Benet beat 10-man Carmel on Wednesday night in Mundelein at Baker Stadium, using an own goal and a sensational second-half strike from Declan Crist to secure a hard-fought 2-0 victory.

The Redwings move to 2-0-0 in the ESCC to stay atop the league, while pushing their overall record to 4-3-1.

“We had a bit of a tough start to the season with several injuries, but we’re finally getting everyone back, and I feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” said Redwings tri-captain and four-year veteran Mateo Picha.

“(Tonight) we got off to a strong start, but after the red card, Carmel came back with a lot of intensity, which you kind of expect, and we got away from doing what was working so well for us,” added Sergio Polanco.

“(They) made us work hard, but our second goal really helped

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