Batavia comeback stymies Neuqua Valley
3-goal 2nd half produces 4-3 win over no. 25 Wildcats
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Which has a greater impact, short-term memory or thoughts simmering from long ago?
Perhaps it’s simply too early in the season to get so philosophical, but the long and the short of Wednesday’s nonconference matchup between Batavia and Neuqua Valley illustrated both sides.
Neuqua Valley – ranked 25th in Chicagoland Soccer’s preseason poll – appeared to pick up where 2016’s upward trajectory left off. But then a two-goal lead vanished in a six-minute span as host Batavia continued a desire to atone for past disappointments.
The Bulldogs (1-0-1) rallied to victory in the 4-3 result that could easily become a plot point in each team's 2017 story depending on how their respective seasons unfold. But for now, the “fight like cats and dogs” classic finished as a bigger plus for the Bulldogs, who were led by Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honoree Brandon Knapp.
Arnoldo Gonzalez envisioned a three-year process to fashion a Neuqua Valley program to his liking, but the previous year had the Wildcats ahead of schedule. An unexpected runnerup finish in the DuPage Valley Conference included a 0-0 draw that kept loop champ Naperville North from a perfect league campaign. En route to the state Class 3A crown, those Huskies avenged that non-victory with a 3-0 sectional final win over the surprising Neuqua Valley squad that recorded a strong 13-6-4 campaign.
By contrast, an-up-but-a-few-more-downs 2016 didn’t exactly shout Bulldogs tenacity. Yes, Batavia reached the regional title game and put up a gallant fight in a 2-1 loss to those Naperville North Huskies; but the year ended at 5-12-2. And a season-opening 2-2 draw with South Elgin appeared to be more bark than bite.
So after Neuqua Valley's early goal was answered by Batavia, the Wildcats regained the lead by halftime and soon added a second half tally for a 3-1 lead. The Neuqua Valley revamp seemed to continue on the upswing while Batavia's stuggles continued.
But unlike the first half, which belonged to the visiting Wildcats both on the scoreboard and statistically, the second, and better, half belonged to Batavia -- in particular a six-minute offensive surge backed up by a bend-but-don't-break defense.
“Even before they scored, I thought we jumped out with more focus and intensity in the second half," Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco insisted. "It was more like their confidence level led to those goals. There may have been a little hangover from yesterday (vs. South Elgin) in the opening half, but we found our legs and drive in the second half.”
Or maybe the two-goal deficit was simply the wake-up call the Bulldogs needed, just like their initial response to the early Neuqua Valley lead.
David Kuhn may have been the most energetic of a trio of early substitutes for the Wildcats. The junior put the visitors ahead 6:58 into the match. Matt Miller’s cross enabled Kuhn to strike from nine yards against Batavia first half goalie Jacob Mefford.
A mere 15 seconds elapsed before Joe Corno stole past the Neuqua Valley defense and found himself pushing forward for a 1-v.-1 against Wildcat goalie Dylan Soto. The Batavia senior tucked a 14-yarder by Soto for his third goal of the year after scoring twice against South Elgin.
“Answering their goal quickly was important especially in light of last year,” Corno explained. “We had a bad reputation for not responding offensively. Based on last year (losing 3-2 at Neuqua Valley) and being 5-12-2, we thought they might underestimate us. So my desire was to jump on any pass I could.”
The Wildcats were determined to regain the lead and Mefford had to stop blasts from DVC standout Billy Heiniades’ left foot and a Jason Benjamin riser.
When the first of four yellow cards was issued to Neuqua Valley – among four total – the Bulldogs just missed executing a set piece as Brandon Knapp’s free kick only skimmed off junior forward Max Hardin’s hair en route to sailing wide right. Soto smothered a couple of scrambles to avoid real danger.
Five-consecutive passes via head balls for the Wildcats led to Anthony Safo’s cannon shot from the right side. While Mefford snared that one, he wasn’t as fortunate at 21:29. That’s when a Heiniades pass found Kuhn in position to redirect the ball off a Batavia defender and in to make it 2-1. That was part of Neuqua’s statistical edge in putting eight of 10 attempts on frame for the first half. By contrast the Bulldogs had three overall attempts, two on goal. Further illustrating the Wildcat attack were two offside whistles and a 2-0 corner kick advantage.
“In the first half we came out strong and were moving the ball well either through the middle or out wide,” Heiniades noted. “We were playing a much better possession game. In the second half there was a series of scrappy plays, and they got on the end of them. Obviously that was good for them, but we still put up a good fight to the very end.”
Just over five minutes into the second half, Jose Navaro’s pass enabled Heiniades to pound the ball inside right past second half Batavia keeper Treven Ritko-Siros for a 3-1 lead.
However, Miguel Garcia and Knapp executed a textbook version of a triangular give-and-go. Garcia's finish and Knapp’s second assist for the year made it 3-2 at 48:45.
“I’d say that play was proof the sprints in practice worked for us,” Knapp said. “I think the second half we worked more as a team. When we communicate, it’s a lot easier for us to create opportunities and to score.”
An energized Bulldogs attack then led to a penalty kick opportunity just four minutes later. Sal Garcia, co-captain along with Corno, calmly converted for Batavia’s second equalizer of the night.
“I try to throw in a fake, but my approach puts the emphasis generally on placement over power,” Garcia noted.
Continuing to be aggressive offensively, the Bulldogs got the game-winner when Sal Garcia earned an assist on Hardin’s head flick that had the right amount of touch to spin under the crossbar.
“Getting the tie was great, but taking the lead after we were down (two goals) is just the best feeling," Sal Garcia said. "I think the second half was an example of a lot of heart on our part. We never give up."
If the NHL practice of multiple assists was used, Knapp’s overall hustle would be better documented.
“He deserves the Man of the Match status because so much of our offense is generated by him,” Gianfrancesco noted. “He gets a lot of 50-50 balls that ultimately create offensive opportunities for others. In the first half today, we didn’t win too many of those.
“Obviously our backline (Jack Bradle, Miguel Garcia, Riley Cavanaugh and Joe Grendzinski) had to step up during the final stretch. Max also brought us some much-needed energy and helped us hold the ball,” Gianfrancesco said.
With 13 minutes remaining, Ritko-Siros scrambled to cover a loose ball. On two Neuqua Valley corner kicks, Grendzinski was instrumental in clearing the ball.
“We were a lot better with our ball movement in the first half,” Wildcats coach Gonzalez said. “And the second half was a lack of movement. We didn’t get men open. I thought Heiniades and Navaro worked their tails off at both ends.
“Overall the effort was there. Yes there were a few mistakes, but we’ll build off the positives, especially that first-half,” Gonzalez added.
Navaro echoed his coach’s optimism.
“We need to sustain our ball movement the whole game. The first half showed the benefits of when we worked the ball sharply through the middle or via the flanks,” Navaro said. “I’m confident we’ll continue to improve and finish chances better.”
“Maybe we surprised some people last year,” Heiniades conceded. “But we’ll have a few surprises still to spring on people. We work on communication, keeping our shape. We’ve got a core of seniors and juniors that will keep us contenders.”
In the ultimate test of being road-weary, Neuqua Valley spends the upcoming weekend competing in the Bradley-Bourbonnais tournament. While that and playing in a Sept. 8-9 Wisconsin Dells tournament provide a chance to wear a different set of jerseys, the Wildcats’ home opener isn’t until Sept. 19. That DVC clash with Waubonsie Valley will be the first of six home dates during the final nine games of the regular season.
By contrast, Batavia stays home to host Wheaton Warrenville South on Saturday and Wheaton Academy on Aug. 28 with an Aug. 31 visit to Plainfield Central as its the first road trip.
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK Dylan Soto
D Daniel Laverde
D Nate Kuper
D Nathan Ashta
D Kevin Wu
M Jason Benjamin
M Amish Gupta
M Jose Navaro
M Matt Miller
F Billy Heiniades
F Daniel Costea
Batavia
GK Jacob Mefford
D Miguel Garcia
D Jack Bradle
D Riley Cavanaugh
D Joe Grendzinski
M Brayden Kuhn
M Sal Garcia
M Adler Palos
F Brandon Knapp
F Joe Corno
F Nick Cannella
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brandon Knapp, sr. F, Batavia
Game summary
Batavia 4, Neuqua Valley 3
Neuqua Valley 2 1 -- 3
Batavia 1 3 -- 4
Scoring
NV -- Kuhn nine-yard finish of cross (Miller assist), 6:58.
B -- Corno steal for 1.v.-1 and 11-yard finish (unassisted), 7:13
NV -- Kuhn 13-yard header (Heiniades assist), 21:29
NV -- Heiniades finish inside right side (Navaro assist), 45:07
B -- M. Garcia eight-yarder from give and go (Knapp assist), 48:45
B -- S. Garcia penalty kick, 53:15
B -- Hardin 10-yard head flick under crossbar (S. Garcia assist), 54:46
Shots
NV 10 – 6 -- 16
B 3 – 6 -- 9
Shots on goal
NV 8 – 5 -- 13
B 2 – 5 --- 7
Goalie (saves)
NV, Soto (1 - 2 -- 3)
B, Mefford 6 - 0 -- 6); Ritko-Siros (0 - 4 -- 4)
Corner kicks
NV 2 – 2 -- 4
B 0 – 2 -- 2
Officials: Gary Kardell (center), Gene Mroz, Scott Lichtfuss
3-goal 2nd half produces 4-3 win over no. 25 Wildcats
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Which has a greater impact, short-term memory or thoughts simmering from long ago?
Perhaps it’s simply too early in the season to get so philosophical, but the long and the short of Wednesday’s nonconference matchup between Batavia and Neuqua Valley illustrated both sides.
Neuqua Valley – ranked 25th in Chicagoland Soccer’s preseason poll – appeared to pick up where 2016’s upward trajectory left off. But then a two-goal lead vanished in a six-minute span as host Batavia continued a desire to atone for past disappointments.
The Bulldogs (1-0-1) rallied to victory in the 4-3 result that could easily become a plot point in each team's 2017 story depending on how their respective seasons unfold. But for now, the “fight like cats and dogs” classic finished as a bigger plus for the Bulldogs, who were led by Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honoree Brandon Knapp.
Arnoldo Gonzalez envisioned a three-year process to fashion a Neuqua Valley program to his liking, but the previous year had the Wildcats ahead of schedule. An unexpected runnerup finish in the DuPage Valley Conference included a 0-0 draw that kept loop champ Naperville North from a perfect league campaign. En route to the state Class 3A crown, those Huskies avenged that non-victory with a 3-0 sectional final win over the surprising Neuqua Valley squad that recorded a strong 13-6-4 campaign.
By contrast, an-up-but-a-few-more-downs 2016 didn’t exactly shout Bulldogs tenacity. Yes, Batavia reached the regional title game and put up a gallant fight in a 2-1 loss to those Naperville North Huskies; but the year ended at 5-12-2. And a season-opening 2-2 draw with South Elgin appeared to be more bark than bite.
So after Neuqua Valley's early goal was answered by Batavia, the Wildcats regained the lead by halftime and soon added a second half tally for a 3-1 lead. The Neuqua Valley revamp seemed to continue on the upswing while Batavia's stuggles continued.
But unlike the first half, which belonged to the visiting Wildcats both on the scoreboard and statistically, the second, and better, half belonged to Batavia -- in particular a six-minute offensive surge backed up by a bend-but-don't-break defense.
“Even before they scored, I thought we jumped out with more focus and intensity in the second half," Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco insisted. "It was more like their confidence level led to those goals. There may have been a little hangover from yesterday (vs. South Elgin) in the opening half, but we found our legs and drive in the second half.”
Or maybe the two-goal deficit was simply the wake-up call the Bulldogs needed, just like their initial response to the early Neuqua Valley lead.
David Kuhn may have been the most energetic of a trio of early substitutes for the Wildcats. The junior put the visitors ahead 6:58 into the match. Matt Miller’s cross enabled Kuhn to strike from nine yards against Batavia first half goalie Jacob Mefford.
A mere 15 seconds elapsed before Joe Corno stole past the Neuqua Valley defense and found himself pushing forward for a 1-v.-1 against Wildcat goalie Dylan Soto. The Batavia senior tucked a 14-yarder by Soto for his third goal of the year after scoring twice against South Elgin.
“Answering their goal quickly was important especially in light of last year,” Corno explained. “We had a bad reputation for not responding offensively. Based on last year (losing 3-2 at Neuqua Valley) and being 5-12-2, we thought they might underestimate us. So my desire was to jump on any pass I could.”
The Wildcats were determined to regain the lead and Mefford had to stop blasts from DVC standout Billy Heiniades’ left foot and a Jason Benjamin riser.
When the first of four yellow cards was issued to Neuqua Valley – among four total – the Bulldogs just missed executing a set piece as Brandon Knapp’s free kick only skimmed off junior forward Max Hardin’s hair en route to sailing wide right. Soto smothered a couple of scrambles to avoid real danger.
Five-consecutive passes via head balls for the Wildcats led to Anthony Safo’s cannon shot from the right side. While Mefford snared that one, he wasn’t as fortunate at 21:29. That’s when a Heiniades pass found Kuhn in position to redirect the ball off a Batavia defender and in to make it 2-1. That was part of Neuqua’s statistical edge in putting eight of 10 attempts on frame for the first half. By contrast the Bulldogs had three overall attempts, two on goal. Further illustrating the Wildcat attack were two offside whistles and a 2-0 corner kick advantage.
“In the first half we came out strong and were moving the ball well either through the middle or out wide,” Heiniades noted. “We were playing a much better possession game. In the second half there was a series of scrappy plays, and they got on the end of them. Obviously that was good for them, but we still put up a good fight to the very end.”
Just over five minutes into the second half, Jose Navaro’s pass enabled Heiniades to pound the ball inside right past second half Batavia keeper Treven Ritko-Siros for a 3-1 lead.
However, Miguel Garcia and Knapp executed a textbook version of a triangular give-and-go. Garcia's finish and Knapp’s second assist for the year made it 3-2 at 48:45.
“I’d say that play was proof the sprints in practice worked for us,” Knapp said. “I think the second half we worked more as a team. When we communicate, it’s a lot easier for us to create opportunities and to score.”
An energized Bulldogs attack then led to a penalty kick opportunity just four minutes later. Sal Garcia, co-captain along with Corno, calmly converted for Batavia’s second equalizer of the night.
“I try to throw in a fake, but my approach puts the emphasis generally on placement over power,” Garcia noted.
Continuing to be aggressive offensively, the Bulldogs got the game-winner when Sal Garcia earned an assist on Hardin’s head flick that had the right amount of touch to spin under the crossbar.
“Getting the tie was great, but taking the lead after we were down (two goals) is just the best feeling," Sal Garcia said. "I think the second half was an example of a lot of heart on our part. We never give up."
If the NHL practice of multiple assists was used, Knapp’s overall hustle would be better documented.
“He deserves the Man of the Match status because so much of our offense is generated by him,” Gianfrancesco noted. “He gets a lot of 50-50 balls that ultimately create offensive opportunities for others. In the first half today, we didn’t win too many of those.
“Obviously our backline (Jack Bradle, Miguel Garcia, Riley Cavanaugh and Joe Grendzinski) had to step up during the final stretch. Max also brought us some much-needed energy and helped us hold the ball,” Gianfrancesco said.
With 13 minutes remaining, Ritko-Siros scrambled to cover a loose ball. On two Neuqua Valley corner kicks, Grendzinski was instrumental in clearing the ball.
“We were a lot better with our ball movement in the first half,” Wildcats coach Gonzalez said. “And the second half was a lack of movement. We didn’t get men open. I thought Heiniades and Navaro worked their tails off at both ends.
“Overall the effort was there. Yes there were a few mistakes, but we’ll build off the positives, especially that first-half,” Gonzalez added.
Navaro echoed his coach’s optimism.
“We need to sustain our ball movement the whole game. The first half showed the benefits of when we worked the ball sharply through the middle or via the flanks,” Navaro said. “I’m confident we’ll continue to improve and finish chances better.”
“Maybe we surprised some people last year,” Heiniades conceded. “But we’ll have a few surprises still to spring on people. We work on communication, keeping our shape. We’ve got a core of seniors and juniors that will keep us contenders.”
In the ultimate test of being road-weary, Neuqua Valley spends the upcoming weekend competing in the Bradley-Bourbonnais tournament. While that and playing in a Sept. 8-9 Wisconsin Dells tournament provide a chance to wear a different set of jerseys, the Wildcats’ home opener isn’t until Sept. 19. That DVC clash with Waubonsie Valley will be the first of six home dates during the final nine games of the regular season.
By contrast, Batavia stays home to host Wheaton Warrenville South on Saturday and Wheaton Academy on Aug. 28 with an Aug. 31 visit to Plainfield Central as its the first road trip.
Starting lineups
Neuqua Valley
GK Dylan Soto
D Daniel Laverde
D Nate Kuper
D Nathan Ashta
D Kevin Wu
M Jason Benjamin
M Amish Gupta
M Jose Navaro
M Matt Miller
F Billy Heiniades
F Daniel Costea
Batavia
GK Jacob Mefford
D Miguel Garcia
D Jack Bradle
D Riley Cavanaugh
D Joe Grendzinski
M Brayden Kuhn
M Sal Garcia
M Adler Palos
F Brandon Knapp
F Joe Corno
F Nick Cannella
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brandon Knapp, sr. F, Batavia
Game summary
Batavia 4, Neuqua Valley 3
Neuqua Valley 2 1 -- 3
Batavia 1 3 -- 4
Scoring
NV -- Kuhn nine-yard finish of cross (Miller assist), 6:58.
B -- Corno steal for 1.v.-1 and 11-yard finish (unassisted), 7:13
NV -- Kuhn 13-yard header (Heiniades assist), 21:29
NV -- Heiniades finish inside right side (Navaro assist), 45:07
B -- M. Garcia eight-yarder from give and go (Knapp assist), 48:45
B -- S. Garcia penalty kick, 53:15
B -- Hardin 10-yard head flick under crossbar (S. Garcia assist), 54:46
Shots
NV 10 – 6 -- 16
B 3 – 6 -- 9
Shots on goal
NV 8 – 5 -- 13
B 2 – 5 --- 7
Goalie (saves)
NV, Soto (1 - 2 -- 3)
B, Mefford 6 - 0 -- 6); Ritko-Siros (0 - 4 -- 4)
Corner kicks
NV 2 – 2 -- 4
B 0 – 2 -- 2
Officials: Gary Kardell (center), Gene Mroz, Scott Lichtfuss