RIVER FOREST -- Late April weather can be wildly unpredictable in the Chicago area, as was evident during the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division showdown between DePaul and host Fenwick on Tuesday.

The skies alternated between cloudy and sunny, the wind gradually increased and it began to rain in the second half -- while the sun was out.

The meteorological gymnastics made for challenging conditions for each team, but both fared solidly in a battle between accomplished teams: Fenwick sits at the top of the honorable mention list in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25; DePaul is ranked sixth in the Class AA Super 7 poll. 

In the end, the home side stood tallest and collected three big points in the division table after a 2-0 win thanks to a pair of goals by senior forward and Chicagoland Soccer all-stater Grace Kapsch.

"We didn't do anything special," said Fenwick coach Craig Blazer. "We just grinded it out. I'm very proud of the girls, the way they're hanging in there and doing their job."

With Fenwick trailing Red Division leader Loyola by a game in the loss column, Kapsch and her teammates understood how important the match was.

"We needed it to have a chance at our conference title," she said. "I think we used that as good motivation. We knew (DePaul) was good coming in. We all played as a team, and we played smart and aggressive."

The majority of the first 25 minutes of the match were largely uneventful as Fenwick (8-3-2, 4-1-0) and DePaul (7-3-2, 1-2-2) got a feel for the game. Both spent equal amounts of extended time inside each other's zone, but neither could create any dangerous chances.

But with about 15 minutes left in the first half, DePaul senior forward Ellie Glunz broke free down the right side and had a good look. Her shot from about 25 yards sailed over the net and Fenwick freshman goalkeeper Mimi Carvalho.

A little over a minute later, Fenwick senior forward Caroline Henige sent a deep ball down the left side to Kapsch. With DePaul sophomore goalkeeper Reagan Stecz out to challenge and a Rams defender in hot pursuit, Kapsch fired a rocket from 30 yards that gave the Friars a 1-0 lead at the 13:37 mark of the first half.

"Caroline had a really good pass," Kapsch said. "I was able to run to it. I couldn't see the girl coming from my outside, so I knew I had to get it off (quickly)."

Kapsch's goal seemed to open up things offensively for both sides the rest of the half. 

Henige's bid to double the lead from the left side about 30 yards was stopped by Stecz with 9:10 left. Just over two minutes later, Fenwick freshman forward Bella Gray got her head on a right-side corner kick from senior midfielder Susie Shank, but her shot went sideways instead of toward the net.

Ninety seconds later, DePaul junior midfielder Eleanor Farrell's header from just outside the box on the right side was saved by Carvalho. Thirty seconds afterward, the Fenwick keeper covered a loose ball in the middle of the box.

The hosts held their slim lead into halftime.

In search of the equalizer, DePaul started well after the break.

A little over two minutes into the second half, Rams senior forward Ava Buchholz got off a shot from 35 yards from the left side, but Carvalho made the save easily. 

A minute later, Glunz had a potential chance inside the box when she got the ball off a right-side corner. But she was unable to control the ball, and after a mad scramble, the Rams were called offside.

"We need to clean up what we're doing in the attack," said DePaul coach Tim O'Reilly. "Too many unforced errors took us out of our rhythm."

With just over 26 minutes left, DePaul senior defender Olivia Garza's shot just outside the right of the box was blocked by multiple Fenwick players. On the counter, Fenwick junior midfielder Kiera Mullarkey's 40-yard shot from the left was turned aside by Stecz.

With 18:45 left, Kapsch broke away and dashed down the left side. Her shot from 35 yards beat Stecz, but traveled outside the post by inches.

DePaul's best chance of the game occurred with 11 minutes to play when sophomore midfielder Lucia Trautman found open space in the middle of the box. But a pass from Glunz skidded beneath Trautman's right foot, and the Rams never got a shot off.

"We should've finished that chance," O'Reilly said. "These types of games, there aren't a lot of chances; you've got to finish the ones that you get. Fenwick had one chance, and they finished it."

With eight minutes remaining, Fenwick had yet another great chance on a Kapsch breakaway. But Stecz was up to the task, stopping Kapsch from 30 yards out on the left.

DePaul responded, but Trautman's 30-yard attempt from the middle was saved by Carvalho. 

On the restart, Carvalho's goal kick sprung Kapsch down the middle. After getting fouled inside the box, she converted her penalty kick to end the scoring with 3:26 left.

"I wouldn't have gotten that opportunity if it wasn't for Mimi," Kapsch said. "She's been playing super well, and we're really lucky to have her in goal."

"DePaul is a really good team this year with a lot of good players," Blazer said. "It took us a little while to figure (the Rams) out. Once we did, I think our seniors did a really good job of settling us down and working to our strengths."

Despite the loss, O'Reilly felt the Rams effort was one that can help build momentum down the stretch.

"I was satisfied with our energy," he said. "We got caught out a couple of times on their breaks, and it's something we've got to clean up defensively. I told the girls it would be a tight match that would be a 50/50 possession type game between the two teams, and that's what we got. 

“We played hard, and it was a decent performance. We've got things to work on and can't feel sorry for ourselves."

Meanwhile, the victory allowed Fenwick to maintain its momentum from April 21, when the Friars notched a huge victory over Lyons in penalty kicks in the Naperville Invitational. The Lions were ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 at the time.

"We're feeling pretty good," Kapsch said. "We've been beating or keeping close with really hard 3A teams, which is going to be important for our regional, sectional, and so forth. I'm proud of how we're doing."

Up next for Fenwick is a match April 25 at Oswego East as part of the consolation pool of the Naperville Invitational. That same evening, DePaul hosts Red Division foe St. Ignatius.

Starting lineups

DePaul 
GK: Reagan Stecz
D: Olivia Garza
D: Caitlin Kailus
D: Fina Malven
D: Kaitlyn Reap
MF: Eleanor Farrell
MF: Dylan Greene
MF: Ellie Rhomberg
MF: Lucia Trautman
F: Ava Buchholz
F: Ellie Glunz

FENWICK 
GK: Mimi Carvalho
D: Gabi Kapusta
D: Lola Martinez
D: Finley Dondlinger
D: Kiera Kapsch
MF: Kiera Mullarkey
MF: Mary Brunick
MF: Caroline Henige
MF: Fiona Roche
MF: Susie Shank
F: Grace Kapsch

Chicagoland Soccer MVP: Grace Kapsch, sr., F, Fenwick

Scoring summary

First half
FENWICK: Grace Kapsch (Caroline Henige), 27th minute

Second half
FENWICK: G. Kapsch (PK), 77th minute