West Chicago possesses winning style
Wildcats extend unbeaten streak to 5 with 4-1 win over Hampshire
By Bill Stone
WEST CHICAGO -- West Chicago senior midfielder Genesis Garcia is noticeable during soccer games simply for wearing cleats as red as a stoplight.
“I tell people they give me a boost,” Garcia joked.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, Garcia had all systems set on go Wednesday.
Garcia contributed greatly to the Wildcats’ impressive possession and passing attack that fueled a 4-1 victory over Hampshire in their home opener.
The Wildcats (5-3-1) improved to 4-0-1 over their last five games – even with spring break leaving them minus junior all-sectional midfielder/forward Barbie Castellanos and starting sophomore outside midfielder Ruby Romero.
“I feel like we play better when we connect balls and talk to each other,” said Garcia, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “I feel like that’s why we won today, because everyone was positive and everyone wanted to pass the ball to each other. We were opening up for each other. If someone was marked, we wanted to help out.”
Sophomore Giselle Navejas scored the first and final goals of the match with Garcia assisting the opener just 4:22 into the action.
Also scoring were freshman reserve Ruby Lebo and starting junior midfielder Vivis Martinez, whose goal just 1:28 before halftime for a 3-1 lead continued a decisive momentum swing after the Whip-Purs (1-4-0) had tied the game.
Spring break left Hampshire without four players, three of them starters.
West Chicago outshot Hampshire 26-7 overall (16-4 on goal) and 18-3 in the second half.
“We don’t just have a bunch of athletes where we can put a 40-yard ball and someone can outrun you. We have to pass it around and we focus on that,” West Chicago coach J. Cesar Gomez said. “We strive in every game and in every practice to do that. Today we were attractive and effective at the same time.”
Garcia has been on varsity since she was a freshman. Perhaps Wednesday was an indication this will be her best season ever.
When the team attended the Bartlett-East Aurora league game Tuesday afternoon, Gomez said he challenged Garcia to bring her high level of play consistently.
“I told her she played like a blinker – on, off, on, off. I said I want her to be a steady light,” Gomez said. “She has the possession. She has the whole thing and when she fights, her game is up. Today she fought. That was a good result for her today, probably her best game. She’s climbing up.”
There was plenty of motivation. Castellanos, the primary attacker from the central midfield formation with Garcia and Martinez, has nine of the Wildcats’ 23 goals this season.
This also was the home opener -- the previous seven games were split between DeKalb's Barbfest and Glenbard South's Raider Invitational.
“Because it’s our first home game, we wanted to try harder,” Garcia said. “We don’t want to be kind of disrespected. We want to win, and we’ve been having good games, a winning streak kind of. We just wanted to go strong and when we leave the field, it’s (a satisfied) feeling.
“Barbie is really impactful on our team. We like to connect with her and move forward. (With her gone) we were trying to act like she wasn’t the heart of the team. We were just trying to move for each other more and talk with each other more.”
The strategy was evident -- and successful -- early.
With a great run down left wing, Navejas passed to senior Kayla Schwarz, who passed to Garcia and then back to Navejas for a diagonal dart into the right corner of the net.
“We connected well there, and I think that’s what helped me finish the goal,” Navejas said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it by myself. That was a team effort.
“I’d say that we possessed the ball way more today than we ever have. We also just kept reading each other’s plays so we knew where we were going, and we’d send those balls. We hustled out there, making sure that it wasn’t noticeable that we were missing two of our stronger players.”
Navejas flat out admitted she was tired after the game. She assumed Castellanos’ extensive transition running for part of the match and had five of the Wildcats’ 11 second half shots on goal.
After several great carries and threats, Navejas scored again with 6:03 left when the Whips failed to clear.
Navejas now has six goals this season.
“(As a sophomore) I don’t think she really knows how she plays. She has not figured out that she’s good, which is good,” Gomez said. “I’ve challenged her a little bit more. She’s pushing a little bit more now.”
The Whips’ biggest lineup adjustment Wednesday was moving an outside midfielder to central defense.
Hampshire coach Colin Brice agreed that West Chicago has made progress since last season, when they won 10 games and edged the Whips 1-0 in late March at Hampshire.
“They’re improved a pretty good amount as far as being able to possess the ball and get into their game plan. They want to find their wings and stretch us out and work it back to the middle,” said Brice, who has four seniors.
“Definitely (Hampshire's Lara Dulaca is) a dangerous threat when they’re putting three girls on her. For the first half, it was pretty back and forth. Second half, we just didn’t bring the intensity in the play that we did the first half.”
West Chicago’s youth also showed progress defensively. Without Castellanos, Romero and injured junior starting defender Vanessa Montenegro (broken hand), the Wildcats promoted three players from the junior varsity -- freshman Luciana Balzer and sophomores Jimena Padilla and Brittney Mendoza.
Balzer started on defense. Sophomore starter Alex Alcantar and later Balzer specifically marked Hampshire's standout Dulaca.
The sophomore, who's making her high school soccer debut this season, has two goal of the Whips' eight goals and three assists. A wide-open Dulaca intercepted an uncleared ball and unleashed a game-tying goal from about 30 yards 24:06 before halftime. Dulaca opened the game with a 25-yard blast that went just wide less than a minute before Navejas’ first goal.
“(Balzer) did an awesome job. Alex is a specialist, marking their best player,” said Gomez, who also praised Garcia as a secondary defensive aid on Dulaca.
“That’s all we need right now. (Defend) people that are good players, bother them, and hopefully they’ll struggle a little. If they score on us, I want them too tired to celebrate their goal after working hard.”
It’s been all work for the defense after the season began March 13 with an 8-0 loss to St. Charles North, which is ranked third in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
In their eight games since, the Wildcats have allowed seven goals and recorded three shutouts.
“(Dulaca) is that type of player we need two players on,” said Patty Hernandez, the Wildcats’ lone senior starter on defense. “We can’t let (Dulaca) turn around and make plays by herself. (Alcantar and Balzer) guarded her pretty well.”
Sophomore Odalis Martinez returns as a starting central defender. Junior goalie Haley Rich, who played the second half after freshman Dulce Reyes started, is also a key returnee.
“We have a great anchor in the back with Odalis and on the outsides we’re really good as well,” Hernandez said. “St. Charles North is a very strong team. They connected their passes very well. I think we kind of went into that game with the mentality that we were going to lose right away. But we took that game and we put it as an example to work our way up and not make that mistake again.”
On Feb. 7, Hernandez signed to play women’s soccer for Judson University in Elgin.
The connection started thanks to older brother Jesus, who is a junior there and a member of the men’s soccer team. Then came Hernandez’s 18th birthday party, which had Judson women’s soccer players on the guest list.
“My parents told (the women players) that I played so they told the coach. The coach told my brother (he was interested),” Hernandez said. “I just went to a practice, and it started from there.”
Starting lineups
Hampshire
GK – 1 Christine Abihudi
D – 17 Sarah Gaudaen
D – 6 Sydney James
D – 7 Hanna Travis
D – 3 Alessa Carranza
M – 13 Anna Rivera
M – 12 Alyssa Dimaano
M – 10 Alana Hatanaka
M – 14 Kylie Brodkorb
F – 4 Lara Dulaca
F – 16 Sara Potenza
West Chicago
GK – 6 Dulce Reyes
D – 4 Luciana Balzer
D – 18 Patty Hernandez
D – 20 Odalis Martinez
D – 11 Alex Alcantar
M – 16 Kayla Schwarz
M – 12 Genesis Garcia
M – 19 Vivis Martinez
M – 10 Evelyn Hernandez
F – 7 Giselle Navejas
F – 14 Emily Ayala
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Genesis Garcia, sr. M, West Chicago
Game summary
Hampshire 1 0 – 1
West Chicago 3 1 – 4
First half
WC: Giselle Navejas (Genesis Garcia) 4:22
H: Lara Dulaca 15:54
WC: Ruby Lebo 26:16
WC: Vivis Martinez (Kayla Schwarz) 38:32
Second half
WC: Giselle Navejas 73:57
Goalies (saves)
H: Christine Abihudi (2 saves), Livia LaMarca (10 saves)
WC: Dulce Reyes (2 saves), Haley Rich (1 save)
Shots (on goal)
WC: 26 (16)
H: 7 (4)
Corner kicks
WC 4
H 0
Wildcats extend unbeaten streak to 5 with 4-1 win over Hampshire
By Bill Stone
WEST CHICAGO -- West Chicago senior midfielder Genesis Garcia is noticeable during soccer games simply for wearing cleats as red as a stoplight.
“I tell people they give me a boost,” Garcia joked.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, Garcia had all systems set on go Wednesday.
Garcia contributed greatly to the Wildcats’ impressive possession and passing attack that fueled a 4-1 victory over Hampshire in their home opener.
The Wildcats (5-3-1) improved to 4-0-1 over their last five games – even with spring break leaving them minus junior all-sectional midfielder/forward Barbie Castellanos and starting sophomore outside midfielder Ruby Romero.
“I feel like we play better when we connect balls and talk to each other,” said Garcia, the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match. “I feel like that’s why we won today, because everyone was positive and everyone wanted to pass the ball to each other. We were opening up for each other. If someone was marked, we wanted to help out.”
Sophomore Giselle Navejas scored the first and final goals of the match with Garcia assisting the opener just 4:22 into the action.
Also scoring were freshman reserve Ruby Lebo and starting junior midfielder Vivis Martinez, whose goal just 1:28 before halftime for a 3-1 lead continued a decisive momentum swing after the Whip-Purs (1-4-0) had tied the game.
Spring break left Hampshire without four players, three of them starters.
West Chicago outshot Hampshire 26-7 overall (16-4 on goal) and 18-3 in the second half.
“We don’t just have a bunch of athletes where we can put a 40-yard ball and someone can outrun you. We have to pass it around and we focus on that,” West Chicago coach J. Cesar Gomez said. “We strive in every game and in every practice to do that. Today we were attractive and effective at the same time.”
Garcia has been on varsity since she was a freshman. Perhaps Wednesday was an indication this will be her best season ever.
When the team attended the Bartlett-East Aurora league game Tuesday afternoon, Gomez said he challenged Garcia to bring her high level of play consistently.
“I told her she played like a blinker – on, off, on, off. I said I want her to be a steady light,” Gomez said. “She has the possession. She has the whole thing and when she fights, her game is up. Today she fought. That was a good result for her today, probably her best game. She’s climbing up.”
There was plenty of motivation. Castellanos, the primary attacker from the central midfield formation with Garcia and Martinez, has nine of the Wildcats’ 23 goals this season.
This also was the home opener -- the previous seven games were split between DeKalb's Barbfest and Glenbard South's Raider Invitational.
“Because it’s our first home game, we wanted to try harder,” Garcia said. “We don’t want to be kind of disrespected. We want to win, and we’ve been having good games, a winning streak kind of. We just wanted to go strong and when we leave the field, it’s (a satisfied) feeling.
“Barbie is really impactful on our team. We like to connect with her and move forward. (With her gone) we were trying to act like she wasn’t the heart of the team. We were just trying to move for each other more and talk with each other more.”
The strategy was evident -- and successful -- early.
With a great run down left wing, Navejas passed to senior Kayla Schwarz, who passed to Garcia and then back to Navejas for a diagonal dart into the right corner of the net.
“We connected well there, and I think that’s what helped me finish the goal,” Navejas said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it by myself. That was a team effort.
“I’d say that we possessed the ball way more today than we ever have. We also just kept reading each other’s plays so we knew where we were going, and we’d send those balls. We hustled out there, making sure that it wasn’t noticeable that we were missing two of our stronger players.”
Navejas flat out admitted she was tired after the game. She assumed Castellanos’ extensive transition running for part of the match and had five of the Wildcats’ 11 second half shots on goal.
After several great carries and threats, Navejas scored again with 6:03 left when the Whips failed to clear.
Navejas now has six goals this season.
“(As a sophomore) I don’t think she really knows how she plays. She has not figured out that she’s good, which is good,” Gomez said. “I’ve challenged her a little bit more. She’s pushing a little bit more now.”
The Whips’ biggest lineup adjustment Wednesday was moving an outside midfielder to central defense.
Hampshire coach Colin Brice agreed that West Chicago has made progress since last season, when they won 10 games and edged the Whips 1-0 in late March at Hampshire.
“They’re improved a pretty good amount as far as being able to possess the ball and get into their game plan. They want to find their wings and stretch us out and work it back to the middle,” said Brice, who has four seniors.
“Definitely (Hampshire's Lara Dulaca is) a dangerous threat when they’re putting three girls on her. For the first half, it was pretty back and forth. Second half, we just didn’t bring the intensity in the play that we did the first half.”
West Chicago’s youth also showed progress defensively. Without Castellanos, Romero and injured junior starting defender Vanessa Montenegro (broken hand), the Wildcats promoted three players from the junior varsity -- freshman Luciana Balzer and sophomores Jimena Padilla and Brittney Mendoza.
Balzer started on defense. Sophomore starter Alex Alcantar and later Balzer specifically marked Hampshire's standout Dulaca.
The sophomore, who's making her high school soccer debut this season, has two goal of the Whips' eight goals and three assists. A wide-open Dulaca intercepted an uncleared ball and unleashed a game-tying goal from about 30 yards 24:06 before halftime. Dulaca opened the game with a 25-yard blast that went just wide less than a minute before Navejas’ first goal.
“(Balzer) did an awesome job. Alex is a specialist, marking their best player,” said Gomez, who also praised Garcia as a secondary defensive aid on Dulaca.
“That’s all we need right now. (Defend) people that are good players, bother them, and hopefully they’ll struggle a little. If they score on us, I want them too tired to celebrate their goal after working hard.”
It’s been all work for the defense after the season began March 13 with an 8-0 loss to St. Charles North, which is ranked third in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
In their eight games since, the Wildcats have allowed seven goals and recorded three shutouts.
“(Dulaca) is that type of player we need two players on,” said Patty Hernandez, the Wildcats’ lone senior starter on defense. “We can’t let (Dulaca) turn around and make plays by herself. (Alcantar and Balzer) guarded her pretty well.”
Sophomore Odalis Martinez returns as a starting central defender. Junior goalie Haley Rich, who played the second half after freshman Dulce Reyes started, is also a key returnee.
“We have a great anchor in the back with Odalis and on the outsides we’re really good as well,” Hernandez said. “St. Charles North is a very strong team. They connected their passes very well. I think we kind of went into that game with the mentality that we were going to lose right away. But we took that game and we put it as an example to work our way up and not make that mistake again.”
On Feb. 7, Hernandez signed to play women’s soccer for Judson University in Elgin.
The connection started thanks to older brother Jesus, who is a junior there and a member of the men’s soccer team. Then came Hernandez’s 18th birthday party, which had Judson women’s soccer players on the guest list.
“My parents told (the women players) that I played so they told the coach. The coach told my brother (he was interested),” Hernandez said. “I just went to a practice, and it started from there.”
Starting lineups
Hampshire
GK – 1 Christine Abihudi
D – 17 Sarah Gaudaen
D – 6 Sydney James
D – 7 Hanna Travis
D – 3 Alessa Carranza
M – 13 Anna Rivera
M – 12 Alyssa Dimaano
M – 10 Alana Hatanaka
M – 14 Kylie Brodkorb
F – 4 Lara Dulaca
F – 16 Sara Potenza
West Chicago
GK – 6 Dulce Reyes
D – 4 Luciana Balzer
D – 18 Patty Hernandez
D – 20 Odalis Martinez
D – 11 Alex Alcantar
M – 16 Kayla Schwarz
M – 12 Genesis Garcia
M – 19 Vivis Martinez
M – 10 Evelyn Hernandez
F – 7 Giselle Navejas
F – 14 Emily Ayala
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Genesis Garcia, sr. M, West Chicago
Game summary
Hampshire 1 0 – 1
West Chicago 3 1 – 4
First half
WC: Giselle Navejas (Genesis Garcia) 4:22
H: Lara Dulaca 15:54
WC: Ruby Lebo 26:16
WC: Vivis Martinez (Kayla Schwarz) 38:32
Second half
WC: Giselle Navejas 73:57
Goalies (saves)
H: Christine Abihudi (2 saves), Livia LaMarca (10 saves)
WC: Dulce Reyes (2 saves), Haley Rich (1 save)
Shots (on goal)
WC: 26 (16)
H: 7 (4)
Corner kicks
WC 4
H 0