12-minute burst blasts
Geneva past Batavia
Vikings rally to win, Tri-Cities Night charitable focus a success
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GENEVA — Records or standings never seemed so immaterial to the larger meaning of a game.
On a beautiful night celebrating hope and wonder, two intense rivals played for something bigger than themselves.
The night was electric, and so was the pageantry and social connections.
A massive crowd was on hand for the final game of Tri-Cities Night, the closing game of the doubleheader that uses soccer to put a spotlight on families in need.
Geneva freshman Brooke Copeland, a member of the junior varsity dance team, was diagnosed in April with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Her prognosis for a complete recovery is high. She is about to endure a complex and rigorous 27-month treatment plan.
The night belonged to her and her extended family. Funds were raised to support the treatment.
Fans from both schools came out in force.
The energy and mood made for an electric night. It was most definitely felt on the pitch.
“I think it’s really fun, and really cool that all of these kids come out here and take part in this,” Batavia forward Michael Ruffo said.
“Everybody was cheering us on. Even the Geneva kids were pumped for the game as well. You could also see them celebrating for their school.”
“The whole atmosphere was really big for us,” Geneva midfielder Liam O’Donoghue said.
“The fans got us going, and they gave us confidence.”
Batavia soon gave their hosts a jolt. The Bulldogs struck the first blow to take the lead nine minutes in.
But Geneva was not to be outdone, thanks to the excellent play of O’Donoghue.
He scored two goals as the no. 23 Vikings blitzed the Bulldogs with a 12-minute flurry of goals for a 3-1 victory in DuKane Conference play Tuesday night.
Midfielder Nathan Branstad recorded two assists for the Geneva (7-1-7, 2-0-2), which overcame the early Batavia pressure.
“I thought we were the better team in the first 15 or 20 minutes,” Batavia forward Joshua Black said.
Midfielder Brokk Olberg provided the stunning early lead for the Bulldogs by converting the spot-kick.
Midfielder Max Simmons created the opportunity by driving deep into the teeth of the Vikings’ back, and getting hit from behind inside the box.
“Brokk and I locked eyes, and he played me the ball, and I kind of messed around and got into the box,” Simmons said.
Geneva was on its heels at the start.
“It was a big night, and I knew Batavia could really push us,” Geneva coach Jason Bhatta said.
“I told our kids afterward, the thing I was most proud of was our response to going down. We’re not the highest scoring team. Only three times this year have we scored three goals or more in a game.”
Batavia (3-8-1, 0-4-1) entered the game playing its best soccer of the year.
The Bulldogs are better than their record and have shown admirable toughness and resilience against difficult odds.
“The record doesn’t phase me,” Black said. “We just go out it and play.”
The 12-minute burst permanently altered the balance of the game.
Geneva asserted its speed and athleticism on the outside, and forwards Trent Giansanti and Genel Jaffer applied ever greater force.
The momentum switched decisively at the midway point of the first half. Geneva began to connect with greater frequency.
In the 18th minute, the critical action followed a corner kick by the Vikings.
After Batativa rebuffed the initial action, the ball was played to the left wing.
Forward Sam Sekorya played the ball wide to Branstad.
“After Sam played it out to Nathan, I thought if I stayed in the middle, I could get a touch on this,” O’Donogahue said.
“Nathan played a perfect ball to me, and I finished.”
Using his body expertly as a shield, he worked the ball down the left edge and fired a left-footed, 12-yard blast inside the near post for the equalizer.
The early Batavia momentum vaporized. Geneva turned up the heat.
Moments later, Giansanti had a foot race with Batavia keeper Ryan Horlock for a ball pushing toward the Bulldogs’ box.
Horlock got the first touch — with an asterisk. Trying to beat Giansanti to the ball, he stepped just outside the top of the box and made an illegal touch on the ball.
Geneva was awarded a free kick at the sweet spot — the top of the box.
Preceding the kick, Bhatta had one message for O’Donoghue: Marmion.
“Our first game of the year against Marmion, we had a free kick just like that, and Liam put it in that same spot,” Bhatta siad.
“The goalie made a great save, and Colin Hasty followed him for the rebound goal. I figured something good might happen if we put it in that same spot.”
O’Donoghue delivered the answer, a beautiful and vicious strike to the right corner for the 2-1 Geneva advantage in the 22nd minute.
Batavia sought desperately to alter the Geneva run.
Black and Ruffo broke free in space a couple of times, and applied some solid pressure and some decent half-chances. Batavia tried to counter as best it could.
“One of those goals was unlucky, and then they had a great free kick,” Black said.
“Those goals didn’t come from a lot of technical actions, and we could have done a better job of pushing back.”
Just as Batavia was trying to find its bearing, Hasty delivered a blistering knockout.
Working the left edge, just outside the box, he caught a pass from Branstad in space, and hammered a laser ball from about 16 yards that handcuffed Horlock for the decisive score.
After the dust settled, three goals went up on the scoreboard in 12 minutes.
For the season, Liam O’Donoghue has scored all three of his goals in the last two games.
“Liam was the catalyst for us getting those goals,” Bhatta said.
“He doesn’t get in those spots too often. He does on corner kicks, but he was able to take advantage of his opportunities and get up the field.”
While the score went against the Bulldogs, their effort, determination and fight were admirable.
Up until the final seconds, where a shot by Ruffo pushed wide right of the frame, Batavia was looking to make a statement.
“If you let off in the last few minutes, that lasts the whole season,” Black said.
“We still had the adrenaline, and we are still learning to play together. We just have to improve our chemistry, and play with greater confidence.”
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Ryan Wirsing
D: Luke Peterson
D: Alexander Marshall
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: Eden Sanchez
MF: Max Simmons
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: John Smeraglinolo
F: Joshua Black
F: Michael Ruffo
Geneva
GK: Matt Towler
D: Colin Hasty
D: Carter Konkey
D: Ben Schuemer
D: Luke Easter
MF: Gabe Boivin
MF: Liam O’Donoghue
MF: Nathan Branstad
MF: Nick Plata
F: Trent Giansanti
F: Genel Jaffer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Liam O’Donoghue, sr., MF, Geneva
Scoring summary
First half
B: Brokk Olberg (penalty kick), ninth minute
G: Liam O’Donoghue (Nathan Branstad), 18th minute
G: O’Donoghue (free kick), 22nd minute
G: Colin Hasty (Branstad), 30th minute
Second half
No scoring
Geneva past Batavia
Vikings rally to win, Tri-Cities Night charitable focus a success
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GENEVA — Records or standings never seemed so immaterial to the larger meaning of a game.
On a beautiful night celebrating hope and wonder, two intense rivals played for something bigger than themselves.
The night was electric, and so was the pageantry and social connections.
A massive crowd was on hand for the final game of Tri-Cities Night, the closing game of the doubleheader that uses soccer to put a spotlight on families in need.
Geneva freshman Brooke Copeland, a member of the junior varsity dance team, was diagnosed in April with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Her prognosis for a complete recovery is high. She is about to endure a complex and rigorous 27-month treatment plan.
The night belonged to her and her extended family. Funds were raised to support the treatment.
Fans from both schools came out in force.
The energy and mood made for an electric night. It was most definitely felt on the pitch.
“I think it’s really fun, and really cool that all of these kids come out here and take part in this,” Batavia forward Michael Ruffo said.
“Everybody was cheering us on. Even the Geneva kids were pumped for the game as well. You could also see them celebrating for their school.”
“The whole atmosphere was really big for us,” Geneva midfielder Liam O’Donoghue said.
“The fans got us going, and they gave us confidence.”
Batavia soon gave their hosts a jolt. The Bulldogs struck the first blow to take the lead nine minutes in.
But Geneva was not to be outdone, thanks to the excellent play of O’Donoghue.
He scored two goals as the no. 23 Vikings blitzed the Bulldogs with a 12-minute flurry of goals for a 3-1 victory in DuKane Conference play Tuesday night.
Midfielder Nathan Branstad recorded two assists for the Geneva (7-1-7, 2-0-2), which overcame the early Batavia pressure.
“I thought we were the better team in the first 15 or 20 minutes,” Batavia forward Joshua Black said.
Midfielder Brokk Olberg provided the stunning early lead for the Bulldogs by converting the spot-kick.
Midfielder Max Simmons created the opportunity by driving deep into the teeth of the Vikings’ back, and getting hit from behind inside the box.
“Brokk and I locked eyes, and he played me the ball, and I kind of messed around and got into the box,” Simmons said.
Geneva was on its heels at the start.
“It was a big night, and I knew Batavia could really push us,” Geneva coach Jason Bhatta said.
“I told our kids afterward, the thing I was most proud of was our response to going down. We’re not the highest scoring team. Only three times this year have we scored three goals or more in a game.”
Batavia (3-8-1, 0-4-1) entered the game playing its best soccer of the year.
The Bulldogs are better than their record and have shown admirable toughness and resilience against difficult odds.
“The record doesn’t phase me,” Black said. “We just go out it and play.”
The 12-minute burst permanently altered the balance of the game.
Geneva asserted its speed and athleticism on the outside, and forwards Trent Giansanti and Genel Jaffer applied ever greater force.
The momentum switched decisively at the midway point of the first half. Geneva began to connect with greater frequency.
In the 18th minute, the critical action followed a corner kick by the Vikings.
After Batativa rebuffed the initial action, the ball was played to the left wing.
Forward Sam Sekorya played the ball wide to Branstad.
“After Sam played it out to Nathan, I thought if I stayed in the middle, I could get a touch on this,” O’Donogahue said.
“Nathan played a perfect ball to me, and I finished.”
Using his body expertly as a shield, he worked the ball down the left edge and fired a left-footed, 12-yard blast inside the near post for the equalizer.
The early Batavia momentum vaporized. Geneva turned up the heat.
Moments later, Giansanti had a foot race with Batavia keeper Ryan Horlock for a ball pushing toward the Bulldogs’ box.
Horlock got the first touch — with an asterisk. Trying to beat Giansanti to the ball, he stepped just outside the top of the box and made an illegal touch on the ball.
Geneva was awarded a free kick at the sweet spot — the top of the box.
Preceding the kick, Bhatta had one message for O’Donoghue: Marmion.
“Our first game of the year against Marmion, we had a free kick just like that, and Liam put it in that same spot,” Bhatta siad.
“The goalie made a great save, and Colin Hasty followed him for the rebound goal. I figured something good might happen if we put it in that same spot.”
O’Donoghue delivered the answer, a beautiful and vicious strike to the right corner for the 2-1 Geneva advantage in the 22nd minute.
Batavia sought desperately to alter the Geneva run.
Black and Ruffo broke free in space a couple of times, and applied some solid pressure and some decent half-chances. Batavia tried to counter as best it could.
“One of those goals was unlucky, and then they had a great free kick,” Black said.
“Those goals didn’t come from a lot of technical actions, and we could have done a better job of pushing back.”
Just as Batavia was trying to find its bearing, Hasty delivered a blistering knockout.
Working the left edge, just outside the box, he caught a pass from Branstad in space, and hammered a laser ball from about 16 yards that handcuffed Horlock for the decisive score.
After the dust settled, three goals went up on the scoreboard in 12 minutes.
For the season, Liam O’Donoghue has scored all three of his goals in the last two games.
“Liam was the catalyst for us getting those goals,” Bhatta said.
“He doesn’t get in those spots too often. He does on corner kicks, but he was able to take advantage of his opportunities and get up the field.”
While the score went against the Bulldogs, their effort, determination and fight were admirable.
Up until the final seconds, where a shot by Ruffo pushed wide right of the frame, Batavia was looking to make a statement.
“If you let off in the last few minutes, that lasts the whole season,” Black said.
“We still had the adrenaline, and we are still learning to play together. We just have to improve our chemistry, and play with greater confidence.”
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Ryan Wirsing
D: Luke Peterson
D: Alexander Marshall
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: Eden Sanchez
MF: Max Simmons
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: John Smeraglinolo
F: Joshua Black
F: Michael Ruffo
Geneva
GK: Matt Towler
D: Colin Hasty
D: Carter Konkey
D: Ben Schuemer
D: Luke Easter
MF: Gabe Boivin
MF: Liam O’Donoghue
MF: Nathan Branstad
MF: Nick Plata
F: Trent Giansanti
F: Genel Jaffer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Liam O’Donoghue, sr., MF, Geneva
Scoring summary
First half
B: Brokk Olberg (penalty kick), ninth minute
G: Liam O’Donoghue (Nathan Branstad), 18th minute
G: O’Donoghue (free kick), 22nd minute
G: Colin Hasty (Branstad), 30th minute
Second half
No scoring