Corsairs keep working to finish against Marian Catholic

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By Gary Larsen

There’s tinkering, and then there’s what Carmel coach John Halloran has done this season toward finding the right attacking mix.

“We have tried every possible idea, and put every person in every place you can imagine, in every different formation,” Halloran said. “But it is what it is. We’re going to have to scrape (games) out 1-0.”

Mission accomplished on Tuesday in a 1-0 win over visiting Marian Catholic.

The race in the East Suburban Catholic Conference got a whole lot more interesting on Tuesday. Carmel (7-4-3) improved to 3-1 in ESCC play with Tuesday’s win, on the same day that Benet lost to Nazareth.

Carmel has beaten Nazareth but lost to Fenwick, and Benet has beaten Saint Viator, meaning the ESCC probably won’t be decided until the final week of the regular season.

For a shot at another conference crown, the Corsairs know what needs to happen during their upcoming stretch of five ESCC games to end the regular season.

“We have to win out,” Carmel senior Lauren Lehman said.

“Winning conference is a big deal around here,” sophomore Sarah McHugh said.

Carmel consistently reached the end line throughout Tuesday’s win, sending in crosses with good frequency and earning numerous corner kicks. The Corsairs’ first-half goal came when Lehman slid a ball to McHugh, who launched it inside the far post from long range.

“I just saw that the shot was open, so I took it,” McHugh said. “Our chemistry is really good off the field but it’s been a little tougher finding it on the field. But we’re getting there.”

Halloran liked what he saw all day from Lehman and McHugh up top, and Lehman is confident that her side is on the verge of putting goals in the back of the net.

“I think it’s just practice and we’ve been working on it,” Lehman said. “Once we start clicking I think the goals will come. It gets frustrating but you’ve just got to keep faith.”

Halloran has likely settled on a lineup that features Lehman and McHugh up top, a bona fide workhorse in Lauren Bowles in the central midfield, and Kassidy Brown as a central defender in front of goalkeeper Maddie Allen. Jessica Gilstrap’s play in front of the defense also keys the Corsairs’ play, and Einarsen’s presence in the central midfield will also continue to figure prominently.

The University of Illinois-bound Brown is valuable wherever she plays on the field, but Carmel is better when she slides back.

“Playing Kass in the back we’ve only given up one goal in three and a half games, and that was on a set piece,” Halloran said. “When we didn’t play her in back we gave up nine goals in four games.”

“You choose your poison. If we move her up maybe we score a few more goals but we’re better with her in back.”

The Corsairs have gotten a consistently exceptional effort all season from outside midfielder Kelly Trillhaase, and Halloran likes what he’s now getting from defender Caitlin Jung.

“Caitlin Jung in the back has been doing a terrific job for us. She was kind of hurt at the beginning of the season and she was coming off of basketball, so she wasn’t quite as ready to go as everyone else,” Halloran said. “But over the last couple of weeks she has really turned it up a notch, so that’s been nice to see.”

Despite Carmel’s control of the play on Tuesday, nobody ever feels completely safe with a 1-0 lead.

“We struggled to find that final ball and we got a little lucky there that they didn’t pick one up and come the other way,” Halloran said. “But that’s kind of been the story of our season. We’ve struggled to score.”

“Today we did a better job of moving the ball around, especially in the middle third. I think our shape is a little better with the way we’re lining up now but we don’t have a girl that’s going to be a 20-goal scorer. We’ve been lucky over the past decade in that we’ve always had one. But we don’t have one anymore so we’ll just have to find a way to win.”

It was also Senior Day at Carmel’s home field on Tuesday, and the Corsairs honored outgoing players Lehman, Brown, Gilstrap, Allen, and Einarsen for their contributions to the program.

“It’s another good group. You spend so much time with them and you all grow close,” Halloran said. “Most of these girls have been with us for three or four years and it’s always sad when they move on.”

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