Runyan, Carmel get it started (and finished) against St. Viator

In a highly anticipated rivalry and a meaningful girls soccer match in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, host Carmel Catholic took away much of the tension in the game's first half.

Carmel played one of its best first halves of the season and ended up rolling to a 6-1 victory over visiting St. Viator in Mundelein on Wednesday afternoon.

Corsairs leading scorer McKenzie Runyan (12 goals, 5 assists) notched her first hat trick of the season and assisted on another goal. Kayla Handel added 1 goal and assisted on a couple others. Haley Miller and Madeline Lonbardo scored the other goals, while Erin Johnston picked up 2 assists and Mary Murphy also contributed with an assist.

"I've had two goals in a game before, but this was the first time (for a hat trick)," said Runyan. "I'm happy to see the results. Obviously, St. Viator and Benet are our two toughest teams. Getting a hat trick in one of these important games is a huge accomplishment. But St. Viator is always a big game and we're always pumped and prepared to play them. It's great to get that win out of it."

Carmel Catholic (10-1-1) won its seventh straight game and kept themselves unbeaten in the ESCC at 6-0. The Corsairs still have a home date against Benet Academy on May 9. But before that matchup Carmel has to play Bishop McNamara, Joliet Catholic and Marian Central.

"We came out strong and caught them on their back foot," Carmel Catholic coach John Halloran said. "You have to be happy, because any time you can take it to a team that is as good and well-coached as St. Viator, it's satisfying that your girls can put forth a special effort.

"We do have to keep in mind that we'll see them again at some point in the playoffs. We have to make sure to treat it 0-0 and see what happens. This was special and we've got to enjoy it, reset and we've got some other games ahead of us. We're in a good position to play for the conference championship, and it's exciting."

St. Viator (9-3) dropped to 5-2 in the ESCC but didn't come out with the effort that coach Mike Taylor wanted to see from his girls from the beginning.

"We didn't come to play," Taylor said. "If you don't come to play against a good team like that then you're going to get punished. Night and day, I told them that the first 10 minutes you've got to come and play. They scored in the early part of the game and it put us behind the eight-ball. I thought our goalkeeper (Anna Johnston, 13 saves) played a great game. If she didn't step up then it could've been a lot worse.

"This is still another game for us. If you win conference, you win conference. But if you don't, then you don't. My goal is a bigger goal and we'll still be there at the end."

Carmel Catholic came out with full intensity on the offensive attack from the opening kick-off.

Runyan scored the first goal in the fifth minute off a service from Mary Murphy. Then Runyan broke free for a couple more chances before adding her second goal in the 11th minute off an assist from Johnston.

Carmel kept pushing its attack forward and made it 3-0 in the 34th minute as Handel launched a shot into the far upper corner off an assist from McKenzie Runyan.

"We came out a little slow," said St. Viator's Kayne Stanley, who was tasked with meeting Carmel Catholic onslaught. "Within a few minutes, (Carmel) put in a couple of goals into the back of the net. It was tough trying to come back. We just didn't come out to play like we normally do. We had a hard time connecting and finding our players."

St. Viator got a goal back before halftime in the 38th minute off a set piece when Stanley moved up and scored on a header off Emma Henry's corner kick.

The Lions were still within range early in the second half - until Carmel scored a couple goals in a three-minute span. Miller knocked in a header into the corner off Handel's corner kick in the 55th minute, and Runyan scored her third goal from Johnston's pass in the box three minutes later.

The Corsairs added one more beyond one hour in the 65th minute, when Lombardo netted another off an assist by Handel.