Batavia holds off Geneva for regional title
Unique success for Salyers, coach Gianfrancesco, Bulldogs
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Grace Salyers may not have been 100 percent healthy, but she’s perfect at frustrating rival Geneva.
Batavia, ranked no. 12 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, made the junior's first half goal stand up for a 1-0 triumph Friday in the winner’s Class 3A regional championship and made some history in the process.
Despite the proximity of the two communities -- which are longtime rivals from the Western Sun, Upstate Eight and now DuKane Conference -- this was only the fourth postseason meeting for the Tri-Cities foes, and this was Batavia’s first triumph over the Vikings (11-6-2) based on IHSA results dating back to 1998.
Needless to say any loss in the rivalry is emotionally tough and that was obviously the case for a perpetually competitive Geneva program. The Vikings aimed for their 13th regional plaque all-time and eighth under Megan Owens.
With only one exception in Owens’ 11-year tenure, Geneva (11-6-2) once again posted a winning season record with double-digit victories. Among the 17 schools assigned to the 3A Schaumburg Sectional, this regional finale came down as expected to the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (17-4-2) and no. 5-five-seeded and 22nd-ranked Vikings.
“Batavia is a great team, but we were seeded side-by-side; unfortunately we couldn’t finish today,” Owens said. “You can’t control the outcome, only your effort. We left it all on the field, worked hard and fought to the final whistle. It’s obviously a very disappointing result because we played well but struggled to connect. An unlucky deflection led to their goal.”
That comment was in regard to the only goal which came 21:33 into the first half.
“As a defender approached, I used my left foot to cut inside, and then cut to the outside to shoot for the upper-90,” Salyers explained. “Their goalie was coming front post and the deflection (off a defender) helped get it in.”
“Grace isn’t 100 percent healthy but she just guts it out for us,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said about Salyers, who admitted spending extra time in the trainer’s room. “We needed her in the last game and again this game, and she just continues to step up.”
That was in reference to the Bulldogs’ regional-opening 1-0 victory over Elk Grove when Salyers used a Chloe Valentino set-up for a first half game-winner. Back on April 23, Salyers scored in both halves when Batavia defeated Geneva 2-1. In the 2018 meeting, Salyers assisted on teammate Anna Holcombe’s goal in a 1-1 draw with the Vikings.
“You kind of know from how you hit,” Salyers said about the success of her shot. “When you make contact, you know how it feels and then watching it go in is a great feeling. (Scoring) for your teammates is everything.”
With the latest strike, Salyers netted her 10th goal and team-best fifth game-winner to earn Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match status.
Aside from 2011 when Gianfrancesco took over the girls program, Batavia was playing in a regional championship for the eighth-consecutive year. This was the fourth all-time and third regional plaque earned under Gianfrancesco.
His first crown with the girls program came in 2013 when Batavia’s advancement was stopped by Geneva (4-2) in a sectional semifinal. In prior years, the Vikings defeated the Bulldogs in regional finales in 2007 (AA) and also in 1999 when there was only one class.
So what was the proudest moment of this year’s trophy-winning contest?
“When the clock ticked to zero. It was a gutty performance,” Gianfrancesco said. “In the first half, the first five-plus minutes, they took it to us. We reorganized and became more active. Thankfully we defended well in the second half. They did a nice job forcing us to play a lot of balls in front of them, yet there were no clear cut chances for them to tie it. So we’ll take it.”
Having managed to defeat a team for the second time in 2019 means Batavia earns the opportunity and challenge to do it again.
The Bulldogs advance to Wednesday’s Schaumburg Sectional semifinal against St. Charles North which posted a solid 5-1 conquest of regional host St. Francis, the 2018 Class AA state champion. Back on May 2, Batavia rallied from a 1-0 deficit scoring twice in the final 18 minutes for a 2-1 triumph over the then top-ranked North Stars, who were 14-0-1 entering that match. The Bulldogs win brought an end to North’s 58-match regular-season unbeaten streak.
Does facing another rematch alter the approach?
“They say a leopard doesn’t change its spots. North is physical and aggressive, and they have that winning attitude,” Gianfrancesco said. “If you are not ready to play, they will steamroll you.”
On Friday neither Geneva or Batavia registered particularly dangerous attacks during the early going, at least nothing that tested either Bulldogs starting goalie Aubrey Hahn or Geneva netminder Katie Montgomery.
As an example, just over 10 minutes in the Vikings had consecutive corner kicks and the second by Annie Brolly crossed through the penalty box untouched by either side. Finally with 19:54 elapsed, Salyers blasted an attempt that Montgomery tipped away. Less than two minutes later Batavia broke the deadlock.
The second half began with Geneva scoring leader Jenna Dominguez taking a shot from the right wing that was saved by Hailey Flannagan, who took over the Batavia goaltending duties. As has been the case all season, the Bulldogs duo have alternated halves and the team's third-consecutive 1-0 triumph brought their season total for combined clean-sheets to 13.
However, it would be fair to say that freshman Hahn had the easier of the two halves. Flannagan, a junior, also had to ignore the memory of having allowed Geneva to score earlier this year and in the 2018 tie. That backdrop was filled with further intrigue by the Vikings’ increasing quest for an equalizer.
Dominguez had a goal in 12 of Geneva’s previous 18 matches and posted either a goal or assist in 16-of-18 games. Fellow senior forward Caitlin Farrell had goals in 10 of 18 matches, plus she scored the first goal in nine contests. During those matches, the Vikings were 7-1-1.
But if or when the Bulldogs defense may have bent, it never broke. Batavia’s backline of Kyla MacKenzie, Taylor Fleury, Cece Hamann and Kate Schoenfelder defused or interfered with every Geneva attack.
“The key was communicating with each other,” Schoenfelder said. “Beating them a second time, winning a regional, a first postseason win over them; it all means so much more because we were playing for our seniors. We didn’t want them being losers now that it’s win-or-go-home time.”
Geneva goalie Montgomery had to tip over a 26-yard rocket from Batavia’s Abby Zipse five minutes into the second half. For the Vikings, Dominguez had a solid try deflect off the Bulldogs defense before Flannagan covered it. Geneva defender Anna Spindle made her presence known in front of the Viking goal but also moved forward and had a header that was just off the right post with 30:05 still to play. With 22:40 remaining, reserve Alana Rawls took a left-side strike that missed the far right post.
The Vikings’ Sydney Gratz also made a strong effort from the middle, but Flannagan handled that on one hop. The Batavia keeper caught a 30-yard shot from Kate Nierman en route to making five second half saves.
“Geneva’s a big rival and to have beaten them during the season, and again in the postseason, and now knowing it’s our first win over them in a postseason setting, all makes this feel great,” Batavia senior co-captain Holcombe noted.
“The thing that makes this win pleasing is because they deserved it,” Gianfrancesco said. “We had numerous injuries during the year, but they’ve been resilient. They’ve found a way to play harder when needed, and they’ve played together as a unit.”
The achievement was also a perfect incentive for Gianfrancesco to share credit with his staff.
“Lindsey (Spears) is the glue behind the scenes. She’s got a really good rapport with the players which makes a big difference,” Gianfrancesco said. “Tom (O’Reilly) has been a wonderful sounding board for ideas. His wealth of knowledge with our JVs helps us with how they fit in to the varsity when we bring them up. It’s invaluable to have quality assistants you can trust to do the best for the players and the program.”
As the one-goal margin hinged on either a simple mistake, fortuitous bounce or quality chance, the losing side also displayed a strong team effort.
“Although a disappointing finish, what made this year special was how we truly grew as a family,” Geneva’s Montgomery said. “This group is so close and everyone cared about each other. Whether it was on or off the field, on the bench, on the bus, this team made soccer fun, a real blessing to play and practice together.
“I’m lucky in that I still have one more year in the program, but our seniors and the family feeling that developed was truly something special,” Montgomery concluded.
Now Batavia goes up against a revenge-minded St. Charles North squad that has been rated no. 2 all season with the exception of Week 8 when the North Stars held the top spot.
Batavia faced a similar setting just two years ago. The Bulldogs blanked Bartlett 2-0 for a regional championship victory only to lose a hard-fought 1-0 sectional semifinal to North. While that year’s 2017 North Stars and the 2018 crew as well were viewed with higher expectations, this year’s North squad has still been playing with a target on its back.
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK Katie Montgomery
D Annie Brolly
D Katie Cannon
D Anna Spindle
D Chloe Frison
M Stephanie Howe
M Katie Nierman
M Sydney Gratz
F Jenna Dominguez
F Ava Geen
F Caitlin Farrell
Batavia
GK Aubrey Hahn
D Kyla MacKenzie
D Kate Schoenfelder
D Cece Hamann
D Taylor Fleury
M Bella Zink
M Abby Zipse
M Chloe Valentino
M Zaira Solis
F Anna Holcombe
F Grace Salyers
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Grace Salyers, jr., F, Batavia
Officials: Jay Cummins (center), Jose Gonzalez, Ricardo Mercado
Game summary
Class 3A Batavia Regional Championship
Batavia 1, Geneva 0
Geneva 0 0 -- 0 (11-6-2)
Batavia 1 0 -- 1 (17-4-2)
Scoring
First half
B --Salyers cuts outside and cranks 17-yarder deflected inside far right post (unassisted), 21:33 gone
Second half
No scoring
Shots
G 3 – 7 -- 10
B 6 – 6 -- 12
Shots on goal
G 0 – 5 -- 5
B 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
G (Montgomery 2 – 3 -- 5
B (Hahn) 0 – (Flannagan) 5 -- 5
Corner kicks
G 2 – 2 -- 4
B 1 – 1 -- 2
Offsides
G 0 – 2 -- 2
B 1 – 3 -- 4
Unique success for Salyers, coach Gianfrancesco, Bulldogs
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Grace Salyers may not have been 100 percent healthy, but she’s perfect at frustrating rival Geneva.
Batavia, ranked no. 12 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, made the junior's first half goal stand up for a 1-0 triumph Friday in the winner’s Class 3A regional championship and made some history in the process.
Despite the proximity of the two communities -- which are longtime rivals from the Western Sun, Upstate Eight and now DuKane Conference -- this was only the fourth postseason meeting for the Tri-Cities foes, and this was Batavia’s first triumph over the Vikings (11-6-2) based on IHSA results dating back to 1998.
Needless to say any loss in the rivalry is emotionally tough and that was obviously the case for a perpetually competitive Geneva program. The Vikings aimed for their 13th regional plaque all-time and eighth under Megan Owens.
With only one exception in Owens’ 11-year tenure, Geneva (11-6-2) once again posted a winning season record with double-digit victories. Among the 17 schools assigned to the 3A Schaumburg Sectional, this regional finale came down as expected to the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (17-4-2) and no. 5-five-seeded and 22nd-ranked Vikings.
“Batavia is a great team, but we were seeded side-by-side; unfortunately we couldn’t finish today,” Owens said. “You can’t control the outcome, only your effort. We left it all on the field, worked hard and fought to the final whistle. It’s obviously a very disappointing result because we played well but struggled to connect. An unlucky deflection led to their goal.”
That comment was in regard to the only goal which came 21:33 into the first half.
“As a defender approached, I used my left foot to cut inside, and then cut to the outside to shoot for the upper-90,” Salyers explained. “Their goalie was coming front post and the deflection (off a defender) helped get it in.”
“Grace isn’t 100 percent healthy but she just guts it out for us,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said about Salyers, who admitted spending extra time in the trainer’s room. “We needed her in the last game and again this game, and she just continues to step up.”
That was in reference to the Bulldogs’ regional-opening 1-0 victory over Elk Grove when Salyers used a Chloe Valentino set-up for a first half game-winner. Back on April 23, Salyers scored in both halves when Batavia defeated Geneva 2-1. In the 2018 meeting, Salyers assisted on teammate Anna Holcombe’s goal in a 1-1 draw with the Vikings.
“You kind of know from how you hit,” Salyers said about the success of her shot. “When you make contact, you know how it feels and then watching it go in is a great feeling. (Scoring) for your teammates is everything.”
With the latest strike, Salyers netted her 10th goal and team-best fifth game-winner to earn Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match status.
Aside from 2011 when Gianfrancesco took over the girls program, Batavia was playing in a regional championship for the eighth-consecutive year. This was the fourth all-time and third regional plaque earned under Gianfrancesco.
His first crown with the girls program came in 2013 when Batavia’s advancement was stopped by Geneva (4-2) in a sectional semifinal. In prior years, the Vikings defeated the Bulldogs in regional finales in 2007 (AA) and also in 1999 when there was only one class.
So what was the proudest moment of this year’s trophy-winning contest?
“When the clock ticked to zero. It was a gutty performance,” Gianfrancesco said. “In the first half, the first five-plus minutes, they took it to us. We reorganized and became more active. Thankfully we defended well in the second half. They did a nice job forcing us to play a lot of balls in front of them, yet there were no clear cut chances for them to tie it. So we’ll take it.”
Having managed to defeat a team for the second time in 2019 means Batavia earns the opportunity and challenge to do it again.
The Bulldogs advance to Wednesday’s Schaumburg Sectional semifinal against St. Charles North which posted a solid 5-1 conquest of regional host St. Francis, the 2018 Class AA state champion. Back on May 2, Batavia rallied from a 1-0 deficit scoring twice in the final 18 minutes for a 2-1 triumph over the then top-ranked North Stars, who were 14-0-1 entering that match. The Bulldogs win brought an end to North’s 58-match regular-season unbeaten streak.
Does facing another rematch alter the approach?
“They say a leopard doesn’t change its spots. North is physical and aggressive, and they have that winning attitude,” Gianfrancesco said. “If you are not ready to play, they will steamroll you.”
On Friday neither Geneva or Batavia registered particularly dangerous attacks during the early going, at least nothing that tested either Bulldogs starting goalie Aubrey Hahn or Geneva netminder Katie Montgomery.
As an example, just over 10 minutes in the Vikings had consecutive corner kicks and the second by Annie Brolly crossed through the penalty box untouched by either side. Finally with 19:54 elapsed, Salyers blasted an attempt that Montgomery tipped away. Less than two minutes later Batavia broke the deadlock.
The second half began with Geneva scoring leader Jenna Dominguez taking a shot from the right wing that was saved by Hailey Flannagan, who took over the Batavia goaltending duties. As has been the case all season, the Bulldogs duo have alternated halves and the team's third-consecutive 1-0 triumph brought their season total for combined clean-sheets to 13.
However, it would be fair to say that freshman Hahn had the easier of the two halves. Flannagan, a junior, also had to ignore the memory of having allowed Geneva to score earlier this year and in the 2018 tie. That backdrop was filled with further intrigue by the Vikings’ increasing quest for an equalizer.
Dominguez had a goal in 12 of Geneva’s previous 18 matches and posted either a goal or assist in 16-of-18 games. Fellow senior forward Caitlin Farrell had goals in 10 of 18 matches, plus she scored the first goal in nine contests. During those matches, the Vikings were 7-1-1.
But if or when the Bulldogs defense may have bent, it never broke. Batavia’s backline of Kyla MacKenzie, Taylor Fleury, Cece Hamann and Kate Schoenfelder defused or interfered with every Geneva attack.
“The key was communicating with each other,” Schoenfelder said. “Beating them a second time, winning a regional, a first postseason win over them; it all means so much more because we were playing for our seniors. We didn’t want them being losers now that it’s win-or-go-home time.”
Geneva goalie Montgomery had to tip over a 26-yard rocket from Batavia’s Abby Zipse five minutes into the second half. For the Vikings, Dominguez had a solid try deflect off the Bulldogs defense before Flannagan covered it. Geneva defender Anna Spindle made her presence known in front of the Viking goal but also moved forward and had a header that was just off the right post with 30:05 still to play. With 22:40 remaining, reserve Alana Rawls took a left-side strike that missed the far right post.
The Vikings’ Sydney Gratz also made a strong effort from the middle, but Flannagan handled that on one hop. The Batavia keeper caught a 30-yard shot from Kate Nierman en route to making five second half saves.
“Geneva’s a big rival and to have beaten them during the season, and again in the postseason, and now knowing it’s our first win over them in a postseason setting, all makes this feel great,” Batavia senior co-captain Holcombe noted.
“The thing that makes this win pleasing is because they deserved it,” Gianfrancesco said. “We had numerous injuries during the year, but they’ve been resilient. They’ve found a way to play harder when needed, and they’ve played together as a unit.”
The achievement was also a perfect incentive for Gianfrancesco to share credit with his staff.
“Lindsey (Spears) is the glue behind the scenes. She’s got a really good rapport with the players which makes a big difference,” Gianfrancesco said. “Tom (O’Reilly) has been a wonderful sounding board for ideas. His wealth of knowledge with our JVs helps us with how they fit in to the varsity when we bring them up. It’s invaluable to have quality assistants you can trust to do the best for the players and the program.”
As the one-goal margin hinged on either a simple mistake, fortuitous bounce or quality chance, the losing side also displayed a strong team effort.
“Although a disappointing finish, what made this year special was how we truly grew as a family,” Geneva’s Montgomery said. “This group is so close and everyone cared about each other. Whether it was on or off the field, on the bench, on the bus, this team made soccer fun, a real blessing to play and practice together.
“I’m lucky in that I still have one more year in the program, but our seniors and the family feeling that developed was truly something special,” Montgomery concluded.
Now Batavia goes up against a revenge-minded St. Charles North squad that has been rated no. 2 all season with the exception of Week 8 when the North Stars held the top spot.
Batavia faced a similar setting just two years ago. The Bulldogs blanked Bartlett 2-0 for a regional championship victory only to lose a hard-fought 1-0 sectional semifinal to North. While that year’s 2017 North Stars and the 2018 crew as well were viewed with higher expectations, this year’s North squad has still been playing with a target on its back.
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK Katie Montgomery
D Annie Brolly
D Katie Cannon
D Anna Spindle
D Chloe Frison
M Stephanie Howe
M Katie Nierman
M Sydney Gratz
F Jenna Dominguez
F Ava Geen
F Caitlin Farrell
Batavia
GK Aubrey Hahn
D Kyla MacKenzie
D Kate Schoenfelder
D Cece Hamann
D Taylor Fleury
M Bella Zink
M Abby Zipse
M Chloe Valentino
M Zaira Solis
F Anna Holcombe
F Grace Salyers
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Grace Salyers, jr., F, Batavia
Officials: Jay Cummins (center), Jose Gonzalez, Ricardo Mercado
Game summary
Class 3A Batavia Regional Championship
Batavia 1, Geneva 0
Geneva 0 0 -- 0 (11-6-2)
Batavia 1 0 -- 1 (17-4-2)
Scoring
First half
B --Salyers cuts outside and cranks 17-yarder deflected inside far right post (unassisted), 21:33 gone
Second half
No scoring
Shots
G 3 – 7 -- 10
B 6 – 6 -- 12
Shots on goal
G 0 – 5 -- 5
B 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
G (Montgomery 2 – 3 -- 5
B (Hahn) 0 – (Flannagan) 5 -- 5
Corner kicks
G 2 – 2 -- 4
B 1 – 1 -- 2
Offsides
G 0 – 2 -- 2
B 1 – 3 -- 4