Wheaton North bests Batavia
for desired DuKane start
Motivated Falcons secure 4-1 home victory
By Bobby Narang
WHEATON — Just under 14 minutes remained in Tuesday’s game, but Josh Simon and Thang Pau both wanted to make one last statement.
By that point, the Wheaton North forwards had each scored a goal against Batavia, but plenty of time remained for another tally.
After each enjoyed a few minutes of rest in a game that had been decided, Simon and Pau both re-entered the game looking to add an exclamation point to the DuKane Conference opener.
Less than two minutes later, Simon set up for an excellent opportunity to notch his second goal of the evening. From about 37 yards, he positioned himself for a clear shot.
However, Batavia goalie Ryan Horlock leaped high into the air and extended his right arm out to knock the ball over the cross bar for a highlight-reel save. Simon put his head down in frustration.
“I really wanted that second goal,” Simon said. “I wanted two (goals) today.”
Pau had a quality shot attempt in the 69th minute, but he sailed it well over the crossbar.
Even without their desired extra goal in the final minutes, Simon and Pau put their mark on Tuesday’s home game with a goal and assist and led Wheaton North to a 4-1 victory over Batavia in the conference opener for both teams.
The Falcons (2-2-1, 1-0-0) achieved numerous positives in the victory. They included avenging last season’s defeat to the Bulldogs and moving their record to the .500 mark.
The crowd at the game included a boisterous group of 17 students. Throughout the match, the group yelled to various members of both teams. Additionally, they stood up and/or leaned on the fence to make sure the players heard their voices.
It was a good night for Wheaton North.
“We got the first one under the belt and excited to see how we do from here,” Wheaton North coach Rob Stassen said. “I can’t wait for the next (game). We also had a nice crowd. So glad to see the students come out and support our program.
“A win is a win. It’s nice when guys do what you ask them to do, even Julian (Ospina). He had four chances in the first half. I told him to just hit it (in the second half). The guys celebrated more than he did (on his goal).
“It was a great start to the conference season. The guys were nervous, but they played well.”
“Simon had a nice game. We were up 4-1 but he still wanted the ball. He’s your perfect selfish-player.
“It’s great to see him become that overall player. If he wants to go, he can go. If he wants to pass, he can pass. He’s going to draw two or three (defenders), which he did. He producing.
“Axel Leon played good. Seeing the player he can be, and what he wants to be, is perfect. Today, he wanted it.”
Wheaton North came out and played with a sense of urgency. The Falcons got off three shots in the first seven-plus minutes. After a cross from Simon, Axel Leon just missed an opportunity to score in front of the box in the third minute of play. Leon drilled another shot off the crossbar in the fourth minute, and the Falcons hit the post a few minutes later.
A pass from junior midfielder Ospina helped start the scoring. He found Pau, who drilled a shot home for a 1-0 lead with 30:05 remaining in the first half.
Pau said the Falcons have to build off Tuesday’s spirited victory.
“(Julian) had the ball, and he saw me. I told him to pass to me and saw the corner,” Pau said. “I think we’re doing pretty good now. We had a rocky start with our losses, but we’re doing better.
“We’re finding our chemistry. I think we have a lot of potential, and we can win a lot of games. We didn’t want to lose again, especially losing to Batavia again after last year.”
Leon notched a goal from 35 yards for a 2-0 lead with 12:35 left.
The Falcons kept the momentum high in the second half. Ospina, a second-year varsity player, smacked home his goal with his left foot for a 3-0 edge with 32:36 left in the game.
Ospina credited his work over the long weekend to notching his first goal of his junior season. He admitted his love for soccer is growing.
“On Sunday, I went to Wheaton College and practiced that exact shot I made a million times,” Ospina said. “It was a good feeling to get that first goal. I got really good experience last year that coach gave me. I learned a lot.
“We had a great crowd, the first big one of the season. We have a lot of potential. We have a lot of guys with potential, not just guys kicking it around.
“We have guys that know how to play. If we get in the right mindset, we can be amazing. Soccer is a great sport. It’s played all around the world, a culture.”
Thirty-three seconds later, Simon added his name to the goal list, scoring off a loose ball in front for the Wheaton North’s final tally of the game.
“It was a little-complicated play,” Simon said of his goal. “I had a great throw-in from Carter Evans. I let the ball run on, but Axel came and hit the ball. I got the rebound and hit the ball in.
“This was a big statement (win). We love coming out 1-0-0. This has been a lot different for me playing with the team (after playing club last season). It’s a lot cooler.”
Batavia (2-5-0, 0-1-0) avoided a shutout in the 69th minute, when Brokk Olberg scored on a penalty kick. The Bulldogs played shorthanded, coach Mark Gianfrancesco said.
“Our guys gutted it out,” Gianfrancesco said. “We had limited subs today. I thought the guys out there did a nice job. We had some nice sequences and passes and didn’t quit. We kept on playing.
“We have some injuries and illnesses. It stinks for the guys out there. If we had our full allotment, it would give the guys more of an opportunity to perform. At this point, we’re trying to get some people healthy.
“These games are practice games for us, as far as I’m concerned. The playoffs are the big thing. I need to get some people back, then we can start building.
I think, in the first few games we’ve played pretty well for the most part. We have to finish a few more chances. We had some in the first half we could’ve scored before they scored. We have to put those away that would’ve helped quite a bit.
“We have to keep at it, and going. The guys kept on playing, and were banging it out.”
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Nicholas Evangelista
D: Owen Stahl
D: Luke Petersen
MF: Xavier Justice
MF: Eder Sanchez
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: John Smeraglinolo
F: Aric Hayes
F: Josh Black
Wheaton North
GK: Joe Wakeman
D: Willliam Bonga
D: Axel Leon
D: Lucas Klingler
D: Kyle Komro
MF: Carter Evans
MF: Carson Bilut
MF: Julian Ospina
MF: Tim Dulzer
F: Thang Pau
F: Josh Simon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Julian Ospina, jr., MF, Wheaton North
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton North: Pau (Ospina), 10’
Wheaton North: Leon (unassisted), 28’
Second half
Wheaton North: Ospina (Simon), 48’
Wheaton North: Simon (Leon), 48’
Batavia: Olberg (penalty kick), 70’
for desired DuKane start
Motivated Falcons secure 4-1 home victory
By Bobby Narang
WHEATON — Just under 14 minutes remained in Tuesday’s game, but Josh Simon and Thang Pau both wanted to make one last statement.
By that point, the Wheaton North forwards had each scored a goal against Batavia, but plenty of time remained for another tally.
After each enjoyed a few minutes of rest in a game that had been decided, Simon and Pau both re-entered the game looking to add an exclamation point to the DuKane Conference opener.
Less than two minutes later, Simon set up for an excellent opportunity to notch his second goal of the evening. From about 37 yards, he positioned himself for a clear shot.
However, Batavia goalie Ryan Horlock leaped high into the air and extended his right arm out to knock the ball over the cross bar for a highlight-reel save. Simon put his head down in frustration.
“I really wanted that second goal,” Simon said. “I wanted two (goals) today.”
Pau had a quality shot attempt in the 69th minute, but he sailed it well over the crossbar.
Even without their desired extra goal in the final minutes, Simon and Pau put their mark on Tuesday’s home game with a goal and assist and led Wheaton North to a 4-1 victory over Batavia in the conference opener for both teams.
The Falcons (2-2-1, 1-0-0) achieved numerous positives in the victory. They included avenging last season’s defeat to the Bulldogs and moving their record to the .500 mark.
The crowd at the game included a boisterous group of 17 students. Throughout the match, the group yelled to various members of both teams. Additionally, they stood up and/or leaned on the fence to make sure the players heard their voices.
It was a good night for Wheaton North.
“We got the first one under the belt and excited to see how we do from here,” Wheaton North coach Rob Stassen said. “I can’t wait for the next (game). We also had a nice crowd. So glad to see the students come out and support our program.
“A win is a win. It’s nice when guys do what you ask them to do, even Julian (Ospina). He had four chances in the first half. I told him to just hit it (in the second half). The guys celebrated more than he did (on his goal).
“It was a great start to the conference season. The guys were nervous, but they played well.”
“Simon had a nice game. We were up 4-1 but he still wanted the ball. He’s your perfect selfish-player.
“It’s great to see him become that overall player. If he wants to go, he can go. If he wants to pass, he can pass. He’s going to draw two or three (defenders), which he did. He producing.
“Axel Leon played good. Seeing the player he can be, and what he wants to be, is perfect. Today, he wanted it.”
Wheaton North came out and played with a sense of urgency. The Falcons got off three shots in the first seven-plus minutes. After a cross from Simon, Axel Leon just missed an opportunity to score in front of the box in the third minute of play. Leon drilled another shot off the crossbar in the fourth minute, and the Falcons hit the post a few minutes later.
A pass from junior midfielder Ospina helped start the scoring. He found Pau, who drilled a shot home for a 1-0 lead with 30:05 remaining in the first half.
Pau said the Falcons have to build off Tuesday’s spirited victory.
“(Julian) had the ball, and he saw me. I told him to pass to me and saw the corner,” Pau said. “I think we’re doing pretty good now. We had a rocky start with our losses, but we’re doing better.
“We’re finding our chemistry. I think we have a lot of potential, and we can win a lot of games. We didn’t want to lose again, especially losing to Batavia again after last year.”
Leon notched a goal from 35 yards for a 2-0 lead with 12:35 left.
The Falcons kept the momentum high in the second half. Ospina, a second-year varsity player, smacked home his goal with his left foot for a 3-0 edge with 32:36 left in the game.
Ospina credited his work over the long weekend to notching his first goal of his junior season. He admitted his love for soccer is growing.
“On Sunday, I went to Wheaton College and practiced that exact shot I made a million times,” Ospina said. “It was a good feeling to get that first goal. I got really good experience last year that coach gave me. I learned a lot.
“We had a great crowd, the first big one of the season. We have a lot of potential. We have a lot of guys with potential, not just guys kicking it around.
“We have guys that know how to play. If we get in the right mindset, we can be amazing. Soccer is a great sport. It’s played all around the world, a culture.”
Thirty-three seconds later, Simon added his name to the goal list, scoring off a loose ball in front for the Wheaton North’s final tally of the game.
“It was a little-complicated play,” Simon said of his goal. “I had a great throw-in from Carter Evans. I let the ball run on, but Axel came and hit the ball. I got the rebound and hit the ball in.
“This was a big statement (win). We love coming out 1-0-0. This has been a lot different for me playing with the team (after playing club last season). It’s a lot cooler.”
Batavia (2-5-0, 0-1-0) avoided a shutout in the 69th minute, when Brokk Olberg scored on a penalty kick. The Bulldogs played shorthanded, coach Mark Gianfrancesco said.
“Our guys gutted it out,” Gianfrancesco said. “We had limited subs today. I thought the guys out there did a nice job. We had some nice sequences and passes and didn’t quit. We kept on playing.
“We have some injuries and illnesses. It stinks for the guys out there. If we had our full allotment, it would give the guys more of an opportunity to perform. At this point, we’re trying to get some people healthy.
“These games are practice games for us, as far as I’m concerned. The playoffs are the big thing. I need to get some people back, then we can start building.
I think, in the first few games we’ve played pretty well for the most part. We have to finish a few more chances. We had some in the first half we could’ve scored before they scored. We have to put those away that would’ve helped quite a bit.
“We have to keep at it, and going. The guys kept on playing, and were banging it out.”
Starting lineups
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Nicholas Evangelista
D: Owen Stahl
D: Luke Petersen
MF: Xavier Justice
MF: Eder Sanchez
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: John Smeraglinolo
F: Aric Hayes
F: Josh Black
Wheaton North
GK: Joe Wakeman
D: Willliam Bonga
D: Axel Leon
D: Lucas Klingler
D: Kyle Komro
MF: Carter Evans
MF: Carson Bilut
MF: Julian Ospina
MF: Tim Dulzer
F: Thang Pau
F: Josh Simon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Julian Ospina, jr., MF, Wheaton North
Scoring summary
First half
Wheaton North: Pau (Ospina), 10’
Wheaton North: Leon (unassisted), 28’
Second half
Wheaton North: Ospina (Simon), 48’
Wheaton North: Simon (Leon), 48’
Batavia: Olberg (penalty kick), 70’