Batavia beats Wheaton N. in nick of time
Bulldogs late score gives them 1-0 win, share of DuKane crown
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON -- To begin properly, we have to start at the ending -- and what an ending it was Thursday night.
Last-minute goals often are noteworthy, though some are more important than others depending on where, when and who they are scored by.
In the sport of soccer, those goals are relatively few. And when they are scored seconds from time and provide a dramatic, meaningful ending to a highly entertaining contest -- then you have something very special.
Just seconds before Batavia, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, would have seen its chance to share the inaugural DuKane Conference title with St. Charles East go down the drain, Anna Holcombe and Zaira Solis put together a moment of brilliance and stunned Wheaton North with an 80th-minute goal.
Holcombe ran onto a magnificent crossfield beauty, and redirected the game-winner past a valiant effort from Wheaton North goalkeeper Hanley Elftmann that stopped the Rexilius Field clock with 10 seconds left.
"What an ending to an incredible soccer match," said Batavia manager Mark Gianfrancesco, who before the season finale mentioned each time he faces clubs managed by his counterpart, Tim McEvilly, they always seem to be those of highest quality.
"Tim does such a great job over the years, and this season, with such a young team, he has them playing with so much energy, organization and heart. In my mind, they will be a dangerous opponent when the postseason begins next week."
For the here and now, the Bulldogs victory, combined with a St. Charles East victory and St. Charles North draw, gave Holcombe, Solis and Co. one-half of the inaugural DuKane Conference championship trophy.
"This was a great win for us, especially after getting kicked in the stomach in that 4-1 loss to East last week (four) days after we beat the no. 1 team (St. Charles North) to take over first place," said a battered and bruised Holcombe, who left the park with an ice bag around her lower leg after her 50-50 meeting with the aforementioned Elftmann inside the six-yard box.
"Yes, that loss really hurt all of us, but we pulled ourselves together for this game tonight, because it meant a lot to all of us," added Solis.
"Wheaton (North) played so hard and made us work for everything. We did everything so well (but) finish our chances, which really put the pressure on us at the end to score to get the win."
The Bulldogs (15-4-2) earned their first title since 2008 in the old Western Sun Conference, in which Batavia and Geneva typically fought it out for the silverware.
The appreciation for the effort of McEvilly and his players by Gianfrancesco was well stated, especially with a quick glance at the Falcons (7-12-1, 2-5-0) misleading record thus far.
Wheaton North lost its first four of the spring by one goal, then recently took one-goal defeats to Wheaton Warrenville South, St. Charles East and Downers Grove South before this heartbreaker with Batavia.
"We've played a lot of first-rate teams this year, most of them extremely well, but for 60-65 minutes which is due to having so many young players on our roster," McEvilly said.
"I think all of us (here) have seen the progress we've made this season, but one of the things I've been pushing for is to get a hard 75-80 minutes going if we want to get to that next level.
"Tonight (that's) exactly what the girls gave, and I am very proud of all of them. We played a great team like Batavia right until the very end."
It would be fair to say that despite the exemplary work rate of the home side, Batavia appeared to be in position to put one or two in before the quarter hour.
The Bulldogs high-octane attack, which features quick touches, use of width, purpose with almost every tough, and players such as Holcombe and Grace Saylers up-top, and Chloe Valentino, Bella Zink and Abby Zipse in the middle of the park, is tough to contain.
Throw in the enterprising runs into the Falcons end by Solis, and it's a receipe made to end with balls into the back of the net.
"Wheaton North defended really well, their keeper made some fine saves," said Gianfrancesco. "For us, even though we created some real quality chances, (we) were not as sharp as we could have been in the final third."
Wheaton North opened in a 5-3-2 formation with the back five almost in a half-moon look. That allowed sophomore defender Heidi Atkinson to go forward at times to give the home side the look of having a fourth midfielder.
Batavia still created a series of chances in that opening quarter hour and for that matter far into the half hour, and it seemed only a matter of time before the hosts' defensive unit would crack open.
"We had to really work hard in that first half," began Wheaton North senior captain Anna Warfield, a midfielder who was deployed as one of the five along the back by her manager.
"We just went to our new formation a little over two weeks ago, and I feel like we're getting better with it each time we play.
"I don't know if it was us playing five in the back or not, but Batavia really put us under pressure in the first half, but when we went to more of a traditional 4-4-2 after the half, the game evened out for us."
With all the talk of pressure and near-misses by the visitors in the opening period, it was the Falcons who nearly struck first when freshman Olivia Moreno's blast was sent over the bar by first half Bulldogs keeper Hailey Flannagan in the seventh minute.
Flannagan later made a remarkable athletic save on a cracker from sophomore Kayla Shebar, who outran the Bulldogs all night long on the outside with incredible straight-ahead speed, mazy runs, and the ability to turn defenders with an extra gear.
"Mark's keepers tonight made some incredible saves, that last one before the half on Kayla was really something else," said a gracious McEvilly. "His second (half) keeper did the same against Claudia Kim."
Gianfrancesco has split time with his wonderful duo of junior Flannagan and freshman Aubrey Hahn between the sticks, with the two sharing 11 clean-sheets, while conceding just 16 in 21 games.
"Every player wants to play an entire game, and the same holds true with keepers," begins Gianfrancesco. "Having two quality keepers, (it) only makes sense to split time with them.
"It's creates competition. But with the two of them, it's been nothing but a healthy competition. They cheer for each other, train together, and give each other positive feedback in order to have both succeed, and in turn the team."
The Bulldogs manager says Flannagan has been a strong leader for her teammate, especially during the early going when all is new for a first-year player asked to handle such an important role for the squad.
While Flannagan saved her club on both ends of the first half, her counterpart on the other end of the park watched an all-action Bulldogs attack do its best to pry open the North defense, while throwing several attempts at, or on frame.
"Our movement and possession was very good (more) in the first half than in the second (half), but we just couldn't find that one goal," said Holcombe. "Especially in the first half that might have opened things up for us.
Batavia's Kyle Kahley, Ashley Whelpley, Holcombe and Valentino all brought Elftmann into action during the opening half. A near miss by Kahley forced Warfield to clear a loose ball from the area in the 16th minute.
The Bulldogs continued with some lovely build-up work between Holcombe and Saylers that ended with a smart save by Elftmann.
It was lively play from Zipse and Saylers that allowed Whelpley to burst freely into the area, but the sophomore drove her effort wide.
Wheaton North switched to four in its midfield after the intermission to up its tempo to meet the Bulldogs level, and it soon paid dividends.
Junior Riley Winckler went wide before a fast-approaching Moreno was tackled to stop potential trouble.
A 49th-minute chance came, in part, when Moreno and Kim created something out of nothing with some crafty play. Their work broke Shebar free and the sophomore unloaded what looked like an unstoppable strike towards the back post that was turned up and over the bar by the airborne Hahn.
"As I said, just a great, great save by their keeper," said McEvilly.
This sequence seemed to inspire Wheaton North, which began getting more offense from its midfield trio of Sarah Brcka, Kim and Atkinson.
But Batavia busted off a counter play that nearly stunned their hosts when Saylers was put through and in on Elftmann.
As she had on a couple of other 50-50 challenges, the Wheaton North keeper was one-half step quicker than her charging opponents; on this challenge, the junior was able to beat Saylers.
After the bang-bang play, the Bulldogs second leading scorer was injured and forced out of action for the rest of the night with 24 minutes left.
"That was a big blow losing Grace, she is so vital to our attack, whether she has the ball on her foot or not," Gianfrancesco said.
Saylers left with some help but was able to greet her opponents afterwards, which is good news for the Bulldogs.
When play resumed, Zipse rattled the bar, as did Holcombe after a corner, and although the Bulldogs threw more numbers forward and several balls into the box in the last 10 minutes, it wasn't enough to pierce an ever confident Wheaton North club.
"We got better as the game went along (had) a few good chances, possessed and played right with Batavia, but just got a little unlucky right at the end when they scored that great goal," admitted Warfield.
Solis, who all throughout the first half sent well-paced and -aimed crossfield balls into the Falcons end - saved her best for last when Holcombe latched onto her inch-perfect serve.
"It all happened so fast, but when I saw Zaira getting ready to put the ball into the box, I just ran to the spot, and just kind of put it past their keeper," recounted Holcombe of her team leading 11th goal.
"It was just a great game with a great finish to help give us a share of the first-ever title of the DuKane Conference," said Gianfrancesco. "But now it's on to a tough regional, and hopefully a spot in a sectional which, in my opinion, is the toughest in the state this spring.
The affable Bulldogs manager is likely correct in his assessment.
The top seeds of the Schaumburg Sectional, in order St. Charles North, Conant, St. Charles East and Batavia, not to mention Nos. 5-6: Geneva and Wheaton-Warrenville South, and now, a suddenly dangerous No. 7 Wheaton North, all comprise an impressive list of quality sides to overcome.
"Whatever seed you are, better be ready to play right from the start, or you're going to be watching the rest of the tournament at home," said Gianfrancesco.
McEvilly agrees, but knows if his club can play the way it did in the second half of tonight's game for a full 80 minutes, the Falcons will be right in the mix.
"This team has shown it can play with the best, witnessed by our close games. I am confident they can do so, now it's up to them.
"Regardless of what happens from here on out, I am very proud of all of them, and especially with the heart, fight and effort they brought with them tonight against an excellent team such as Batavia."
Starting lineups
Batavia (4-3-3)
G- Hailey Flannagan
D- Kyla McKenzie
D- Taylor Fleury
D- Kate Schoenfelder
D- Zaira Solis
M- Bella Zink
M- Abby Zipse
M- Chloe Valentino
F- Anna Holcombe
F- Kyle Kahley
F- Grace Salyers
Wheaton North (5-3-2)
G- Hanley Elftmann
D- Heidi Atkinson
D- Kristen Szumski
D- Anna Warfield
D- Amana Tegart
D- Audrey Cicmanec
M- Sara Brcka
M- Claudia Kim
M- Riley Winkler
F- Kayla Shebar
F- Olivia Moreno
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Zaira Solis, sr., D, Batavia
Kayla Shebar, so., F, Wheaton North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Batavia: Holcombe (Solis) 80'
Bulldogs late score gives them 1-0 win, share of DuKane crown
By Mike Garofola
WHEATON -- To begin properly, we have to start at the ending -- and what an ending it was Thursday night.
Last-minute goals often are noteworthy, though some are more important than others depending on where, when and who they are scored by.
In the sport of soccer, those goals are relatively few. And when they are scored seconds from time and provide a dramatic, meaningful ending to a highly entertaining contest -- then you have something very special.
Just seconds before Batavia, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, would have seen its chance to share the inaugural DuKane Conference title with St. Charles East go down the drain, Anna Holcombe and Zaira Solis put together a moment of brilliance and stunned Wheaton North with an 80th-minute goal.
Holcombe ran onto a magnificent crossfield beauty, and redirected the game-winner past a valiant effort from Wheaton North goalkeeper Hanley Elftmann that stopped the Rexilius Field clock with 10 seconds left.
"What an ending to an incredible soccer match," said Batavia manager Mark Gianfrancesco, who before the season finale mentioned each time he faces clubs managed by his counterpart, Tim McEvilly, they always seem to be those of highest quality.
"Tim does such a great job over the years, and this season, with such a young team, he has them playing with so much energy, organization and heart. In my mind, they will be a dangerous opponent when the postseason begins next week."
For the here and now, the Bulldogs victory, combined with a St. Charles East victory and St. Charles North draw, gave Holcombe, Solis and Co. one-half of the inaugural DuKane Conference championship trophy.
"This was a great win for us, especially after getting kicked in the stomach in that 4-1 loss to East last week (four) days after we beat the no. 1 team (St. Charles North) to take over first place," said a battered and bruised Holcombe, who left the park with an ice bag around her lower leg after her 50-50 meeting with the aforementioned Elftmann inside the six-yard box.
"Yes, that loss really hurt all of us, but we pulled ourselves together for this game tonight, because it meant a lot to all of us," added Solis.
"Wheaton (North) played so hard and made us work for everything. We did everything so well (but) finish our chances, which really put the pressure on us at the end to score to get the win."
The Bulldogs (15-4-2) earned their first title since 2008 in the old Western Sun Conference, in which Batavia and Geneva typically fought it out for the silverware.
The appreciation for the effort of McEvilly and his players by Gianfrancesco was well stated, especially with a quick glance at the Falcons (7-12-1, 2-5-0) misleading record thus far.
Wheaton North lost its first four of the spring by one goal, then recently took one-goal defeats to Wheaton Warrenville South, St. Charles East and Downers Grove South before this heartbreaker with Batavia.
"We've played a lot of first-rate teams this year, most of them extremely well, but for 60-65 minutes which is due to having so many young players on our roster," McEvilly said.
"I think all of us (here) have seen the progress we've made this season, but one of the things I've been pushing for is to get a hard 75-80 minutes going if we want to get to that next level.
"Tonight (that's) exactly what the girls gave, and I am very proud of all of them. We played a great team like Batavia right until the very end."
It would be fair to say that despite the exemplary work rate of the home side, Batavia appeared to be in position to put one or two in before the quarter hour.
The Bulldogs high-octane attack, which features quick touches, use of width, purpose with almost every tough, and players such as Holcombe and Grace Saylers up-top, and Chloe Valentino, Bella Zink and Abby Zipse in the middle of the park, is tough to contain.
Throw in the enterprising runs into the Falcons end by Solis, and it's a receipe made to end with balls into the back of the net.
"Wheaton North defended really well, their keeper made some fine saves," said Gianfrancesco. "For us, even though we created some real quality chances, (we) were not as sharp as we could have been in the final third."
Wheaton North opened in a 5-3-2 formation with the back five almost in a half-moon look. That allowed sophomore defender Heidi Atkinson to go forward at times to give the home side the look of having a fourth midfielder.
Batavia still created a series of chances in that opening quarter hour and for that matter far into the half hour, and it seemed only a matter of time before the hosts' defensive unit would crack open.
"We had to really work hard in that first half," began Wheaton North senior captain Anna Warfield, a midfielder who was deployed as one of the five along the back by her manager.
"We just went to our new formation a little over two weeks ago, and I feel like we're getting better with it each time we play.
"I don't know if it was us playing five in the back or not, but Batavia really put us under pressure in the first half, but when we went to more of a traditional 4-4-2 after the half, the game evened out for us."
With all the talk of pressure and near-misses by the visitors in the opening period, it was the Falcons who nearly struck first when freshman Olivia Moreno's blast was sent over the bar by first half Bulldogs keeper Hailey Flannagan in the seventh minute.
Flannagan later made a remarkable athletic save on a cracker from sophomore Kayla Shebar, who outran the Bulldogs all night long on the outside with incredible straight-ahead speed, mazy runs, and the ability to turn defenders with an extra gear.
"Mark's keepers tonight made some incredible saves, that last one before the half on Kayla was really something else," said a gracious McEvilly. "His second (half) keeper did the same against Claudia Kim."
Gianfrancesco has split time with his wonderful duo of junior Flannagan and freshman Aubrey Hahn between the sticks, with the two sharing 11 clean-sheets, while conceding just 16 in 21 games.
"Every player wants to play an entire game, and the same holds true with keepers," begins Gianfrancesco. "Having two quality keepers, (it) only makes sense to split time with them.
"It's creates competition. But with the two of them, it's been nothing but a healthy competition. They cheer for each other, train together, and give each other positive feedback in order to have both succeed, and in turn the team."
The Bulldogs manager says Flannagan has been a strong leader for her teammate, especially during the early going when all is new for a first-year player asked to handle such an important role for the squad.
While Flannagan saved her club on both ends of the first half, her counterpart on the other end of the park watched an all-action Bulldogs attack do its best to pry open the North defense, while throwing several attempts at, or on frame.
"Our movement and possession was very good (more) in the first half than in the second (half), but we just couldn't find that one goal," said Holcombe. "Especially in the first half that might have opened things up for us.
Batavia's Kyle Kahley, Ashley Whelpley, Holcombe and Valentino all brought Elftmann into action during the opening half. A near miss by Kahley forced Warfield to clear a loose ball from the area in the 16th minute.
The Bulldogs continued with some lovely build-up work between Holcombe and Saylers that ended with a smart save by Elftmann.
It was lively play from Zipse and Saylers that allowed Whelpley to burst freely into the area, but the sophomore drove her effort wide.
Wheaton North switched to four in its midfield after the intermission to up its tempo to meet the Bulldogs level, and it soon paid dividends.
Junior Riley Winckler went wide before a fast-approaching Moreno was tackled to stop potential trouble.
A 49th-minute chance came, in part, when Moreno and Kim created something out of nothing with some crafty play. Their work broke Shebar free and the sophomore unloaded what looked like an unstoppable strike towards the back post that was turned up and over the bar by the airborne Hahn.
"As I said, just a great, great save by their keeper," said McEvilly.
This sequence seemed to inspire Wheaton North, which began getting more offense from its midfield trio of Sarah Brcka, Kim and Atkinson.
But Batavia busted off a counter play that nearly stunned their hosts when Saylers was put through and in on Elftmann.
As she had on a couple of other 50-50 challenges, the Wheaton North keeper was one-half step quicker than her charging opponents; on this challenge, the junior was able to beat Saylers.
After the bang-bang play, the Bulldogs second leading scorer was injured and forced out of action for the rest of the night with 24 minutes left.
"That was a big blow losing Grace, she is so vital to our attack, whether she has the ball on her foot or not," Gianfrancesco said.
Saylers left with some help but was able to greet her opponents afterwards, which is good news for the Bulldogs.
When play resumed, Zipse rattled the bar, as did Holcombe after a corner, and although the Bulldogs threw more numbers forward and several balls into the box in the last 10 minutes, it wasn't enough to pierce an ever confident Wheaton North club.
"We got better as the game went along (had) a few good chances, possessed and played right with Batavia, but just got a little unlucky right at the end when they scored that great goal," admitted Warfield.
Solis, who all throughout the first half sent well-paced and -aimed crossfield balls into the Falcons end - saved her best for last when Holcombe latched onto her inch-perfect serve.
"It all happened so fast, but when I saw Zaira getting ready to put the ball into the box, I just ran to the spot, and just kind of put it past their keeper," recounted Holcombe of her team leading 11th goal.
"It was just a great game with a great finish to help give us a share of the first-ever title of the DuKane Conference," said Gianfrancesco. "But now it's on to a tough regional, and hopefully a spot in a sectional which, in my opinion, is the toughest in the state this spring.
The affable Bulldogs manager is likely correct in his assessment.
The top seeds of the Schaumburg Sectional, in order St. Charles North, Conant, St. Charles East and Batavia, not to mention Nos. 5-6: Geneva and Wheaton-Warrenville South, and now, a suddenly dangerous No. 7 Wheaton North, all comprise an impressive list of quality sides to overcome.
"Whatever seed you are, better be ready to play right from the start, or you're going to be watching the rest of the tournament at home," said Gianfrancesco.
McEvilly agrees, but knows if his club can play the way it did in the second half of tonight's game for a full 80 minutes, the Falcons will be right in the mix.
"This team has shown it can play with the best, witnessed by our close games. I am confident they can do so, now it's up to them.
"Regardless of what happens from here on out, I am very proud of all of them, and especially with the heart, fight and effort they brought with them tonight against an excellent team such as Batavia."
Starting lineups
Batavia (4-3-3)
G- Hailey Flannagan
D- Kyla McKenzie
D- Taylor Fleury
D- Kate Schoenfelder
D- Zaira Solis
M- Bella Zink
M- Abby Zipse
M- Chloe Valentino
F- Anna Holcombe
F- Kyle Kahley
F- Grace Salyers
Wheaton North (5-3-2)
G- Hanley Elftmann
D- Heidi Atkinson
D- Kristen Szumski
D- Anna Warfield
D- Amana Tegart
D- Audrey Cicmanec
M- Sara Brcka
M- Claudia Kim
M- Riley Winkler
F- Kayla Shebar
F- Olivia Moreno
Chicagoland Soccer MVPs of the Match: Zaira Solis, sr., D, Batavia
Kayla Shebar, so., F, Wheaton North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Batavia: Holcombe (Solis) 80'