Red Devils still searching for answers in Glenbard East win

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By Matt Le Cren

Toni Kokenis was in the stands Wednesday afternoon as Hinsdale Central took on visiting Glenbard East.

That wasn't good news for the Red Devils, who will need to replace the 25 goals Kokenis scored last spring in leading Hinsdale Central to its first state championship.

Kokenis had intended to play this season before beginning her collegiate basketball career but opted not to at the urging of Stanford's coaching staff.

So who will do the scoring for the Red Devils?

"That's the big question," Hinsdale Central coach Skip Begley said. "Everybody looks around and asks, 'Where's Toni?' and Toni's not there. So we think we're going to have to be a defensive-oriented team until we can find somebody who can step up and finish."

There has been nothing wrong with Central's defense, which has not allowed a goal in its first two matches. And the Red Devils received goals from juniors Mary Cefaratti and Mallory Feinstein in knocking off Glenbard East 2-0.

"We have to take our opportunities when we can," Feinstein said. "Coach always tells us to be in front of the goal and finish and we just have to do it. Mary was great. She stepped in front of the goal and finished it and I had a clear shot and took it. It was awesome."

Feinstein set up Cefaratti's goal by lofting a pass up the middle, which Cefaratti volleyed over the head of Glenbard East goalie Nikki Hall with 3:51 left in the first half. It was Cefaratti's second career goal and first game-winner.

"It was thrilling," Cefaratti said. "It was really nice to start off with a goal in our first home game and a way to start the game strong. It was really nice because Coach always says most goals are scored in front of the goal, so I stood in front of the goal. It wasn't pretty but it went in."

The Red Devils (2-0) controlled most of the action but Hall, who made nine saves, kept the Rams (1-2) in the game until Feinstein intercepted her goal kick and rifled home a 20-yard shot with 9:05 remaining in the second half. The hosts outshot the Rams 15-4 but were inconsistent in the penalty area.

"Today I was satisfied with some chances we generated, but we didn't finish the chances," Begley said. "Mary got a ball in front of the goal and put it on the frame, so that was good, and we tried Mallory up front and she got a goal in the second half, so maybe she'll help.

"I guess the disappointment was we got a couple balls off of the head that all we had to do was just let it hit us and go in. But it's early."

It's also a substantially different team than the one that captured the state title last June.

Only five starters return --- senior goalie Nicole D'Agostino, senior defenders Allison Roberson, Melissa Boduch and Molly Gaffney and senior midfielder/forward Lena Husayni.

Boduch is out until after spring break with an injury and the Red Devils played Wednesday without junior defender/midfielder Eryka Hawkins, who scored in a season-opening 1-0 win over St. Ignatius.

"There are a lot of kids who return who watched us win the state championship, but not a lot of people [with playing experience]," Begley said. "The one thing we've said is we did something that no one has done before in our school's history. We won it.

"So now the thing to do would be to defend it, but to be realistic I think we have to look at how we're going to get there. I think all we're trying to do is get better tomorrow than we are today. We're still hopeful."

Feinstein said the Red Devils know their opponents don't care who is wearing the uniforms.

"Everyone wants to beat us so we have to come out strong," she said. "We're everyone's worst enemy. It is [fun] because everyone looks to play their best game versus you, so you know you have to come out 10 times stronger."

So which player will be the offensive catalyst?

"Tori Sims is going to have to be big," Feinstein said. "She's a senior, she has leadership and she has a great shot so she can finish. If she stays consistent then she has a good shot at scoring a lot."

The same probably won't be said of the opposition. D'Agostino, who has signed with Pitt, already has two shutouts and made three saves against the Rams before being replaced by junior Katie Tarman with 7:55 left.

"I thought defensively we did a pretty good job," Begley said. "They had one shot early on and Nicky made a good save, but we really feel like if we can make people shoot from outside, that Nicky's pretty solid. It's going to take an extraordinary attempt to get a ball up and over the top of her."

Other new starters for the Red Devils are senior defender Abby Morrison, sophomore midfielder Lauren Shroyer, junior forward Drea Isseleib and junior defender Jaclyn Gutman.

Junior goalie Allison Donnelly, junior defenders Kate Shea and Julia Gesior, junior midfielders Alaina Cafaro and Erin Conroy, senior midfielder Olivia Trilla and freshman striker Jenn Jarmy round out the squad.