Batavia breaks free to best Bartlett
Pre-halftime goal unleashes Bulldogs 4-0 win
By Steve Nemeth
STREAMWOOD -- Tuesday’s nonconference match was a classic example of why coaches dissect the clock.
They talk about 80 minutes of focus, effort for all 40 minutes of a half, finishing the last five minutes strong, and of course, playing until the whistle or horn.
The bulk of Bartlett’s home matches are contested at Millennium Field adjacent to Streamwood High School, and the Hawks looked every bit like a team secure in its surroundings as the opening half against Batavia was winding down.
But despite Bartlett’s strong showing, the visiting Bulldogs got a goal just :29.8 seconds to go before halftime and that momentum boost ultimately translated into a 4-0 victory.
Ranked no. 22 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, Batavia raised its record to 7-1-2 and extended its unbeaten streak to seven straight (5-0-2).
A third-consecutive loss dropped Bartlett to 3-3-2 as the Hawks’ lineup shuffles continue in an effort to make up for the absence of senior co-captain Paige Bednarke, who is out with an injury.
“Bartlett was doing a lot of nice things. They were composed and connecting passes while we weren’t very sharp,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco admitted. “Bartlett negated our efforts to play in the middle. Getting that goal (before halftime) was a huge boost. If it stayed 0-0 it would have given them more confidence. Instead it was a shot in the arm for us.”
A defensive battle ensued after the opening whistle with a lot of back-and-forth action with both sides searching for a finished opportunity. Batavia starting goalie Aubrey Hahn had a save and watched a Tess Evans shot sail wide right at 30:48.
The Bulldogs did, however, compile corner kick chances with Anna Holcombe consistently turning her kicks into threats. One paid off late.
The last Holcombe corner after the break ricocheted among players. Batavia’s Bella Zink toe-poked a pass to Abby Zipse for a 16-yarder from left of center that connected with the netting with 29.8 seconds showing on the scoreboard.
“I was holding back a little hoping for a pop out when there was a loose ball and Bella touched it right to my feet,” Zipse said. “The side to my left was wide open. While I didn’t think that one goal would decide the outcome, we were struggling to get a finish. I think that gave us momentum before the second half even began.”
It was Zipse’s third goal of the season and her second game-winner while Zink earned a second assist.
In the second half, Batavia hinted with threats. Chloe Valentino had a fastbreak chance in the 54th minute, but Bartlett freshman defender Sabrina Fowler raced back to make a defensive clear over the sideline. There was 24:44 left in regulation when Holcombe launched a missile from the right wing that caromed off the left post.
The host Hawks were unable to get into rhythm offensively and credit for that belonged to Batavia senior defender Jenna Nichols, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
“Jenna did a really nice job corralling their main threat (Mikayla Brown, team bests of four goals and nine points) by either not allowing her to get the ball or not giving her room to operate if she did get it,” Gianfrancesco noted. “Time after time she cleaned things up for us and during that first half when things were not clicking for us, Jenna kept us composed. She constantly did those little things most people don’t see or never show up on a stat sheet.”
“My goal is always to attack the ball,” Nichols said. “Today I thought it was important to win balls out of the air, and I believe I did that pretty well. In addition, I try to direct things in back or to the midfielders to initiate our offense.
“Our team chemistry is a big reason we’re having success. The whole team deserves credit for connecting passes and being able to move the ball from one side to the other. There were times when our movement today was spectacular.”
While Nichols and the Bulldog defense frustrated the Bartlett offense, Batavia’s pressure also began to wear on the Hawks.
CeCe Hamamn worked her way forward for a shot that got blocked by Bartlett freshman goalie Caitlin Yurkovich, but the rebound yielded an unassisted goal for Grace Salyers with 14:28 still to be played. That was Salyers’ sixth goal for the season.
Determined to continue on the offensive, the Bulldogs scored again with five minutes remaining as Zaira Solis’ second assist led to Hamann’s first goal. In addition to her well-placed corner service, the indefatigable Holcombe parked a 24-yard free kick into the back of the net with 53 seconds showing to account for the final score. It was the Indiana State signee’s team-leading seventh goal.
“Aside from Jenna, Ashley (Whelpley) had a very good game for us,” Gianfrancesco added. “We called upon her to play three different spots, and she was successful from each because she’s very athletic and quick. She initially went in to help the defense and did well. Then I moved her to the center, and she did a good job in midfield switching the ball. We finally had her playing outside wing, and she made several good serves.”
Junior Hailey Flannagan took over in net for Batavia in the second half and combined for a sixth shutout. She and freshman Hahn have alternated halves throughout the season.
Despite the setback, Bartlett remains understandably undaunted.
“We know we’re capable of holding our own with good teams like we did for much of the first half,” Hawk junior co-captain Maddie Donnelly said. “No disrespect to Batavia, but we didn’t help ourselves with some simple mistakes: a foolish foul; not making a tackle in the box; or failing to clear the ball properly. Those are all things that can be easy to fix.
“We’re also seeing improvement from our four freshmen starters,” Donnelly noted. “They’re learning to adjust to sometimes playing against juniors or seniors who are bigger and faster. I’m confident they’ll continue to get stronger.”
Bartlett head coach Vince Revak either echoed or underscored those thoughts.
“Batavia is a very good team, but I thought we came ready to play and were fairly competitive, especially in the first half,” Revak said. “I’ve yet to see us completely or utterly outplayed. However we still see some silly mistakes, and you cannot allow that to happen against good teams. We get a little content or complacent, stop talking to each other, and suddenly we’re not aggressive enough.
“Even with Paige still out, our backline continues to work hard. I give Maddie a lot of credit for stepping up her game either as a holding midfielder or center back,” Revak said.
The win came on the first of three-straight road matches for Batavia which is back in action on Thursday for its DuKane Conference opener at 6:30 p.m. against Glenbard North.
Bartlett looks to improve on a 1-0-0 Upstate Eight Conference ledger on Thursday when the Hawks welcome Larkin to the Activity Complex for another 4:30 p.m. match.
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Aubrey Hahn
D Katie Schoenfelder
D Jenna Nichols
D Taylor Fleury
M Zaira Solis
M Abby Zipse
M Bella Zink
M Kyla Mackenzie
F Anna Holcombe
F CeCe Hamann
F Grace Salyers
Bartlett
GK: Caitlin Yurkovich
D Madison Neer
D Sabrina Fowler
D Maddie Donnelly
D Kaley Kowal
M Mikayla Brown
M Tess Evans
M Serena Salvato
M Morgan Myers
M Christina Mondelli
F Lauren Kowalski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Nichols, sr. D, Batavia
Officials: Doug Neufeldt (center), Patrick Legge, Curt Wegner
Game summary
Batavia 4, Bartlett 0
Batavia 1 3 -- 4 (7-1-2)
Bartlett 0 0 -- 0 (3-3-2)
Scoring
First half
Bat: Zipse 16-yarder from left of center (Zink assist), 39:30 gone
Second half
Bat: Salyers follow put-back of loose ball after a block (unassisted), 65:32 gone
Bat: Hamann 12-yard rocket (Solis assist), 75:00 gone
Bat: Holcombe 24-yard free kick (unassisted), 79:07 gone
Overall shots
Bat 9 – 10 -- 19
Bart 3 – 2 -- 5
Shots on goal
Bat 4 – 4 -- 8
Bart 1 – 2 -- 3
Saves (goalie)
Bat (Hahn) 1 – (Flannagan) 2 -- 3
Bart (Yurkovich) 3 – 1 -- 4
Corner kicks
Bat 4 – 5 -- 9
Bart 0 – 0 -- 0
Offsides
Bat 1 – 0 -- 1
Bart 0 – 0 -- 0
Pre-halftime goal unleashes Bulldogs 4-0 win
By Steve Nemeth
STREAMWOOD -- Tuesday’s nonconference match was a classic example of why coaches dissect the clock.
They talk about 80 minutes of focus, effort for all 40 minutes of a half, finishing the last five minutes strong, and of course, playing until the whistle or horn.
The bulk of Bartlett’s home matches are contested at Millennium Field adjacent to Streamwood High School, and the Hawks looked every bit like a team secure in its surroundings as the opening half against Batavia was winding down.
But despite Bartlett’s strong showing, the visiting Bulldogs got a goal just :29.8 seconds to go before halftime and that momentum boost ultimately translated into a 4-0 victory.
Ranked no. 22 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, Batavia raised its record to 7-1-2 and extended its unbeaten streak to seven straight (5-0-2).
A third-consecutive loss dropped Bartlett to 3-3-2 as the Hawks’ lineup shuffles continue in an effort to make up for the absence of senior co-captain Paige Bednarke, who is out with an injury.
“Bartlett was doing a lot of nice things. They were composed and connecting passes while we weren’t very sharp,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco admitted. “Bartlett negated our efforts to play in the middle. Getting that goal (before halftime) was a huge boost. If it stayed 0-0 it would have given them more confidence. Instead it was a shot in the arm for us.”
A defensive battle ensued after the opening whistle with a lot of back-and-forth action with both sides searching for a finished opportunity. Batavia starting goalie Aubrey Hahn had a save and watched a Tess Evans shot sail wide right at 30:48.
The Bulldogs did, however, compile corner kick chances with Anna Holcombe consistently turning her kicks into threats. One paid off late.
The last Holcombe corner after the break ricocheted among players. Batavia’s Bella Zink toe-poked a pass to Abby Zipse for a 16-yarder from left of center that connected with the netting with 29.8 seconds showing on the scoreboard.
“I was holding back a little hoping for a pop out when there was a loose ball and Bella touched it right to my feet,” Zipse said. “The side to my left was wide open. While I didn’t think that one goal would decide the outcome, we were struggling to get a finish. I think that gave us momentum before the second half even began.”
It was Zipse’s third goal of the season and her second game-winner while Zink earned a second assist.
In the second half, Batavia hinted with threats. Chloe Valentino had a fastbreak chance in the 54th minute, but Bartlett freshman defender Sabrina Fowler raced back to make a defensive clear over the sideline. There was 24:44 left in regulation when Holcombe launched a missile from the right wing that caromed off the left post.
The host Hawks were unable to get into rhythm offensively and credit for that belonged to Batavia senior defender Jenna Nichols, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match.
“Jenna did a really nice job corralling their main threat (Mikayla Brown, team bests of four goals and nine points) by either not allowing her to get the ball or not giving her room to operate if she did get it,” Gianfrancesco noted. “Time after time she cleaned things up for us and during that first half when things were not clicking for us, Jenna kept us composed. She constantly did those little things most people don’t see or never show up on a stat sheet.”
“My goal is always to attack the ball,” Nichols said. “Today I thought it was important to win balls out of the air, and I believe I did that pretty well. In addition, I try to direct things in back or to the midfielders to initiate our offense.
“Our team chemistry is a big reason we’re having success. The whole team deserves credit for connecting passes and being able to move the ball from one side to the other. There were times when our movement today was spectacular.”
While Nichols and the Bulldog defense frustrated the Bartlett offense, Batavia’s pressure also began to wear on the Hawks.
CeCe Hamamn worked her way forward for a shot that got blocked by Bartlett freshman goalie Caitlin Yurkovich, but the rebound yielded an unassisted goal for Grace Salyers with 14:28 still to be played. That was Salyers’ sixth goal for the season.
Determined to continue on the offensive, the Bulldogs scored again with five minutes remaining as Zaira Solis’ second assist led to Hamann’s first goal. In addition to her well-placed corner service, the indefatigable Holcombe parked a 24-yard free kick into the back of the net with 53 seconds showing to account for the final score. It was the Indiana State signee’s team-leading seventh goal.
“Aside from Jenna, Ashley (Whelpley) had a very good game for us,” Gianfrancesco added. “We called upon her to play three different spots, and she was successful from each because she’s very athletic and quick. She initially went in to help the defense and did well. Then I moved her to the center, and she did a good job in midfield switching the ball. We finally had her playing outside wing, and she made several good serves.”
Junior Hailey Flannagan took over in net for Batavia in the second half and combined for a sixth shutout. She and freshman Hahn have alternated halves throughout the season.
Despite the setback, Bartlett remains understandably undaunted.
“We know we’re capable of holding our own with good teams like we did for much of the first half,” Hawk junior co-captain Maddie Donnelly said. “No disrespect to Batavia, but we didn’t help ourselves with some simple mistakes: a foolish foul; not making a tackle in the box; or failing to clear the ball properly. Those are all things that can be easy to fix.
“We’re also seeing improvement from our four freshmen starters,” Donnelly noted. “They’re learning to adjust to sometimes playing against juniors or seniors who are bigger and faster. I’m confident they’ll continue to get stronger.”
Bartlett head coach Vince Revak either echoed or underscored those thoughts.
“Batavia is a very good team, but I thought we came ready to play and were fairly competitive, especially in the first half,” Revak said. “I’ve yet to see us completely or utterly outplayed. However we still see some silly mistakes, and you cannot allow that to happen against good teams. We get a little content or complacent, stop talking to each other, and suddenly we’re not aggressive enough.
“Even with Paige still out, our backline continues to work hard. I give Maddie a lot of credit for stepping up her game either as a holding midfielder or center back,” Revak said.
The win came on the first of three-straight road matches for Batavia which is back in action on Thursday for its DuKane Conference opener at 6:30 p.m. against Glenbard North.
Bartlett looks to improve on a 1-0-0 Upstate Eight Conference ledger on Thursday when the Hawks welcome Larkin to the Activity Complex for another 4:30 p.m. match.
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Aubrey Hahn
D Katie Schoenfelder
D Jenna Nichols
D Taylor Fleury
M Zaira Solis
M Abby Zipse
M Bella Zink
M Kyla Mackenzie
F Anna Holcombe
F CeCe Hamann
F Grace Salyers
Bartlett
GK: Caitlin Yurkovich
D Madison Neer
D Sabrina Fowler
D Maddie Donnelly
D Kaley Kowal
M Mikayla Brown
M Tess Evans
M Serena Salvato
M Morgan Myers
M Christina Mondelli
F Lauren Kowalski
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Jenna Nichols, sr. D, Batavia
Officials: Doug Neufeldt (center), Patrick Legge, Curt Wegner
Game summary
Batavia 4, Bartlett 0
Batavia 1 3 -- 4 (7-1-2)
Bartlett 0 0 -- 0 (3-3-2)
Scoring
First half
Bat: Zipse 16-yarder from left of center (Zink assist), 39:30 gone
Second half
Bat: Salyers follow put-back of loose ball after a block (unassisted), 65:32 gone
Bat: Hamann 12-yard rocket (Solis assist), 75:00 gone
Bat: Holcombe 24-yard free kick (unassisted), 79:07 gone
Overall shots
Bat 9 – 10 -- 19
Bart 3 – 2 -- 5
Shots on goal
Bat 4 – 4 -- 8
Bart 1 – 2 -- 3
Saves (goalie)
Bat (Hahn) 1 – (Flannagan) 2 -- 3
Bart (Yurkovich) 3 – 1 -- 4
Corner kicks
Bat 4 – 5 -- 9
Bart 0 – 0 -- 0
Offsides
Bat 1 – 0 -- 1
Bart 0 – 0 -- 0