-Lopez at St. Patrick, he will run the show and be the engine that makes the attack run at full speed.
Both sides have put the rest of the league on notice after plenty of dominating performances this fall. Benet (13-1-1, 7-0-0) has outscored its ESCC opponents 37-1. St. Patrick (7-0-1) is at 39 goals for, six against in East Suburban Catholic Conference play.
"This (game) is just another good challenge for us, only this one will give us a chance at a team trophy," said Wesley, whose men will not forget about their season finale Friday at Saint Viator, who would like nothing more than to tarnish a possible Redwings celebration.