As a freshman on last season’s Class 2A state runner-up team, Joliet Catholic midfielder Ella Dwyer did a lot of watching and studying her older teammates from the bench.
“I played maybe three to five minutes a game and sometimes I didn’t get in at all,” Dwyer said. “But it helped me a lot playing with girls who are playing in Division I in college now.
“It helped me better myself and my game.”
Dwyer, who’s in the starting lineup this season, has been showing off what she learned.
She had her first two-goal game in high school Wednesday night, lifting the Angels to a 3-2 East Suburban Catholic Conference victory over Marist at Joliet Memorial Stadium.
Dwyer scored her first two goals of the season for Joliet Catholic (4-1, 1-0) and matched her goal total from all of last year.
“It feels pretty good,” she said. “I’m super excited because it was a really good team effort.”
Freshman forward Liz Cardwell also scored for the Angels.
Lauren Torres and Alexis Shackelford each had a goal for Marist (0-5-1, 0-2).
Dwyer, who knew she was in for a bigger role this season, had been looking forward to the chance of making a difference.
“I was ready to bring it,” she said. “I was super excited.”
After a scoreless first half, both teams heated up offensively in the second half.
Dwyer started it, taking a pass from Laney Czerkies, racing past a couple defenders and ripping a 25-yard shot inside the left post with 34:38 remaining.
Dwyer’s speed causes defenses issues. Her approach to utilizing that gift is simple.
“I kind of just run,” she said. “I did cross country in the fall, so that definitely helps.”
Cardwell said the rest of the Angels know Dwyer can chase down anything.
“We try to just play any ball we can toward her,” Cardwell said of Dwyer. “If we get it behind the defenders, she will run right onto it.”
Dwyer’s initial goal allowed Joliet Catholic to relax a little bit after coming up empty on several good chances in the first half.
“I think we got together as a team and we expected more,” Cardwell said. “We knew in the beginning of the first half, the ball was in their half the whole time and we had pretty good possession.
“We just had to put it together and get a goal. We got it to Ella and she scored. It was such a relief.”
Cardwell made it 2-0 just over three minutes later, taking a pass from Kate Gerdes and burying a high shot from 35 yards.
Marist, though, had plenty of fight left.
Torres, a sophomore, came off the bench and scored for the RedHawks on a free kick with 27:59 left.
“That was a big one,” said Marist assistant coach Sean Maxwell, who was filling in for head coach Chris Roe. “(Torres) does some good things for us, and obviously putting that one away gave us a bit of hope.”
Dwyer, though, gave the Angels some cushion with her second goal off another assist by Czerkies with 7:14 left.
Shackelford added a goal for Marist off a cross from Sarah Immordino but only 19 seconds were left to play.
Marist, which started slowly against a tough schedule, has reasons to be encouraged after Wednesday’s close game and a tie last week with Andrew.
“I’m very proud of the way this team has handled the beginning of the season,” Maxwell said. “A lot of teams would get discouraged and stop playing.
“We battled all the way until the end and found a way to score one more. It’s a no-quit team, and eventually results are going to come because of their attitude.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
