Girls soccer: Benet just misses Class 2A state title

Chris Catanzaro broke the hearts of the Benet Academy faithful when the Triad senior fired her 58th minute blast to help the Knights capture their second consecutive Class 2A state soccer title Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over the Redwings.

"We obviously all would have liked to win this game today, but this team has come such a long way, and has accomplished so much. So today we lost to a fantastic opponent, and that's the way the sport of soccer goes," said Redwings tri-captain Annastacia Thiel, who has been accepted into the Kelley School of Business at the Indiana University.

"We played hard and gave it all that we could. (We) came up a little short, but we have nothing to be ashamed of at all," added senior Katie Lewellyan, who recently was named ESCC Player of the Year. She proved to be a key figure in the Redwings' 10th league title and eventual second-place state finish.

Lewellyan, the lone holdover from the 2019 state championship team, watched a Triad (25-1-0) side come out and dominate possession with a high pass completion rate. Most of the play went through the aforementioned Catanzaro and her teammate alongside her in the middle of the park, Ezra Wilder.

"(They) moved the ball around really well on us today. (We) played a little too direct, which we normally do not do. (But) I was still very proud of our effort against a very good opponent," said Thiel.

The Redwings (22-5-0) who came into this contest on a stretch of 13 games unbeaten with eight of those results shutouts, created just a handful of chances over the 80 minutes at North Central College. It's best came in the first half when Eleanor Mahan was allowed to tee-up her effort from 18 yards which was saved by Triad's all-state keeper, Reagan Chigas.

Catanzaro's brilliant angled strike in the 58th minute was clinically perfect. But the Redwings did respond with Anna Casmere, the hero of Friday's 3-2 victory over Deerfield, at the heart of that response.

On three occasions, Casmere would roar up the left side, drawing two challengers with her before playing wonderful balls across and into the box - forcing the Triad defense to parry those troublesome efforts out of the area.

The Redwings appeared to have the chance to equalize four minutes from time when a penalty kick was called - sending Mariana Pinto to the spot - but the senior rattled her attempt off the bar.

The ball spilled free, but Casmere's rebound attempt went just wide.

"We were in this game right until the end, and had a chance to send it into overtime, but it wasn't to be. (But) what a great effort from a great group of girls who nearly won a state title, I am very proud of each and everyone of them," said Benet coach Gerard Oconer.