Girls soccer: Just no beating Benet's Frantzen
Benet goalkeeper Eva Frantzen could easily have been the goat.
Instead, she wound up playing like the G.O.A.T.
Frantzen was called for tripping in the penalty area during the second overtime of Friday's Class 2A Nazareth sectional final, giving St. Ignatius a penalty kick.
But the senior lunged to her left to stop Grace Campbell, then made 3 more saves in the ensuing shootout to help the top-seeded Redwings advance in dramatic fashion after regulation and overtime ended 1-1.
Benet, which won the shootout 3-1, plays Fenwick (13-5-1) in Tuesday's Hinsdale South supersectional. The Redwings (21-3-1) broke the school record for wins and have won back-to-back sectional championships for the first time in program history.
"You think, (saving) four total PKs is insane," Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. "They weren't badly hit. Everything was on frame, so it's not like they missed it."
Frantzen, who stands just 5-foot-3, anticipated all of the Wolfpack's penalty kicks so well that it seemed like she was in position before the balls were struck.
She gave the Redwings momentum by diving to her left to stop the first St. Ignatius shooter, Ella Richards, then denied Campbell.
Frantzen also guessed correctly on the third shot, lunging to her right and nearly getting a hand on Kate Abdo's attempt, which went in off the left post.
"We practice PKs every single practice, so I'm just used to doing it and I know how to read people's bodies before they shoot," Frantzen said. "I think I've gotten pretty good at it this season."
Yet Frantzen had faced only one penalty kick in a game this season and was beaten on the play. But she didn't panic when Campbell stepped to the spot with 8:34 remaining in the second overtime.
"I was super nervous, but I just knew we needed to win this game to go to state," Frantzen said. "We all really want to go to state, especially me since this is my senior year, so I just knew that I needed to save it."
Frantzen made 8 saves during 100 minutes of regulation and overtime and Emma Thompson did the same for St. Ignatius.
Benet took a 1-0 lead at the 28:13 mark of the first half when junior Cami Picha knocked home a cross from sophomore Jaimee Cibulka.
The Redwings controlled most of the action in the second half, but the Wolfpack (19-3-2) got the equalizer on a 15-yard shot from Richards with 11:51 remaining.
Benet missed several great chances down the stretch, including a shot from the right side of the box from Picha that struck the left post with 40 seconds left.
But the Redwings didn't miss in the shootout. Kate Flynn, Maggie Roche and Mia Ullmer converted before Frantzen stopped the fourth Wolfpack shooter to clinch it.
Frantzen's performance left Oconer speechless for a while, but Benet star Abby Casmere, whose 18th birthday was overshadowed by her teammate's performance, wasn't surprised.
"No, honestly, she's been working hard every practice," Casmere said. "I think practice makes perfect. I'm really proud of her."