Kennedy Cup final a dream match-up

Updated: March 23, 2011 3:48PM

I love it when a coach attempts to take the pressure off his team and plant it squarely on the opponent - whether it's warranted or not.

Good coaches will do anything within the guidelines of good sportsmanship to provide their team with any type of edge.

That's what St. Rita hockey coach Craig Ferguson and Fenwick coach Virgil Rutili tried to do Wednesday when we spoke on the phone about 32 hours prior to the puck dropping at 8 p.m. today for Game 1 of their best-of-3 Kennedy Cup championship series.

If you ask Ferguson and Rutili, the pressure is squarely on the other to win the Cup.

"All the pressure is on Fenwick," Ferguson said of the Catholic League's regular-season champion Friars. "They have a terrific senior class and they haven't won anything."

Rutili begs to differ.

"Regardless of what happened in the regular season, we're the underdog here," said Rutili, whose Friars were 21-1-2 in the regular season. "They're the champs and they've run the table."

Great stuff, I tell you. And, in reality, both coaches are correct.

St. Rita is attempting to win its fourth consecutive Cup, something only Mount Carmel and Fenwick have accomplished. The Mustangs' senior class knows of nothing else but hoisting the Cup, which is how they'd prefer it.

"I don't know anything but winning my last game of the season the last three years," said St. Rita forward Dan Foley, a Homer Glen resident. "As a senior it would not bode well losing our last game. We're not feeling pressure to do it, but it would be a great experience winning it a fourth straight time."

Win or lose, Foley and the rest of the seniors have three Kennedy Cup championship rings and a state title to show for their efforts.

Fenwick's senior class, despite boasting arguably the most skilled forward in Aidan Verbeke and the league's best defenseman in Brendan Conroy, has an empty trophy case and jewelry box.

Rutili said the regular-season title is great, but a sense of accomplishment in the postseason greatly is desired.

"It's a big gaping hole," Rutili said. "It's something the kids have talked about and the coaches have talked about. The seniors have taken more of a team approach this year to win."

Make no mistake, the Friars have won. Rutili's squad ran roughshod over the competition in the regular season, outscoring opponents 159-35, and cruised into the final four of the state playoffs before being upended by Glenbrook North.

St. Rita is no slouch. The Mustangs (19-3-1) finished second in the league and advanced to the final four as well before falling 2-1 to eventual state champion New Trier Green.

Both teams' shortcomings at state have made winning the Cup that much more significant.

I'm not certain if a Game 1 outcome has had greater importance than tonight.

Generally, the regular-season champ hosts Games 1 and 3. Fenwick couldn't land ice time, so in an effort to get the series started earlier, Rutili offered St. Rita the opportunity to host tonight. The caveat is Fenwick hosts Game 2 on Sunday and Game 3, if necessary, Tuesday at The Edge in Bensenville.

"We didn't want to delay the series any more," said Ferguson, whose Mustangs, like the Friars, haven't played since March 7. "I don't really believe home ice means that much right now."

This is a dream match-up for fans, one that has the potential to go down as one of the all-time great Cup finals.

The numbers don't lie.

Fenwick finished first, St. Rita second in the regular season.

The Friars were 2-0-1 head-to-head against the Mustangs, winning 4-2 and 5-2 and tying 3-3.

Both teams are 4-0 in the Cup playoffs. St. Rita has outscored opponents 24-6, Fenwick 23-6.

The Mustangs have been whistled for 64 minutes in penalties, the Friars 78. If there's one thing both Ferguson and Rutili agree on it's the team that avoids the penalty box will come out with the Cup.

"We have to stay out of the penalty box," Ferguson said. "We have to be disciplined and not let our emotions get the best of us."

"There has been some chippiness to our games with them," Rutili said. "Our discipline is going to be important. We can't let our emotions get the best of us. The team that sticks to the game plan and doesn't get caught up in the environment will come out ahead."

It should be quite an environment tonight, especially for St. Rita fans who plan on extending their St. Patrick's Day celebration to SIA.

Crestwood police have been warned.

"It's probably going to be hostile," Rutili said. "We can't get caught up in it."

Easier said than done.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.