Benet’s Daniel Pepping could not have felt any better.
The senior midfielder scored on a beautiful 20-yard free kick Friday night to give the visiting Redwings a stunning 1-0 lead on top-ranked Morton, igniting a happy celebration.
“The wall was pretty bad, I thought, and the goalie was pretty far out, so I just figured to hit it near post as hard as I could and it would probably go in,” Pepping said of his third goal of the season. “It felt amazing having my teammates rush around me, knowing that could be the game-winner.”
The feeling didn’t last long, however, and Pepping’s goal wasn’t the game-winner.
Max Aquiano and Giovanni Alvarez scored on the next two shots to lift Morton to a 2-1 nonconference victory in Berwyn.
Aquiano’s goal came only 62 seconds after Pepping’s strike. Jonathan Murillo got the assist, launching a ball to a wide-open Aquiano, who buried a 10-yard shot inside the right post with 13:28 left in the second half.
Alvarez’s goal came four minutes later on a rocket-like shot from 30 yards out on the right wing. Murillo assisted on that one, too.
“Five minutes after the game, I’m very disappointed,” Benet coach Sean Wesley said. “But we held up against the wind against a really good team in the first half, even created chances and had possession.
“Pepping’s goal was fantastic. We were hoping for something like that to come in a game like this. Disappointing that we weren’t able to follow it up and finish strong, and to give up two goals in the next 10 minutes of play is not what we were looking for.”
The Redwings (7-4) actually outplayed the Mustangs (10-0-1) for a majority of the game and held a 10-5 edge in shots. Benet’s defense, which was anchored by sophomore Nicholas Roe, impressively closed down the dangerous Alvarez and his buddies.
Yet the Redwings couldn’t sustain it long enough to pull the upset.
“We’re not as deep,” Wesley said. “We had 60 people try out for soccer in our whole school and (Morton) had 100 people try out for varsity.
“So with 10 minutes left in the game, we’ve got guys giving everything they’ve got. We just lacked a little bit of athleticism.”
But the Redwings did not lack heart.
“I think even through those last 10 minutes, we still came back and played strong,” Roe said. “We’ve progressed throughout the season, working together. It’s definitely been a building year, but I think we’re really starting to come around.”
Indeed, few teams can say they have taken a lead on Morton.
“We had a lot of the possession,” Roe said. “We were stringing some good plays together. It was just those two plays that let us down, but we learn from those and move forward.”
Benet and Morton could meet again next month in Class 3A sectional action. Morton coach Jim Bageanis doesn’t underestimate the Redwings.
“They’re an excellent team,” Bageanis said. “We’re lucky to get out of there with a tie, let alone a win.
“I’m happy with how we played. They’re a good team, so no matter who would have won this game, no one would have had anything to be ashamed of.”
If anything, the tough loss will only fuel the Redwings’ fire.
“It’s annoying but I feel we’re really coming together, and I know we’re going to face them again later in the year in the state (playoffs),” Pepping said. “We’re going to get them then.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
