Girls Soccer continues to be nearly indomitable both in and out of conference, as they won every game this week by a margin of four goals or greater.

On Monday, April 10, the Redwings faced off against Plainfield East in a friendly noncompetitive game away from home. Benet Academy won with a comfortable 4-0 score, with goals from sophomore Eleanor Mahan, freshman Annie Fitzgerald, and a brace from freshman Ivana Vukas. Assists came from sophomore Lily McKenna, sophomore Keira Petrucelli, and junior Gabby Hedden.

On Wednesday, April 12, Benet Academy had another away game in conference, this time at Joliet Catholic. Benet Academy demolished the Hilltoppers, sending the home side back in tatters by scoring seven unanswered goals. The goals came from junior Rania Fikri, sophomore Lily McKenna, senior Reese MacDonald, junior Ashley Donovan, and freshman Annie Fitzgerald, and another brace came from star freshman Ivana Vukas. Assists to those goals came from MacDonald, Fitzgerald, senior Rachel Burns, and sophomore Johnna Caliendo. 

Featured Game – Benet Academy vs. Marian Catholic

On April 15, the Redwings clashed against and ultimately overcame another weak opposition side, the Marian Catholic Spartans, finishing the game early with a resounding score of 8-0.

The Redwings started the game with Clark in goal, Sterbenz, Hedden, Abbott, and Hanson in the back, MacDonald, Fikri, and Petrucelli in midfield Vukas, Burns, and Casmere in the forward positions. This formation proved quite effective despite the loss to injury of D1 recruit Brinkley Douglas, as Anna Casmere foretold of things to come when she rocketed a shot just above the crossbar within the first minute of the game. This attacking pattern continued for the Redwings, as junior Rania Fikri picked up a pass, dribbled it in, and put it into the bottom corner in only the fourth minute to make it 1-0. Despite repeated attacking chances, the next goal came 17 minutes later, when sophomore Johnna Caliendo had a flying header that the keeper could not stop, making it 2-0. 

Benet Academy continued this soccer euthanasia as freshman Annie Fitzgerald converted a penalty from an egregious handball in the box in the twenty-eighth. Petrucelli chipped the 4th over the keeper just 2 minutes later and then had a volley the next minute that hit the crossbar. 2 minutes after that, in the 33rd minute, Fikri had a laser strike that went through the keeper’s hands, scoring her second and the team’s fifth.

Just three minutes after that, a Marian Catholic goal kick went out to Benet Academy’s half as substitute sophomore Megan Sarros sprinted toward the ball. Spying the opportunity and noting the opposition keeper’s weakness to long shots, she had a whack, curving it high over the opposition and sending it right over the keeper’s outstretched glove into the top left corner of the net from 50 yards out. The half closed 6-0 without the ball ever being in Benet Academy’s half for over five seconds.

About seven minutes into the second half, freshman Ivana Vukas scored another goal, bringing her goal tally this week to five and activating the mercy rule. With 33 minutes on the clock, the remaining time was halved to 17, and twelve minutes later, sophomore Eleanor Mahan punctuated the game with a stellar shot of her own, bringing the final score to 8-0.

Redwing Player of the Match

This week’s Redwing Player of the Match was Junior Rania Fikri! Her brace against Marian Catholic was crucial to the team’s morale early in the game. Considering she was tasked with effectively replacing the injured Brinkley Douglas, she was a commanding and incredibly skillful presence on the field.

The Redwings are now 8-1 outside and 4-0 in conference.