Batavia rolls on, blanks Lemont
Bulldogs' 3rd-straight victory takes Warrior invite opener 4-0
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – There was some disagreement on who scored Batavia’s first goal Monday.
Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco thought defender Ian Wood had headed Brayden Kuhn’s corner kick off the underside of the cross bar and in.
Wood, though, claimed it was an own goal that went off a defender’s head.
Regardless of whether Wood scored or not, the fact is he and his fellow defenders didn’t allow any goals for the second-straight game, and Batavia rolled over Lemont 4-0 in the Green Division on the opening day of the Warrior Invitational.
Don’t look now, but the Bulldogs (5-9-2) have won three-consecutive games, a skein that started with an impressive win over a tough Oswego East side.
“It really shows our ability to bounce back,” Batavia forward Joe Corno said. “Our last loss was 5-1 (against Oswego on Sept. 21). So we all got together, and we had a talk about what’s going good, what’s going bad. Ever since then we’ve been straightforward.”
If the Bulldogs can continue to play the way they did against Lemont, then they might be a sleeper in the playoffs, though that would be tested early against defending state champion Naperville North in the regional semifinals, provided Batavia first beats Plainfield East in a preliminary round game.
“We needed (this streak) before the seeding meeting,” Gianfrancesco said. “If we had had a couple more games (before the meeting) we would have had a better shot.
“You’ve got to play Naperville North if you end up beating Plainfield East. It’s a tough order but I think we’ll be ready to play at that point.”
Lemont (6-10-1) was not ready to deal with a Batavia attack led by Corno, Kuhn and Brandon Knapp, which peppered Indians goalkeeper Ethan Potts in the first half.
Corno and Kuhn each recorded a goal and an assist, while Knapp had a goal.
“I think we’re starting to grind well together as a team,” Corno said. “We know that we’re closing in on the end of the season, and these seniors don’t have many games left. So we’re all putting it out there for each other, and it’s really working.
“Early in the season it was just one of those things where we were in every game, but it just wasn’t going our way. I think now we’re starting to prove that we have the ability to win, so I’m really proud of everybody.”
Potts was outstanding for Lemont, finishing with six saves. He was particularly busy in the first half, too busy for Lemont coach Rick Prangen’s liking.
“Ethan Potts has been very good for us,” Prangen said. “He’s probably been our most consistent player.”
Potts made five stops in the first half, including two point-blank denials on Corno. But he had no chance on the first Batavia goal, which came at the 19:44 mark.
Kuhn lofted a high-arcing corner from the left side into a crowd in front and the ball was headed off the underside of the crossbar and in. It goes down as Wood’s second goal of the year.
“I think it was an own goal,” Wood said. “I’ll take it. I just kind of went up and was hoping for the best.”
Perhaps sparked by the first goal, the Bulldogs brought their best to bear on the Indians, who didn’t respond the way Prangen was hoping.
Corno scored on a breakaway with 15:22 left in the first half and Kuhn made it 3-0 on a similar play with 10:11 to go in a second half that had been controlled by the Indians. Knapp finished the scoring five minutes later with a 10-yard blast after taking a short pass from Corno, who had penetrated to the right end line.
The four goals equaled a season-high output for the Bulldogs and also produced the squad's largest margin of victory this season.
“After we got a goal under our belt it kind of built up our confidence,” Wood said. “We started possessing well and had them on their heels.”
The Indians were still in the game early in the second half and had better possession. They earned two corner kicks and had some set pieces in the final third but weren’t able to do much with them.
“I think in the second half we were down in their end for the first 25 minutes or so, but never dangerous,” Prangen said. “The front-runners weren’t making themselves dangerous; the services I thought were poor.”
But Prangen was particularly dismayed with his defense.
“The biggest thing is it’s not so much what they did well versus what we gave them,” Prangen said. “Two goals were both counterattacks on which we give the ball away. A set piece was a third goal, and the fourth goal, it was 3-nil by that time.
“(The Bulldogs) are fast up-top. They’ve got a bit of pace and in the offensive third. They look to go to frame, and they look for shots on frame. They made our keeper work, and we didn’t make their keeper work at all.”
Batavia goalie Treven Sitko-Siros made four saves, all routine, as the defense led by Wood shined.
“(Wood) has tightened it up recently,” Gianfrancesco said. “He’s a lot better at times with Sal (Garcia) next to him. That combination has helped a lot to build some confidence.”
That will be crucial if the Bulldogs are going to extend their winning streak and earn a shot at the tournament title.
“I think me and the other center backs have been stepping more and just overall communication in the back has been better,” Wood said. “We’re getting our marks and shutting them down.”
Starting lineups
Lemont
GK Ethan Potts
D James Locascio
D Matt Gasienica
D Andrew Leja
D Billy Bozue
M Leo Nunez
M Andrius Alinkevicius
M Mateusz Otreba
F Sach Counsil
F Marty Biskis
F Daniel Zuniga
Batavia
GK Treven Ritko-Siros
D Miguel Garcia
D Ian Wood
D Sal Garcia
M Joe Grendzinski
M Adler Palos
M Brayden Kuhn
M Nick Cannella
F Brandon Knapp
F Joe Corno
F Max Hardin
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Joe Corno, sr., F, Batavia
Scoring summary
1st Half
Batavia – Ian Wood (Brayden Kuhn) 19:44
Batavia – Joe Corno 15:22
2nd Half
Batavia – Kuhn 10:11
Batavia – Brandon Knapp (Corno) 5:35
Bulldogs' 3rd-straight victory takes Warrior invite opener 4-0
By Matt Le Cren
AURORA – There was some disagreement on who scored Batavia’s first goal Monday.
Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco thought defender Ian Wood had headed Brayden Kuhn’s corner kick off the underside of the cross bar and in.
Wood, though, claimed it was an own goal that went off a defender’s head.
Regardless of whether Wood scored or not, the fact is he and his fellow defenders didn’t allow any goals for the second-straight game, and Batavia rolled over Lemont 4-0 in the Green Division on the opening day of the Warrior Invitational.
Don’t look now, but the Bulldogs (5-9-2) have won three-consecutive games, a skein that started with an impressive win over a tough Oswego East side.
“It really shows our ability to bounce back,” Batavia forward Joe Corno said. “Our last loss was 5-1 (against Oswego on Sept. 21). So we all got together, and we had a talk about what’s going good, what’s going bad. Ever since then we’ve been straightforward.”
If the Bulldogs can continue to play the way they did against Lemont, then they might be a sleeper in the playoffs, though that would be tested early against defending state champion Naperville North in the regional semifinals, provided Batavia first beats Plainfield East in a preliminary round game.
“We needed (this streak) before the seeding meeting,” Gianfrancesco said. “If we had had a couple more games (before the meeting) we would have had a better shot.
“You’ve got to play Naperville North if you end up beating Plainfield East. It’s a tough order but I think we’ll be ready to play at that point.”
Lemont (6-10-1) was not ready to deal with a Batavia attack led by Corno, Kuhn and Brandon Knapp, which peppered Indians goalkeeper Ethan Potts in the first half.
Corno and Kuhn each recorded a goal and an assist, while Knapp had a goal.
“I think we’re starting to grind well together as a team,” Corno said. “We know that we’re closing in on the end of the season, and these seniors don’t have many games left. So we’re all putting it out there for each other, and it’s really working.
“Early in the season it was just one of those things where we were in every game, but it just wasn’t going our way. I think now we’re starting to prove that we have the ability to win, so I’m really proud of everybody.”
Potts was outstanding for Lemont, finishing with six saves. He was particularly busy in the first half, too busy for Lemont coach Rick Prangen’s liking.
“Ethan Potts has been very good for us,” Prangen said. “He’s probably been our most consistent player.”
Potts made five stops in the first half, including two point-blank denials on Corno. But he had no chance on the first Batavia goal, which came at the 19:44 mark.
Kuhn lofted a high-arcing corner from the left side into a crowd in front and the ball was headed off the underside of the crossbar and in. It goes down as Wood’s second goal of the year.
“I think it was an own goal,” Wood said. “I’ll take it. I just kind of went up and was hoping for the best.”
Perhaps sparked by the first goal, the Bulldogs brought their best to bear on the Indians, who didn’t respond the way Prangen was hoping.
Corno scored on a breakaway with 15:22 left in the first half and Kuhn made it 3-0 on a similar play with 10:11 to go in a second half that had been controlled by the Indians. Knapp finished the scoring five minutes later with a 10-yard blast after taking a short pass from Corno, who had penetrated to the right end line.
The four goals equaled a season-high output for the Bulldogs and also produced the squad's largest margin of victory this season.
“After we got a goal under our belt it kind of built up our confidence,” Wood said. “We started possessing well and had them on their heels.”
The Indians were still in the game early in the second half and had better possession. They earned two corner kicks and had some set pieces in the final third but weren’t able to do much with them.
“I think in the second half we were down in their end for the first 25 minutes or so, but never dangerous,” Prangen said. “The front-runners weren’t making themselves dangerous; the services I thought were poor.”
But Prangen was particularly dismayed with his defense.
“The biggest thing is it’s not so much what they did well versus what we gave them,” Prangen said. “Two goals were both counterattacks on which we give the ball away. A set piece was a third goal, and the fourth goal, it was 3-nil by that time.
“(The Bulldogs) are fast up-top. They’ve got a bit of pace and in the offensive third. They look to go to frame, and they look for shots on frame. They made our keeper work, and we didn’t make their keeper work at all.”
Batavia goalie Treven Sitko-Siros made four saves, all routine, as the defense led by Wood shined.
“(Wood) has tightened it up recently,” Gianfrancesco said. “He’s a lot better at times with Sal (Garcia) next to him. That combination has helped a lot to build some confidence.”
That will be crucial if the Bulldogs are going to extend their winning streak and earn a shot at the tournament title.
“I think me and the other center backs have been stepping more and just overall communication in the back has been better,” Wood said. “We’re getting our marks and shutting them down.”
Starting lineups
Lemont
GK Ethan Potts
D James Locascio
D Matt Gasienica
D Andrew Leja
D Billy Bozue
M Leo Nunez
M Andrius Alinkevicius
M Mateusz Otreba
F Sach Counsil
F Marty Biskis
F Daniel Zuniga
Batavia
GK Treven Ritko-Siros
D Miguel Garcia
D Ian Wood
D Sal Garcia
M Joe Grendzinski
M Adler Palos
M Brayden Kuhn
M Nick Cannella
F Brandon Knapp
F Joe Corno
F Max Hardin
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Joe Corno, sr., F, Batavia
Scoring summary
1st Half
Batavia – Ian Wood (Brayden Kuhn) 19:44
Batavia – Joe Corno 15:22
2nd Half
Batavia – Kuhn 10:11
Batavia – Brandon Knapp (Corno) 5:35