Redwings get offense going, roll past St. Joseph

 

By Matt Le Cren

Every team can use a game like the one Benet Academy enjoyed Saturday afternoon.

After struggling to score consistently in their first three matches, the Redwings received goals from six different players in an 8-0 rout of St. Joseph in East Suburban Catholic Conference action in Lisle. The game was shortened to 65 minutes because of the slaughter rule.

"I thought we played real well," Benet coach Henry Wind said. "They're starting to play the way we wanted to. Part of it is goal-scoring, but we've been working really hard on spreading the ball, getting the ball to the end line and then cutting the ball back.

"It makes the game much simpler than trying to attack down the middle where everybody's at."

Sophomore Madie Burke led the way for Benet (3-1, 2-0) with two goals and two assists.

Freshman Amanda Kaiser also scored twice, while sophomore Catherine Caniglia added a goal and two assists and Katie Graber had a goal and an assist.

Lexie Libor and Alexa Hyman also found the back of the net against the Chargers (3-3, 0-3) who were outshot by a 24-0 margin.

"We passed the ball around a lot and really connected passes and got our shots in," Caniglia said. "The first 20 minutes we just came out hard."

The Redwings began their onslaught right from the opening kickoff as Katie Kaufmann made a long run down the right wing and fired a hard shot that St. Joseph goalie Victoria Arriola saved 25 seconds into the match.

But Arriola, who made eight saves, was not so lucky 23 seconds later when Graber's hard shot from 20 yards out trickled underneath her and Libor raced in to score Benet's first goal.

Caniglia set up the next two tallies. The first came in the 12th minute when she raced to the end line in the left side of the penalty area and passed to Graber on the left post.

Graber, who was right in front of Arriola, flicked the ball across the goal mouth and just inside the right post.

"I loved [that goal]," Wind said. "It was a great run and a great pass and those are the things we're looking for. I thought Catherine Caniglia did a real nice job."

The Redwings eventually took a 4-0 halftime lead despite playing against a wind that at times howled in excess of 30 miles per hour.

One example of the wind's power came in the 18th minute when Caniglia launched a 25-yard up the middle that was blown into the right corner.

Kauffmann tracked it down and eventually crossed to Jamei Borges, who ripped a 16-yarder just over the bar.

Arriola made saves on Hyman and Grace Goudie before the hosts increased their lead to 3-0 in the 31st minute.

Caniglia's cross from the right wing found an open Burke, who settled the ball before firing a 10-yard shot under the cross bar.

Two minutes later, Caniglia made it 4-0 after stealing the ball and dribbling into the box before beating Arriola with a shot inside the left post.

In the second half, the Redwings were even more dominant with the wind at their backs as the ball stayed on St. Joseph's side of the field.

Kaiser scored twice off Burke's corner kicks before Hyman and Burke struck less than a minute apart.

"We were working really good together as a team and getting a lot of crosses and our finishing was good," Burke said. "I think it's going to be a good year for us."

Junior goalie Claire Munaretto did not have to make a save in recording her second shutout of the season.

Defenders Caytin Lewin, Maria Schwabe, Colleen Lewellyan and Kelly Diedrich cleared the few balls that reached the Benet penalty area.

The Redwings have two key conference games coming up this week. Benet travels to Fenwick on Monday and hosts St. Viator on Wednesday at Benedictine University.