NAPERVILLE -– Sophomore midfielder Annie Fitzgerald had another big game for Benet on Thursday.

None of her teammates were surprised.

“She’s crazy like that,” senior defender Bailey Abbott said. “She’s an absolute stud, you kidding me?”

Fitzgerald gave Benet an early boost by assisting on Abbott’s first goal of the season in the third minute, then scored what turned out to be the game-winner about a half-hour later as the Redwings hung on to beat host Naperville Central 2-1 in the opening game of the Naperville Invitational at rainy Memorial Stadium.

The narrow victory gave Benet (7-2-1), which is ranked 24th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, the early inside track at winning Group A and a coveted spot in the April 25 quarterfinals.

But it was far from easy.  Naperville Central (5-4-0) controlled the run of play for most of the match.

“They took it to us, for sure,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “They were the aggressors.

“We talked a lot about (scoring an) early goal. Then we talked a lot about just improving our efficiency with the chances that we get, because we knew in a tournament like this, you’re not going to get many. Those two first half goals were just huge.”

The first came just 2:15 after kickoff when the Redwings were awarded a corner kick from the left side. Fitzgerald’s serve flew in front of the right post, where a wide-open Abbott met the ball and headed it home from five yards.

How was Abbott so open?

“I don’t know,” Abbott said. “We’ve been practicing headers for a while now, and they’ve kind of been on-and-off, but I was right place, right time.”

Indeed, it was a case of perfect execution by the Redwings.

“Bailey is a force in the middle. We practice corner kicks a bunch in practice,” Fitzgerald said. “I knew to aim for the six-yard box. That’s exactly where Bailey was, and I’m glad that we made that connection.”

The fast start boosted the Redwings.

“It’s always a game-changer when you score early,” Abbott said. “It not only calms us down, but it brings us energy in the same way. You have so much more energy and focus.”

Benet had plenty of energy, and Fitzgerald had laser-like focus on the play that led to the game’s second goal.

The Redwings forced a throw-in off a counterattack, with Gabby Hedden tossing the ball in from the right wing. It was headed by a Naperville Central defender and somehow skipped through traffic in front of the top of the box to Fitzgerald. She settled the ball and then ripped a 12-yard shot into the net for a 2-0 lead with 8:38 to go in the first half.

“It was a throw-in taken quickly,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve been practicing that as well, playing quickly off set pieces. I was lucky enough to be at the back post, and the ball skipped through.

“I was kind of surprised when it came to me, but I knew I had to remain composed. It was wet with the rain, so I knew I had to take one touch and put it in the back of the net quickly. I was glad I was able to do that.”

It was the sixth goal of the season for Fitzgerald and gave the Redwings a vital cushion, one the Redhawks nearly swiped out from underneath them.

Benet outshot Naperville Central 13-8, but that stat doesn’t reflect the true nature of the action. Six of the Redhawks’ eight shots were on frame, and the two that were not hit the crossbar.

Junior Emma Russell came agonizingly close to getting Naperville Central on the board with 1:00 left in the first half. Benet goalkeeper Kate Grubish dove forward to deflect a cross, but the ball went straight to Russell, whose one-timer from 10 yards out skimmed the top of the crossbar.

The Redhawks continued pressing. Grubish, who played an outstanding game and finished with five saves, made an incredible point-blank denial on Bella Brozek at the 34:40 mark of the second half.

Rebecca Ruggiero’s perfectly timed lead pass sprung the speedy Brozek into the left side of the box, but her shot was blocked by the charging Grubish.

Brozek finally solved the puzzle posed by Benet’s tenacious defense when she bagged her fourth goal of the season on a similar play with 25:27 left.

This time it was freshman Emerson Burke who found Brozek in stride. Grubish raced out to meet Brozek, who made a nifty move to her left to dribble around the Benet keeper and then finished into the empty net to pull Naperville Central within 2-1.

“That’s really all it takes is one shot on frame, and you’re back in the game,” Brozek said. “I think that really fired us up. It was really exciting to be the one who scored that, and obviously it wasn’t just me.

“It was the entire team. It was everything that led up to it. I think we had a couple of really good combinations, and Emerson found me.”

Burke nearly found the equalizer 10 minutes later, but her 18-yard shot clanged off the pipe. It was yet another demonstration of how soccer can be a game of inches.

“Their forwards were super dangerous,” Oconer said. “They made great runs in behind us, and we just had to hold on at the end.”

Naperville Central wishes it could have gotten off to a better beginning.

“It was a definitely a slow start, which impacted the game, unfortunately,” Brozek said. “It was not our best moment.

“I think for sure the second half is where we started playing how we should play and how we can play.”

Despite the loss, the Redhawks took a lot of positives from their effort.

“It will look really good on film as long as you keep the scoreboard covered,” Naperville Central assistant coach Barry Baldwin said. “What I love is the attitude that the girls have right now.

“They’ve got a positive attitude, and their work ethic is outstanding every day. We’re getting better and better. This is a team that you want to play now, but you don’t want to play in May.”

Naperville Central will still have a chance of playing in the quarterfinals. They need to beat Oswego on Saturday and hope Oswego beats Benet on Friday.

The Redwings know there are no easy games in the tournament, which is why Abbott ran up and hugged Grubish in celebration after the final whistle.

“It’s amazing,” Abbott said. “We haven’t played (Naperville Central) since my freshman year, when we won then too.

“This is a huge motivator for us in the tournament. We’re very excited.”

Benet meets Oswego (6-2-4), whose only losses have been 2-1 decisions vs. no. 4 Metea Valley and no. 21 Hinsdale Central, at 5 p.m. Friday at Hinsdale Central.

“This is a huge confidence boost for us,” Fitzgerald said. “Now we have momentum going into tomorrow, and tomorrow is not going to be an easy game, either.

“But I think if we come out strong and if we score an early goal, hopefully we have a really good chance of advancing.”

 
Starting lineups

Benet
GK: Kate Grubish
D: Chloe Sentman
D: Gabby Hedden
D: Bailey Abbott
D: Meghan Sarros
M: Rania Fikri
M: Megan Bergman
M: Annie Fitzgerald
F: Johnna Caliendo
F: Eleanor Mahan
F: Ivana Vukas
 
Naperville Central
GK: Erin Hackett
D: Chloe Mowry
D: Eleanor Kane
D: Madison Lee
D: Lauren Thorne
D: Nicole Smith
M: Nicole Sacek
M: Rebecca Ruggiero
F: Bella Brozek
F: Emerson Burke
F: Malia Shen
 
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Annie Fitzgerald, so., MF, Benet
 

Scoring summary

First half
Benet: Bailey Abbott (Annie Fitzgerald) 3’
Benet: Annie Fitzgerald (unassisted) 32’
 
Second half
Naperville Central: Bella Brozek (Emerson Burke) 55’