Naperville C. takes down Naperville N.
Bhargava’s blast delivers 1-0 win, ends 26-game unbeaten run
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Teams have been trying for a year to figure out how to beat Naperville North.
Naperville Central finally did it Saturday night.
A year and a day after the Huskies’ last loss, the Redhawks stunned them by beating them at their own game.
Rohan Bhargava scored his first varsity goal off a throw-in from Nate Zain with 3:48 left in the first half and that stood up for a 1-0 DuPage Valley Conference victory.
The result snapped defending state champion Naperville North’s 26-game unbeaten streak. The Huskies had gone 24-0-2 since a 1-0 loss to Bolingbrook last Sept. 8.
It also ended North’s 13-game unbeaten skein in the DVC.
The crosstown rivals met for the second-consecutive Saturday night. The Huskies (8-1-1, 2-0) posted at 2-1 win at the Redhawks' Memorial Stadium to win the Best of the West Tournament title Sept. 2.
“They definitely deserved to win tonight,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “It wasn’t anything that we didn’t do; they just played great.
“I think we did better the second half, but they’re a very good team. I thought we were fortunate to win last Saturday night. And tonight we obviously had a couple chances, but they had chances too.”
Naperville Central (6-3-0, 2-0-0) turned the tables on the Huskies in ironic fashion. The host Huskies are well-known for often scoring off set pieces, especially long throw-ins.
That’s how Central, which has struggled in that area, beat the Huskies.
Zain, who gave the Huskies fits all night and helped the Redhawks control the midfield for much of the first half, heaved the ball from the right side to Bhargava, who was unguarded near the top of the penalty area.
There was a crowd in front of the net and just a narrow opening to slot the ball through, but Bhargava did it, his shot nestling just inside the right post past the outstretched fingers of North goalkeeper Tommy Welch.
“We haven’t had that much success on throw-ins this year,” Bhargava said. “We’ve had a lot of them, but we just haven’t been in the right places. So I just tried to get in the right place and luckily it popped up to me, and I just finished.”
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams had the Redhawks work on just such a scenario during practice this week.
“Believe it or not, we’ve actually talked a whole lot about how there is a difference between finishing and striking,” Adams said. “When you get around the box, just find the net.
“It doesn’t have to be ripped; it just has to be placed. The ball was coming to (Bhargava). He took the inside part of his foot, placed it well and there were so many bodies (in front), but on one side there was a column open, and he was able to place it.”
Bhargava, who is one of three sophomores who start in the midfield for the Redhawks, was stunned that he had scored.
“It kind of felt surreal,” Bhargava said. “Right when I scored I didn’t really realize it. It boosts my confidence.”
From Naperville North's perspective, Konrad was pleased with his team’s overall play but lamented the sequence that led to the goal.
“We didn’t mark-up on that,” Konrad said. “We left that kid open.
“We had talked about him. But as the ball was in the air, we just didn’t step-up and mark him. It was an individual mistake that we need to clean up.”
The play of Bhargava and fellow second-year varsity midfielders Nico Couropmitree and Owen Jarrell allowed Central to win the battle in the center of the pitch, an area of the field that Naperville North usually dominates.
“I’ll be honest, the three sophomores that were up (as freshmen) last year, the maturation from last year to this year is amazing,” Adams said. “They’re three-of-four midfielders that we have and they work their tails off.”
Adams was particularly pleased to see Bhargava get rewarded for his hard work. The fact that the goal was the game-winner against North made it even more special.
“It’s a big one especially for a kid that doesn’t talk very much,” Adams said. “Rohan is a very reserved, very smart kid.
“We do preseason meetings where we meet with each one of the kids, and I talk about what are their goals. One of the things Rohan said was he wanted to be more of a leader this year, take a little more control. So (the opportunity) is there, and I think he wants to do it.”
Bhargava confirmed he intends to shoot more. He had another attempt midway through the second half, this one a 30-yard cracker that Welch made a lunging stop on. It was one of only six shots – two of which were on frame – the Huskies surrendered.
“It was very exciting,” Zain said of the goal. “Like Rohan said, we haven’t been very successful on dead balls in general.
“The ball just happens to go places that you’re not expecting, and luckily Rohan was in the right place at the right time.
“In practice we were working a lot on finishing, not just shooting. We’ve been skying a bunch of shots that we should have put in the back of the net. So I think that helped us in that situation.”
The sky would seem to be the limit for young players like Bhargava, who has shown no fear in his first year as a starter after playing a solid role off the bench as a freshman.
“(Bhargava’s strength is) just staying physical,” Zain said. "Rohan doesn’t get bossed around or anything. He holds the middle very well, and he’s a great finisher.”
Naperville North doesn’t have a true star finisher, but they have several forwards who can put the ball in the back of the net, including sophomore Ty Konrad, who scored against the Redhawks in the first meeting.
Konrad wasn’t as successful this time and was held without a shot, though he did send a couple of dangerous crosses into the middle.
Naperville Central’s backline of Cameron Strang, Rokas Stadalninkas, Jake Crawford and Tanner Greenhagen held firm, allowing the Huskies only one shot after halftime even though Naperville North played better in the midfield after moving Cesar Recendez up from left back.
Central goalkeeper Brad Palagi had to make just one save to record the Redhawks’ fourth shutout, all of which have come in the past five matches.
“Our back four did an outstanding job today,” Adams said. “They’ve got forwards that are a handful.
“(Ty Konrad) is fast and strong. It’s a tough load to handle, and I thought they did a good job of controlling him. It’s about being more aware and when one guy goes, we need another guy covering to stay in that shape.”
Despite the loss, the Huskies should still be in good shape. Jim Konrad noted how the Huskies limited Zain to two shots, neither of which was on frame.
“I thought (defender) Matt Bilardello was fantastic for us tonight,” he said. “He was the best player on the field for us.
“Nate Zain is a special player, and I thought he did well to contain him when he had to go 1-v.-1 with him. He really held things together for us.
“We’ve got some stuff to work on and figure out, but we’re all hoping we get to see them again.”
A third meeting could come in the playoffs. This win has the Redhawks on a high for now, but Zain is savvy enough to know they shouldn’t celebrate too hard.
“It just boosts our confidence,” Zain said. “We’re only the second game into conference so this will help us.
“But we can’t get too cocky now that we won this game. We’ve just got to keep going and hopefully stay undefeated in DVC. It’s one game at a time.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK Brad Palagi
D Jake Crawford
D Tanner Greenhagen
D Rokas Stadalninkas
D Cameron Strang
M Nico Couropmitree
M Owen Jarrell
M Nate Zain
M Rohan Bhargava
F Zack Kokes
F Jimmy Kalkofen
Naperville North
GK Tommy Welch
D Cesar Recendez
D Mitch Konrad
D Colin Iverson
D Matt Bilardello
M Ethan Harvey
M Jack Barry
M Will Ritzmann
F Patrick Koenig
F Ian Guppy
F Ty Konrad
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Rohan Bhargava, so., MF, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville Central: Rohan Bhargava (Nate Zain), 3:48
Bhargava’s blast delivers 1-0 win, ends 26-game unbeaten run
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Teams have been trying for a year to figure out how to beat Naperville North.
Naperville Central finally did it Saturday night.
A year and a day after the Huskies’ last loss, the Redhawks stunned them by beating them at their own game.
Rohan Bhargava scored his first varsity goal off a throw-in from Nate Zain with 3:48 left in the first half and that stood up for a 1-0 DuPage Valley Conference victory.
The result snapped defending state champion Naperville North’s 26-game unbeaten streak. The Huskies had gone 24-0-2 since a 1-0 loss to Bolingbrook last Sept. 8.
It also ended North’s 13-game unbeaten skein in the DVC.
The crosstown rivals met for the second-consecutive Saturday night. The Huskies (8-1-1, 2-0) posted at 2-1 win at the Redhawks' Memorial Stadium to win the Best of the West Tournament title Sept. 2.
“They definitely deserved to win tonight,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “It wasn’t anything that we didn’t do; they just played great.
“I think we did better the second half, but they’re a very good team. I thought we were fortunate to win last Saturday night. And tonight we obviously had a couple chances, but they had chances too.”
Naperville Central (6-3-0, 2-0-0) turned the tables on the Huskies in ironic fashion. The host Huskies are well-known for often scoring off set pieces, especially long throw-ins.
That’s how Central, which has struggled in that area, beat the Huskies.
Zain, who gave the Huskies fits all night and helped the Redhawks control the midfield for much of the first half, heaved the ball from the right side to Bhargava, who was unguarded near the top of the penalty area.
There was a crowd in front of the net and just a narrow opening to slot the ball through, but Bhargava did it, his shot nestling just inside the right post past the outstretched fingers of North goalkeeper Tommy Welch.
“We haven’t had that much success on throw-ins this year,” Bhargava said. “We’ve had a lot of them, but we just haven’t been in the right places. So I just tried to get in the right place and luckily it popped up to me, and I just finished.”
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams had the Redhawks work on just such a scenario during practice this week.
“Believe it or not, we’ve actually talked a whole lot about how there is a difference between finishing and striking,” Adams said. “When you get around the box, just find the net.
“It doesn’t have to be ripped; it just has to be placed. The ball was coming to (Bhargava). He took the inside part of his foot, placed it well and there were so many bodies (in front), but on one side there was a column open, and he was able to place it.”
Bhargava, who is one of three sophomores who start in the midfield for the Redhawks, was stunned that he had scored.
“It kind of felt surreal,” Bhargava said. “Right when I scored I didn’t really realize it. It boosts my confidence.”
From Naperville North's perspective, Konrad was pleased with his team’s overall play but lamented the sequence that led to the goal.
“We didn’t mark-up on that,” Konrad said. “We left that kid open.
“We had talked about him. But as the ball was in the air, we just didn’t step-up and mark him. It was an individual mistake that we need to clean up.”
The play of Bhargava and fellow second-year varsity midfielders Nico Couropmitree and Owen Jarrell allowed Central to win the battle in the center of the pitch, an area of the field that Naperville North usually dominates.
“I’ll be honest, the three sophomores that were up (as freshmen) last year, the maturation from last year to this year is amazing,” Adams said. “They’re three-of-four midfielders that we have and they work their tails off.”
Adams was particularly pleased to see Bhargava get rewarded for his hard work. The fact that the goal was the game-winner against North made it even more special.
“It’s a big one especially for a kid that doesn’t talk very much,” Adams said. “Rohan is a very reserved, very smart kid.
“We do preseason meetings where we meet with each one of the kids, and I talk about what are their goals. One of the things Rohan said was he wanted to be more of a leader this year, take a little more control. So (the opportunity) is there, and I think he wants to do it.”
Bhargava confirmed he intends to shoot more. He had another attempt midway through the second half, this one a 30-yard cracker that Welch made a lunging stop on. It was one of only six shots – two of which were on frame – the Huskies surrendered.
“It was very exciting,” Zain said of the goal. “Like Rohan said, we haven’t been very successful on dead balls in general.
“The ball just happens to go places that you’re not expecting, and luckily Rohan was in the right place at the right time.
“In practice we were working a lot on finishing, not just shooting. We’ve been skying a bunch of shots that we should have put in the back of the net. So I think that helped us in that situation.”
The sky would seem to be the limit for young players like Bhargava, who has shown no fear in his first year as a starter after playing a solid role off the bench as a freshman.
“(Bhargava’s strength is) just staying physical,” Zain said. "Rohan doesn’t get bossed around or anything. He holds the middle very well, and he’s a great finisher.”
Naperville North doesn’t have a true star finisher, but they have several forwards who can put the ball in the back of the net, including sophomore Ty Konrad, who scored against the Redhawks in the first meeting.
Konrad wasn’t as successful this time and was held without a shot, though he did send a couple of dangerous crosses into the middle.
Naperville Central’s backline of Cameron Strang, Rokas Stadalninkas, Jake Crawford and Tanner Greenhagen held firm, allowing the Huskies only one shot after halftime even though Naperville North played better in the midfield after moving Cesar Recendez up from left back.
Central goalkeeper Brad Palagi had to make just one save to record the Redhawks’ fourth shutout, all of which have come in the past five matches.
“Our back four did an outstanding job today,” Adams said. “They’ve got forwards that are a handful.
“(Ty Konrad) is fast and strong. It’s a tough load to handle, and I thought they did a good job of controlling him. It’s about being more aware and when one guy goes, we need another guy covering to stay in that shape.”
Despite the loss, the Huskies should still be in good shape. Jim Konrad noted how the Huskies limited Zain to two shots, neither of which was on frame.
“I thought (defender) Matt Bilardello was fantastic for us tonight,” he said. “He was the best player on the field for us.
“Nate Zain is a special player, and I thought he did well to contain him when he had to go 1-v.-1 with him. He really held things together for us.
“We’ve got some stuff to work on and figure out, but we’re all hoping we get to see them again.”
A third meeting could come in the playoffs. This win has the Redhawks on a high for now, but Zain is savvy enough to know they shouldn’t celebrate too hard.
“It just boosts our confidence,” Zain said. “We’re only the second game into conference so this will help us.
“But we can’t get too cocky now that we won this game. We’ve just got to keep going and hopefully stay undefeated in DVC. It’s one game at a time.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK Brad Palagi
D Jake Crawford
D Tanner Greenhagen
D Rokas Stadalninkas
D Cameron Strang
M Nico Couropmitree
M Owen Jarrell
M Nate Zain
M Rohan Bhargava
F Zack Kokes
F Jimmy Kalkofen
Naperville North
GK Tommy Welch
D Cesar Recendez
D Mitch Konrad
D Colin Iverson
D Matt Bilardello
M Ethan Harvey
M Jack Barry
M Will Ritzmann
F Patrick Koenig
F Ian Guppy
F Ty Konrad
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Rohan Bhargava, so., MF, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville Central: Rohan Bhargava (Nate Zain), 3:48