Batavia goal beats lightning,
Schaumburg in regional title game
2nd half DiBiase tally bolts Lady Bulldogs to next round
By Bill McLean
SCHAUMBURG — Schaumburg had its eyes on the weather forecast in the hours before the kickoff of its Class 3A regional championship game Friday afternoon.
School officials moved the start of the Batavia-Schaumburg clash at Gary Scholz Stadium up an hour to 5 p.m.
“Just trying to beat the lightning,” Saxons coach Greg Charvat said minutes before his 11th-seeded club hosted third-seeded Batavia.
The teams beat the lightning, but Batavia was the only team to strike the net in a hard-fought 1-0 victory. The Lady Bulldogs (13-6-1) captured the program’s second regional title in four years and sixth overall.
“Schaumburg battled and played absolutely nothing like an 11 seed normally does,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “That’s a feisty, tough group, as well as a physical one, and it’s very good in 1-v-1s.
“Our girls had to dig deep to get out of here with a win.”
Batavia didn’t score until the 69th minute, well after raindrops had fallen for only seven minutes in the first half. Lady Bulldogs senior midfielder Johanna Shubert — a forward for most of her life and the daughter of Jerry, a former hockey player — delivered a hockey assist that traveled about 25 yards before it was settled by senior forward Ryan Gianfrancesco, who then blasted a shot at Saxons senior goalkeeper Andrea Santillan (seven saves). The Schaumburg keeper was playing hurt after incurring an injury in the Saxons 2-1 upset of sixth-seeded Conant in the regional semis Wednesday.
The ball ricocheted off the left hand of the diving Santillan and landed near the feet of alert junior midfielder Riley DiBiase, who netted the game-winner with authority.
“I loved how my teammates kept working on that play,” said Shubert, who shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor with senior defender Mia Anzalone.
“We played our hearts out. It feels good to get a championship plaque.”
Batavia’s quest for sectional hardware will begin next Wednesday with a rematch against the host school in a St. Charles East Sectional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs and visiting Saints — seeded second and ranked no. 20 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25— battled to a 2-2 draw in their DuKane Conference game on May 5.
Batavia tops the honorable mention section of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 rankings.
Schaumburg gave their all in defeat.
“We played hard,” Charvat said. “We had a couple of early chances. Just couldn’t capitalize like Batavia did on its golden chance there in the second half. But that’s soccer for you … playoff soccer. Sometimes one goal is all you need.”
Schaumburg (8-8-1) came close to scoring twice in the 11th minute; Saxons senior forward Jessica Beymer was involved in both opportunities. Her shot from distance banged off the center of the crossbar above Batavia backup keeper Allie Cooper (two saves). Moments later Beymer stole a pass and booted a shot that sailed high.
Charvat praised Beymer’s aggressiveness afterward, along with his defenders’ match-long doggedness. Team Schaumburg turned into Team Disruptor against Batavia’s talented, dangerous attack.
“We had a plan in place,” Charvat said. “What’s nice about hosting a regional is getting to see your next opponent compete like we did after our semifinal on Wednesday. We did a lot of homework between then and today.
“We tried to frustrate their offense, and we did that for most of the game, all while making sure we stayed organized to create chances for ourselves.”
Batavia’s Anzalone played inspired soccer on the Bulldogs backline. Her booming clears and steady steadfastness proved too formidable for the hosts. She showed her deftness, too, particularly in the fourth minute, when she stepped in front of a forward and fielded a long Saxons service cleanly.
Anzalone, a third-year varsity Lady Bulldog, then coolly fed the ball to a midfielder in transition.
“I go in and leave everything out there on the field, with the mindset, ‘Nothing is going to get past me,” said the Carleton (Minn.) College-bound Anzalone, who added that her primary roles in 2022 have been to serve as a calming presence and constant communicator. “It’s the playoffs, my senior year … I have to do that; I have to think that way.
“I’m so proud of my teammates right now, and I feel we can make it through anything for the rest of the playoffs. That goal, by Riley, I loved how calm she stayed as soon as she controlled the rebound. She knew exactly what to do and where to shoot it.”
Coach Gianfrancesco noticed the work of his defensive star.
“Mia,” he said, “was a rock for us today.”
Footnotes
Senior Iowa-bound goalkeeper Aubrey Hahn did not play in Friday’s regional final at Schaumburg. “She should be good to go next week (in sectional action),” coach Gianfrancesco said. … Batavia starting sophomore back Addison Lowe incurred an ankle injury in the fourth minute and did not return to action. … Schaumburg avenged a 1-0 Mid-Suburban League loss to rival Conant when it edged the Cougars 2-1 in the first Class 3A Schaumburg Sectional semifinal on Wednesday. “We’d improved dramatically,” Charvat said. Schaumburg won only three games last spring and achieved its goal to have a .500 record or better this year by finishing 8-8-1. … Gianfrancesco was asked to confirm his team’s overall record before the start of Friday’s regional final. He responded: “That doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is our playoff record.” It was 1-0-0 then. It’s 2-0-0 now. … Gianfrancesco displayed his compassionate side after Saxons defender Rachel Williams suffered an injury in the 56th minute. “You good?” a concerned Gianfrancesco said to the junior as a trainer accompanied Williams off the field. An appreciative Charvat then nodded to his counterpart. … Schaumburg’s Beymer and Delanie Dietz, a junior midfielder, looked back after the tough loss Friday. “We worked as a unit all season,” Beymer said. “We were close, with good chemistry.” Added Dietz: “Team pasta meals, before every game, helped a lot. We were more like a family than we were friends.” An offbeat question followed for the pair: Who cooked the best pasta this spring? “My mom (Dawn) did,” said a smiling Dietz.
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK Allie Cooper
D Carlin King
D Mia Anzalone
D Addison Lowe
D Caitlin Callahan
M Johanna Shubert
M Kailey Hansen
M Sarah Koziol
M Gianna Serpico
F Ryan Gianfrancesco
F Bella Lins
Schaumburg
GK Andrea Santillan
D Jennifer Luo
D Reese Weiland
D Emily Carlos
D Rachel Williams
M Mya Rubio
M Brisa Baldwin
M Delanie Dietz
M Emma Salatino
F Jessica Beymer
F Addy Wingard
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Mia Anzalone, sr., D, Batavia;
Johanna Shubert, sr., M, Batavia
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
B: Riley Dibiase (Gianfrancesco, Shubert), 69’
Schaumburg in regional title game
2nd half DiBiase tally bolts Lady Bulldogs to next round
By Bill McLean
SCHAUMBURG — Schaumburg had its eyes on the weather forecast in the hours before the kickoff of its Class 3A regional championship game Friday afternoon.
School officials moved the start of the Batavia-Schaumburg clash at Gary Scholz Stadium up an hour to 5 p.m.
“Just trying to beat the lightning,” Saxons coach Greg Charvat said minutes before his 11th-seeded club hosted third-seeded Batavia.
The teams beat the lightning, but Batavia was the only team to strike the net in a hard-fought 1-0 victory. The Lady Bulldogs (13-6-1) captured the program’s second regional title in four years and sixth overall.
“Schaumburg battled and played absolutely nothing like an 11 seed normally does,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “That’s a feisty, tough group, as well as a physical one, and it’s very good in 1-v-1s.
“Our girls had to dig deep to get out of here with a win.”
Batavia didn’t score until the 69th minute, well after raindrops had fallen for only seven minutes in the first half. Lady Bulldogs senior midfielder Johanna Shubert — a forward for most of her life and the daughter of Jerry, a former hockey player — delivered a hockey assist that traveled about 25 yards before it was settled by senior forward Ryan Gianfrancesco, who then blasted a shot at Saxons senior goalkeeper Andrea Santillan (seven saves). The Schaumburg keeper was playing hurt after incurring an injury in the Saxons 2-1 upset of sixth-seeded Conant in the regional semis Wednesday.
The ball ricocheted off the left hand of the diving Santillan and landed near the feet of alert junior midfielder Riley DiBiase, who netted the game-winner with authority.
“I loved how my teammates kept working on that play,” said Shubert, who shared the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor with senior defender Mia Anzalone.
“We played our hearts out. It feels good to get a championship plaque.”
Batavia’s quest for sectional hardware will begin next Wednesday with a rematch against the host school in a St. Charles East Sectional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs and visiting Saints — seeded second and ranked no. 20 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25— battled to a 2-2 draw in their DuKane Conference game on May 5.
Batavia tops the honorable mention section of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 rankings.
Schaumburg gave their all in defeat.
“We played hard,” Charvat said. “We had a couple of early chances. Just couldn’t capitalize like Batavia did on its golden chance there in the second half. But that’s soccer for you … playoff soccer. Sometimes one goal is all you need.”
Schaumburg (8-8-1) came close to scoring twice in the 11th minute; Saxons senior forward Jessica Beymer was involved in both opportunities. Her shot from distance banged off the center of the crossbar above Batavia backup keeper Allie Cooper (two saves). Moments later Beymer stole a pass and booted a shot that sailed high.
Charvat praised Beymer’s aggressiveness afterward, along with his defenders’ match-long doggedness. Team Schaumburg turned into Team Disruptor against Batavia’s talented, dangerous attack.
“We had a plan in place,” Charvat said. “What’s nice about hosting a regional is getting to see your next opponent compete like we did after our semifinal on Wednesday. We did a lot of homework between then and today.
“We tried to frustrate their offense, and we did that for most of the game, all while making sure we stayed organized to create chances for ourselves.”
Batavia’s Anzalone played inspired soccer on the Bulldogs backline. Her booming clears and steady steadfastness proved too formidable for the hosts. She showed her deftness, too, particularly in the fourth minute, when she stepped in front of a forward and fielded a long Saxons service cleanly.
Anzalone, a third-year varsity Lady Bulldog, then coolly fed the ball to a midfielder in transition.
“I go in and leave everything out there on the field, with the mindset, ‘Nothing is going to get past me,” said the Carleton (Minn.) College-bound Anzalone, who added that her primary roles in 2022 have been to serve as a calming presence and constant communicator. “It’s the playoffs, my senior year … I have to do that; I have to think that way.
“I’m so proud of my teammates right now, and I feel we can make it through anything for the rest of the playoffs. That goal, by Riley, I loved how calm she stayed as soon as she controlled the rebound. She knew exactly what to do and where to shoot it.”
Coach Gianfrancesco noticed the work of his defensive star.
“Mia,” he said, “was a rock for us today.”
Footnotes
Senior Iowa-bound goalkeeper Aubrey Hahn did not play in Friday’s regional final at Schaumburg. “She should be good to go next week (in sectional action),” coach Gianfrancesco said. … Batavia starting sophomore back Addison Lowe incurred an ankle injury in the fourth minute and did not return to action. … Schaumburg avenged a 1-0 Mid-Suburban League loss to rival Conant when it edged the Cougars 2-1 in the first Class 3A Schaumburg Sectional semifinal on Wednesday. “We’d improved dramatically,” Charvat said. Schaumburg won only three games last spring and achieved its goal to have a .500 record or better this year by finishing 8-8-1. … Gianfrancesco was asked to confirm his team’s overall record before the start of Friday’s regional final. He responded: “That doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is our playoff record.” It was 1-0-0 then. It’s 2-0-0 now. … Gianfrancesco displayed his compassionate side after Saxons defender Rachel Williams suffered an injury in the 56th minute. “You good?” a concerned Gianfrancesco said to the junior as a trainer accompanied Williams off the field. An appreciative Charvat then nodded to his counterpart. … Schaumburg’s Beymer and Delanie Dietz, a junior midfielder, looked back after the tough loss Friday. “We worked as a unit all season,” Beymer said. “We were close, with good chemistry.” Added Dietz: “Team pasta meals, before every game, helped a lot. We were more like a family than we were friends.” An offbeat question followed for the pair: Who cooked the best pasta this spring? “My mom (Dawn) did,” said a smiling Dietz.
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK Allie Cooper
D Carlin King
D Mia Anzalone
D Addison Lowe
D Caitlin Callahan
M Johanna Shubert
M Kailey Hansen
M Sarah Koziol
M Gianna Serpico
F Ryan Gianfrancesco
F Bella Lins
Schaumburg
GK Andrea Santillan
D Jennifer Luo
D Reese Weiland
D Emily Carlos
D Rachel Williams
M Mya Rubio
M Brisa Baldwin
M Delanie Dietz
M Emma Salatino
F Jessica Beymer
F Addy Wingard
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Mia Anzalone, sr., D, Batavia;
Johanna Shubert, sr., M, Batavia
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
B: Riley Dibiase (Gianfrancesco, Shubert), 69’