A joy for Hinsdale Central girls soccer coach Tony Madonia has been watching senior Piper Bingham and freshman sister Amelia Bingham compete side-by-side on the high school team for the first time.
Both girls were highly involved offensively as the Red Devils faced Andrew at Sandburg for their second match of the Plainfield Classic. With Piper assisting on a first-half goal and Amelia heading in a goal during the second half, the Red Devils blanked the Thunderbolts 2-0.
“It’s pretty special,” Madonia said. “It’s been fun to watch. It’s going to be something they’ll never forget. That’s why we do this. There is nothing like representing your school and playing with your siblings.”
The Bingham girls, one of two sets of sisters on the Hinsdale Central team, have been heavy contributors to the team’s 5-1-1 start to the season. The girls combined for two goals and one assist during the team’s tournament opener against St. Charles East, a 2-2 draw.
On Monday, Piper helped the Red Devils burn the Andrew defense in the ninth minute. With Amelia initiating a 3-on-3 charge toward the Thunderbolt net, the freshman rolled a pass toward the left side of the Andrew box. As keeper Cassady Heise approached, Piper sent a left-footed cross across the box toward teammate Caitlin Doherty.
“I saw Amelia get the ball and I saw the gap between the defenders,” Piper Bingham said. “She played me the ball through and I didn’t think I had the angle for the shot, so I squared it and Caitlin was there.”
The junior forward Doherty finished the play from the opposite side, giving Hinsdale Central a 1-0 advantage. The Red Devils, who ended the match with a 5-4 lead in shots on goal, consistently pressured Andrew’s back line and made clearance opportunities tough to find.
“I think it comes from our energy on and off the ball and being able to trust each other knowing we can win the ball back,” Piper Bingham said. “Beating the first defender can really help to change the game.”
Amelia Bingham, who had a chance on a header midway through the first half, executed one during the 45th minute to give the Red Devils a two-goal lead. As the freshman sprinted toward the Andrew net, junior forward Charlotte Peterson floated a left-footed cross that soared high over the box and into the swirling Orland Park winds.
“I saw Charlotte make the run down the line and I saw that she had an open angle,” Amelia Bingham said. “The ball was kind of hanging in the air and I saw Caitlin go up for it, but then I saw it was going back a little bit. I just kind of jumped and thankfully it went in. That was one of my first headers ever, which was a big moment for me.”
Finding space inside the box, Amelia Bingham bumped the ball over Heise’s head and into the goal. Much like in the first half, Hinsdale Central continuously gained possession, intercepting passes and putting bodies on Andrew attackers to win the battle in the middle third.
“I think it shows how intense we are at practice and how much we work on making each other better,” Amelia Bingham said. “We work a lot on attacking and controlling the ball, which I think helps us.”
Sophomore keeper Gabby Gjeldum posted two saves in the shutout victory. Defensively, Hinsdale Central worked to shut down Andrew senior captain Emily Crotty, who was limited to two shots on goal in the game. Anchored by junior midfielder Emily DiTomasso, the Red Devils allowed minimal traffic through the middle third of the field.
“One of the main key points we worked on was getting balls out of the air and controlling them coming down,” DiTomasso said. “I think the backs did a good job of getting the ball out of the air, heading it out of the air and getting it to me and Piper. That benefited us because it allowed us to get underneath them and support the ball as well.”