Geneva's 60-second burst sinks SCE
Vikings post 3-1 win to earn 1st taste of 1st place
By Dave Owen
BATAVIA - Geneva added a historic spin to Tri-Cities Night.
After twice hitting posts in the first half and surviving several St. Charles East threats to lead 1-0, the Vikings struck twice in 60 seconds early in the second half to turn a nail-biter battle into an eventual 3-1 win in the first match of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
And as the ultimate bonus, the win earned Geneva (17-1-1, 5-0-1) a first-ever piece of the Upstate Eight River Division title. The Vikings, ranked fifth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, will share it with no. 2 St. Charles North.
“This is a big night,” said Geneva’s Sydney Gratz, whose goal and assist within that big minute of play decided the match. “Tri-Cities Night is one of my favorite nights of the season, and to win conference is a pretty big deal for Geneva. It’s great for the school.”
Just how great?
“This is the first time we’ve been straight champs or co-champs of our conference, so it’s a big deal for us,” said Geneva defender Jaden Ciesielski, whose team had earlier defeated the Saints 4-1 on April 8. “And we’re really pumped to beat a team like this twice in a row, which is really hard to do.
“We knew what we were up against, so we had to keep that in our mind and know they’ve improved from last time. We weren’t going to beat them 4-0 again, they were going to be better.”
The no. 25 Saints (8-4-6, 3-2-1) were very formidable, creating the game’s first big chance and providing an 80-minute challenge.
That first shot came with 25:45 until halftime. Off passes from Megan O’Neal and Chantel Carranza, Hannah Kolb rocketed a 10-yard straight-on shot that Geneva goalkeeper Emma Harkleroad denied with a great diving save.
Harkleroad again made a big save in the 20th minute, stopping a well-defended Kaitlyn Dziubinski 8-yarder off a Claire Rasmussen corner kick.
In the 23rd minute, Geneva began a five-minute rush that produced threats by Caitlin Farrell (off the side of the net), Jenna Dominguez (deflection just over the crossbar), Jenni Santacaterina (saved by SCE keeper Grace Griffin) and Alicia White (partially blocked shot grabbed by Griffin).
Then 7:54 before halftime, another Geneva threat led to a tough break for the Saints – and a scoring breakthrough.
Sydney Gratz’s pass found Dominguez right of the box, whose cross towards the front deflected off the arm of a Saints player for a hand ball and penalty kick. Dominguez’s ensuing PK putaway put the Vikings up 1-0.
Just 90 seconds later with 6:26 until the half, the Saints’ luck turned worse when Carranza was carted off the field with an injury and never returned.
But the Saints regrouped from the double trouble. After surviving Farrell’s shot off the crossbar 5:30 before halftime, East responded.
The final four minutes of the half included a well-struck Rasmussen 40-yard free kick (denied on a high catch by Harkleroad), a Morgan Kull header off a corner kick that was cleared by Geneva defender Emily Hauser, and a Alondra Carraza 28-yard one-timer over the net as the half expired.
“Whenever you have a girl of that quality (Chantel Carranza) on the sideline and other girls step up, that tells me we have some heart in this group,” Saints coach Paul Jennison said.
“I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that we can give her enough time to be fit and healthy, because all the girls have to be in for us to be successful.
“We had pockets of play where there was no doubt that we were the team in possession and most likely to score,” Jennison added. “You have to take that as a positive playing against a team of Geneva’s quality.”
For its part, Geneva’s defense stood tall despite the absence of standout center back Leah Groven.
“I had to step up (at center back) because Leah’s obviously one of our best defenders,” said Vikings junior Anneliese Lockner. “I think we really played well together as a unit, and that really helped us.
“And we have a very deep bench. I think that’s very beneficial to our success.”
After the Saints started strong in the first 10 minutes of the second half (a Rasmussen 20-yarder wide of the net, then a block and clear by Geneva’s Maddy Yelle on an O’Neal attack), Geneva came inches away from a 2-0 lead.
With 26:30 left, passes from Yelle and Dominguez sprung Farrell for an 18-yarder that Griffin nicely batted wide at the near post.
“I was frustrated,” Farrell said of her first half shot off the post and the next close call. “My team helped me get up there, but we kept missing. I wanted to get it back, and we put pressure on them.
“We finally figured it out eventually. It took a while, but we got it in there.”
The wait ended with 22:15 left. A White cross hit Gratz in the box. She sidestepped a defender and advanced to put away a 6-yard shot got a 2-0 lead.
“Somebody had a good ball into Alicia (White), then she found me at the top of the box, and I just went 1-v.-1,” Gratz said. “I cut to the right side and took the shot to the far post.
“It was just a lot of pressure from us (in the box), that’s what worked great. We worked together, we found each others’ feet especially in those few minutes, and playing quickly I think was the key.”
The Vikings worked very quickly to make the lead 3-0.
With 21:15 to go, another rush produced a Gratz pass to a breaking Farrell. After her initial 12-yard shot was blocked by Griffin, Farrell’s rebound 8-yarder found net for the sophomore’s seventh goal of 2017.
“Syd scored, and I just wanted to keep the momentum going,” Farrell said. “I’ve never scored against a big team like this, so this is a big thing for me. I’m happy for my team that we kept playing.”
Said Gratz: “I just looked up, and Caitlin was making the perfect run. I played it right in front of her, and she just had a great finish.”
To the Saints, the two goals were a tribute to both Geneva’s talent and some strange bounces.
“I think our defenders did a great job,” O’Neal said. “When it’s 2-on-1 what can you do, and you have some great girls up against you. They stuck with it and did as much as they could.
“Those two goals were almost flukes, and all of a sudden you’re down 3-0.”
Said Jennison: “The goals we gave up, we broke down. The last time we played, they broke us down. This time I thought there were a couple of loose balls we could have cleared, but I can’t fault them.”
Gratz nearly added to her incredible second half with 13:10 left, when her high 28-yard one-timer grazed off the left post.
“We were knocking on the door all night, a lot of crossbars and posts,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “We knew we were creating. We just had to keep the intensity up.”
But the Saints’ own intensity level soared late.
After Lockner nicely cleared a Hayley Popiel free kick with 19 minutes left, the Saints upped the heat with an Isabella Albano 12-yarder just wide of the post off an O’Neal pass with 17:10 to go.
Then with 11:23 left, O’Neal was fouled in the box on an Ashley DiOrio cross. Sophomore Kayla Villa converted the ensuing PK to cut the Geneva lead to 3-1.
“In that situation we have to keep pressing the ball, keep doing what we’ve been doing and not change our game,” O’Neal said. “And that’s what we did.
“With a few breakdowns (on the Geneva goals), that teaches us, and we won’t make those mistakes again. But at the end of the game we pressed hard and had chances. Props to us – we stuck with it, but it just didn’t turn out for us.”
After surviving Geneva’s combined rush by Dominguez, Molly McGavin and Gratz (an eventual Dominguez 6-yard shot partially blocked by Alondra Carranza with 8:05 left) and a Maddie Stellick 1-v-1 chance deep in the box (cleared by Griffin), the Saints kept fighting.
Geneva’s Mackenzie Bennett and Lockner each had nice clears in the final two minutes, and Harkleroad saved a Rose Stackhouse 20-yard shot with 40 seconds to go.
“We didn’t expect it to be easy,” Farrell said. “We were expecting a stronger team than last time (the 3-0 win over the Saints in April), but we came out I feel with the same intensity as last time and played really well.”
With a potential third meeting with Geneva likely awaiting in the sectional semifinals, Jennison sees signs of hope.
“Although the girls are going to be heartbroken about the score line, the reality is that we were far better in this game than the last one (with Geneva),” he said. “We made such progression the last six weeks, we have to feel confident and use the positives out of this.
“We get one (goal) back, and we have them on the ropes the last 10 minutes,” Jennison said. “Again, use these positives to build on for the next game. Having so many young girls step up and play well was fantastic as well.
“There’s no need for anyone to be negative or upset,” Jennison added. “We gave a good accounting of ourselves, and I think there’s better to come. They stuck in there, and some of the freshman and sophomores we put in for the second half, I’m super proud of them. The future’s bright.”
Geneva has its own bright future, but is proud of its present standing as a no. 1 sectional seed and a newly crowned conference co-champion.
“We hadn’t won conference since we became members of the Upstate Eight,” Owens said. “That was really a goal they set for themselves, and they worked really hard for it. And it’s a great momentum builder for them going into the postseason. It speaks to their hard work.”
The Vikings used a mix of season-long standouts and their great depth to produce the win.
“Our defense was very solid,” Owens said. “Emma in goal did a great job, and Sydney Gratz did very well for us. Lots of good things all around.”
With midfielder Lauren Albrecht (torn ACL) and Groven sidelined, the Vikings forged on.
“Leah’s out, but she’ll be ready for the playoffs,” Owens said. “What’s great about this group is that we have a lot of depth. Even when we are missing some starters, other kids step up and fill that gap. And we don’t struggle because of it. It speaks to our bench and talent. They’re doing a great job.”
Said Farrell: “I feel like every player on our team, if anyone is hurt we still can manage without them. We have a great defensive line, and people on the bench come in and play exactly the same.”
That depth produced success Tuesday, and the potential for more to come.
“Our goal was to beat them and get that conference championship,” Lockner said. “It’s great. I’m really happy for our team – it’s been a long time for us. And I’m really excited for the postseason.”
The Saints’ hopes the rest of the way are also undimmed.
“With the season there’s a lot to come with playoffs,” O’Neal said. “We’ve stuck with a lot of teams, and we’re just waiting for that spark. We’re looking forward to it.”
Said Jennison: “We have to make sure our seniors are fit and healthy, and that we come out and make a good accounting of ourselves against Rolling Meadows. We’re excited for the postseason, and win or lose, this game doesn’t change what we have going for the postseason. We know the road, and we have to enjoy each day as it comes.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK- Grace Griffin
D- Hayley Popiel
D- Allison Strauss
D- Victoria Schumann
D- Alondra Carranza
M- Claire Rasmussen
M- Kaitlyn Dziubinski
M- Hannah Kolb
M- Megan O’Neal
F- Rose Stackhouse
F- Chantel Carranza
Geneva
GK- Emma Harkleroad
D- Jaden Ciesielski
D- Emily Hauser
D- Mackenzie Bennett
D- Anneliese Lockner
M- Maddy Rapach-Lagowski
M- Jenni Santacaterina
M- Sydney Gratz
F- Alicia White
F- Jenna Dominguez
F- Stephanie Howe
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Sydney Gratz, so., MF, Geneva
Vikings post 3-1 win to earn 1st taste of 1st place
By Dave Owen
BATAVIA - Geneva added a historic spin to Tri-Cities Night.
After twice hitting posts in the first half and surviving several St. Charles East threats to lead 1-0, the Vikings struck twice in 60 seconds early in the second half to turn a nail-biter battle into an eventual 3-1 win in the first match of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
And as the ultimate bonus, the win earned Geneva (17-1-1, 5-0-1) a first-ever piece of the Upstate Eight River Division title. The Vikings, ranked fifth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, will share it with no. 2 St. Charles North.
“This is a big night,” said Geneva’s Sydney Gratz, whose goal and assist within that big minute of play decided the match. “Tri-Cities Night is one of my favorite nights of the season, and to win conference is a pretty big deal for Geneva. It’s great for the school.”
Just how great?
“This is the first time we’ve been straight champs or co-champs of our conference, so it’s a big deal for us,” said Geneva defender Jaden Ciesielski, whose team had earlier defeated the Saints 4-1 on April 8. “And we’re really pumped to beat a team like this twice in a row, which is really hard to do.
“We knew what we were up against, so we had to keep that in our mind and know they’ve improved from last time. We weren’t going to beat them 4-0 again, they were going to be better.”
The no. 25 Saints (8-4-6, 3-2-1) were very formidable, creating the game’s first big chance and providing an 80-minute challenge.
That first shot came with 25:45 until halftime. Off passes from Megan O’Neal and Chantel Carranza, Hannah Kolb rocketed a 10-yard straight-on shot that Geneva goalkeeper Emma Harkleroad denied with a great diving save.
Harkleroad again made a big save in the 20th minute, stopping a well-defended Kaitlyn Dziubinski 8-yarder off a Claire Rasmussen corner kick.
In the 23rd minute, Geneva began a five-minute rush that produced threats by Caitlin Farrell (off the side of the net), Jenna Dominguez (deflection just over the crossbar), Jenni Santacaterina (saved by SCE keeper Grace Griffin) and Alicia White (partially blocked shot grabbed by Griffin).
Then 7:54 before halftime, another Geneva threat led to a tough break for the Saints – and a scoring breakthrough.
Sydney Gratz’s pass found Dominguez right of the box, whose cross towards the front deflected off the arm of a Saints player for a hand ball and penalty kick. Dominguez’s ensuing PK putaway put the Vikings up 1-0.
Just 90 seconds later with 6:26 until the half, the Saints’ luck turned worse when Carranza was carted off the field with an injury and never returned.
But the Saints regrouped from the double trouble. After surviving Farrell’s shot off the crossbar 5:30 before halftime, East responded.
The final four minutes of the half included a well-struck Rasmussen 40-yard free kick (denied on a high catch by Harkleroad), a Morgan Kull header off a corner kick that was cleared by Geneva defender Emily Hauser, and a Alondra Carraza 28-yard one-timer over the net as the half expired.
“Whenever you have a girl of that quality (Chantel Carranza) on the sideline and other girls step up, that tells me we have some heart in this group,” Saints coach Paul Jennison said.
“I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that we can give her enough time to be fit and healthy, because all the girls have to be in for us to be successful.
“We had pockets of play where there was no doubt that we were the team in possession and most likely to score,” Jennison added. “You have to take that as a positive playing against a team of Geneva’s quality.”
For its part, Geneva’s defense stood tall despite the absence of standout center back Leah Groven.
“I had to step up (at center back) because Leah’s obviously one of our best defenders,” said Vikings junior Anneliese Lockner. “I think we really played well together as a unit, and that really helped us.
“And we have a very deep bench. I think that’s very beneficial to our success.”
After the Saints started strong in the first 10 minutes of the second half (a Rasmussen 20-yarder wide of the net, then a block and clear by Geneva’s Maddy Yelle on an O’Neal attack), Geneva came inches away from a 2-0 lead.
With 26:30 left, passes from Yelle and Dominguez sprung Farrell for an 18-yarder that Griffin nicely batted wide at the near post.
“I was frustrated,” Farrell said of her first half shot off the post and the next close call. “My team helped me get up there, but we kept missing. I wanted to get it back, and we put pressure on them.
“We finally figured it out eventually. It took a while, but we got it in there.”
The wait ended with 22:15 left. A White cross hit Gratz in the box. She sidestepped a defender and advanced to put away a 6-yard shot got a 2-0 lead.
“Somebody had a good ball into Alicia (White), then she found me at the top of the box, and I just went 1-v.-1,” Gratz said. “I cut to the right side and took the shot to the far post.
“It was just a lot of pressure from us (in the box), that’s what worked great. We worked together, we found each others’ feet especially in those few minutes, and playing quickly I think was the key.”
The Vikings worked very quickly to make the lead 3-0.
With 21:15 to go, another rush produced a Gratz pass to a breaking Farrell. After her initial 12-yard shot was blocked by Griffin, Farrell’s rebound 8-yarder found net for the sophomore’s seventh goal of 2017.
“Syd scored, and I just wanted to keep the momentum going,” Farrell said. “I’ve never scored against a big team like this, so this is a big thing for me. I’m happy for my team that we kept playing.”
Said Gratz: “I just looked up, and Caitlin was making the perfect run. I played it right in front of her, and she just had a great finish.”
To the Saints, the two goals were a tribute to both Geneva’s talent and some strange bounces.
“I think our defenders did a great job,” O’Neal said. “When it’s 2-on-1 what can you do, and you have some great girls up against you. They stuck with it and did as much as they could.
“Those two goals were almost flukes, and all of a sudden you’re down 3-0.”
Said Jennison: “The goals we gave up, we broke down. The last time we played, they broke us down. This time I thought there were a couple of loose balls we could have cleared, but I can’t fault them.”
Gratz nearly added to her incredible second half with 13:10 left, when her high 28-yard one-timer grazed off the left post.
“We were knocking on the door all night, a lot of crossbars and posts,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “We knew we were creating. We just had to keep the intensity up.”
But the Saints’ own intensity level soared late.
After Lockner nicely cleared a Hayley Popiel free kick with 19 minutes left, the Saints upped the heat with an Isabella Albano 12-yarder just wide of the post off an O’Neal pass with 17:10 to go.
Then with 11:23 left, O’Neal was fouled in the box on an Ashley DiOrio cross. Sophomore Kayla Villa converted the ensuing PK to cut the Geneva lead to 3-1.
“In that situation we have to keep pressing the ball, keep doing what we’ve been doing and not change our game,” O’Neal said. “And that’s what we did.
“With a few breakdowns (on the Geneva goals), that teaches us, and we won’t make those mistakes again. But at the end of the game we pressed hard and had chances. Props to us – we stuck with it, but it just didn’t turn out for us.”
After surviving Geneva’s combined rush by Dominguez, Molly McGavin and Gratz (an eventual Dominguez 6-yard shot partially blocked by Alondra Carranza with 8:05 left) and a Maddie Stellick 1-v-1 chance deep in the box (cleared by Griffin), the Saints kept fighting.
Geneva’s Mackenzie Bennett and Lockner each had nice clears in the final two minutes, and Harkleroad saved a Rose Stackhouse 20-yard shot with 40 seconds to go.
“We didn’t expect it to be easy,” Farrell said. “We were expecting a stronger team than last time (the 3-0 win over the Saints in April), but we came out I feel with the same intensity as last time and played really well.”
With a potential third meeting with Geneva likely awaiting in the sectional semifinals, Jennison sees signs of hope.
“Although the girls are going to be heartbroken about the score line, the reality is that we were far better in this game than the last one (with Geneva),” he said. “We made such progression the last six weeks, we have to feel confident and use the positives out of this.
“We get one (goal) back, and we have them on the ropes the last 10 minutes,” Jennison said. “Again, use these positives to build on for the next game. Having so many young girls step up and play well was fantastic as well.
“There’s no need for anyone to be negative or upset,” Jennison added. “We gave a good accounting of ourselves, and I think there’s better to come. They stuck in there, and some of the freshman and sophomores we put in for the second half, I’m super proud of them. The future’s bright.”
Geneva has its own bright future, but is proud of its present standing as a no. 1 sectional seed and a newly crowned conference co-champion.
“We hadn’t won conference since we became members of the Upstate Eight,” Owens said. “That was really a goal they set for themselves, and they worked really hard for it. And it’s a great momentum builder for them going into the postseason. It speaks to their hard work.”
The Vikings used a mix of season-long standouts and their great depth to produce the win.
“Our defense was very solid,” Owens said. “Emma in goal did a great job, and Sydney Gratz did very well for us. Lots of good things all around.”
With midfielder Lauren Albrecht (torn ACL) and Groven sidelined, the Vikings forged on.
“Leah’s out, but she’ll be ready for the playoffs,” Owens said. “What’s great about this group is that we have a lot of depth. Even when we are missing some starters, other kids step up and fill that gap. And we don’t struggle because of it. It speaks to our bench and talent. They’re doing a great job.”
Said Farrell: “I feel like every player on our team, if anyone is hurt we still can manage without them. We have a great defensive line, and people on the bench come in and play exactly the same.”
That depth produced success Tuesday, and the potential for more to come.
“Our goal was to beat them and get that conference championship,” Lockner said. “It’s great. I’m really happy for our team – it’s been a long time for us. And I’m really excited for the postseason.”
The Saints’ hopes the rest of the way are also undimmed.
“With the season there’s a lot to come with playoffs,” O’Neal said. “We’ve stuck with a lot of teams, and we’re just waiting for that spark. We’re looking forward to it.”
Said Jennison: “We have to make sure our seniors are fit and healthy, and that we come out and make a good accounting of ourselves against Rolling Meadows. We’re excited for the postseason, and win or lose, this game doesn’t change what we have going for the postseason. We know the road, and we have to enjoy each day as it comes.”
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK- Grace Griffin
D- Hayley Popiel
D- Allison Strauss
D- Victoria Schumann
D- Alondra Carranza
M- Claire Rasmussen
M- Kaitlyn Dziubinski
M- Hannah Kolb
M- Megan O’Neal
F- Rose Stackhouse
F- Chantel Carranza
Geneva
GK- Emma Harkleroad
D- Jaden Ciesielski
D- Emily Hauser
D- Mackenzie Bennett
D- Anneliese Lockner
M- Maddy Rapach-Lagowski
M- Jenni Santacaterina
M- Sydney Gratz
F- Alicia White
F- Jenna Dominguez
F- Stephanie Howe
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Sydney Gratz, so., MF, Geneva