Benet figures out how to finish

Scoring figured to be a question mark for Benet and Hinsdale Central this year because both teams graduated their top scorers from last year.

Both have indeed spent the early part of this season trying to sort out who can finish for them.

After only managing a single goal through its first four games, Benet sorted things out a little better Tuesday.

The Redwings' 3-0 win over the Red Devils in Hinsdale featured a goal and 2 assists from Erik Warren, a defender by nature but a forward in Benet's immediate future.

Warren had never played up top before, so he kept his initial objectives simple.

"Shoot the ball and make things happen," Warren said. "We only had about 8 shots (on goal) coming in, so we had to create some offense."

The Redwings (2-2-1) put 7 shots on frame against the Red Devils (2-2-1), with Warren breaking the ice eight minutes in on a head shot goal, courtesy of a corner kick serve by Connor Miller.

Warren also dribbled up and sent a ball to the right that Pat Sloan finished from 8 yards out, and he posted up to receive a throw-in in the Red Devils' penalty box, which he settled and slid across for Rory Burke to poke home from 10 yards out.

"He makes things happen because of his speed, his size and his strength," Benet coach Henry Wind said of Warren. "When we put him in the back we pound it out, but (the attack) goes nowhere."

In a game that largely featured back-and-forth play, the ultimate difference was Benet's ability to find that last, dangerous link to the goal. The Red Devils did force Benet goalkeeper Bryan Steigel to make a diving save in the 54th minute, but their other good looks on net flew high and wide.

"I think we had a lot of good chances, especially in the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game," said Red Devils senior David Tiemstra. "We just mis-hit a couple balls."

"I don't think we did that bad of a job connecting passes and trying to build an attack," said Red Devils coach Mike Wiggins. "But once we got to that last pass, that last combination in the final third, we haven't had that switch to make it something dangerous."

Tiemstra and Alex Scott played solidly for the Red Devils, while Benet got solid efforts from Sloan, Burke, defenders Jason Heming, Tom Hauser, Erik Noonan and Mark Liber, along with some aggressive goalkeeping from Steigel.

"I've had some good keepers, and he's right there with those boys," Wind said of Steigel. "He comes off his line hard, and 99 percent of the time he makes good decisions."