SCE-Geneva settle zero on scoreboard
2 meetings, 2 ties this season for outgoing Upstate 8 rivals
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES -- If one team is going to have bragging rights over the other when it comes to the Geneva-St. Charles East rivalry, both will need to win their regional openers.
If that happens, the Saints and Vikings will square off on May 18 for the Class 3A Rolling Meadows Regional title ... and somebody has to win.
Thinking that far ahead is a result of nothing changing following Tuesday’s opener of the Tri-City Night doubleheader when the squads battled to a scoreless draw. Minus a goal apiece, it was the same outcome as when the two met back on April 7 as part of St. Charles East’s 29th annual Augsburg-Drach Invitational.
So “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Geneva, which resides in the honorable mention group of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, entered the game with the hope of tying for second in the very last rendition of the Upstate Eight Conference River Division standings before both teams leave the the new DuKane Conference next school year. But the Vikings final loop record (3-1-2, to go with a 10-6-4 overall mark) kept them in third place.
No. 22 St. Charles East (10-5-6) really wanted to close the UEC River chapter of its history on a positive note, but instead the promise of starting with three-straight league wins concluded in a fourth place showing at 3-2-1.
Beyond having no value in jumping the gun, both sides now have the same desire – win one last home game in the regular season to carry over into the regional opener.
Geneva did walk off with the Augsburg-Drach title for the second-straight year and could take some solace in not falling to East, but neither was any consolation to Vikings boss Megan Owens at this point.
“We definitely didn’t play our best and need to make some more adjustments going forward,” she said while not masking her disappointment over the stalemate. “Obviously we’re pretty evenly matched as evidenced by two ties, and East is a good team. Being Tri-City Night, both teams fought hard.”
Geneva and goalie Katie Montgomery chalked up a seventh shutout for the year; for the Saints and keeper Grace Griffin it was clean-sheet no. 11. Getting absent players back on the pitch would clearly help both sides, but this tangle was all about playing the cards available.
Other than not scoring, East’s Rose Stackhouse was everywhere and that versatility earned her Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match acclaim. Not scoring clearly fueled the senior forward’s fire.
“It is a little frustrating not to get the win when we had the run of play for most of this game, actually we did that in the first meeting as well,’ Stackhouse said. “There are a lot of good teams, all capable of winning or losing on any given day, but I 100 percent believe we’re as dangerous as any of those others.”
In the earlier meeting, Geneva’s Jenna Dominguez scored with 16:43 remaining in regulation. But the junior forward, who sports team highs for goals (20), game-winners (four), and points (42), was kept in check like the rest of the Vikings offense.
While there was a slight breeze during the game, it wasn’t enough to account for St. Charles East producing an 18-9 advantage for overall attempts and a 10-7 edge in shots on goal. A more telling number was Geneva two shots on target in the opening half.
“We were clearly a little flat in the first half,” Owens said. “I know we’re capable of playing better. The bottom line is that at the varsity level you have to show up every time.”
The Vikings had an early chip shot from Kaitlyn Cannon and just eight minutes prior to halftime Sydney Gratz launched a free kick from the right side that required a save from Griffin. But just about everything in between offensively came from East.
Stackhouse had an early blast sail high, a 28-yard free kick that Montgomery had to stop, another chance that went wide of the right post and a sizzling 16-yard grounder. At other times the senior tri-captain cut off Geneva attacks at midfield.
“Rose definitely worked hard,” East coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “She did a good job defensively holding up play and interrupting their transition to offense. On the other end, their backline had to make adjustments to where she was as a threat.”
“Just because I mainly play up-top doesn’t mean I don’t have defensive responsibilities,” Stackhouse explained. “My approach is to outwork any opponent. Hopefully that pushes my teammates to do the same.”
While Geneva opened the second half with a trio of attempts, Griffin made saves with confidence. With the Saints backline pushing up to keep the pressure on, Emma Blankenship took a Vikings clearance and volleyed it back into the middle only to have Montgomery make a catch. There was 26:55 still to go when Stackhouse had a cross that traveled through the goalie crease begging for a redirect, but no one from East was there.
Four minutes later, Kayla Villa came the closest to scoring with a shot off the crossbar. In the earlier meeting when East trailed, Stackhouse set up Villa for the equalizer with just 8:45 left.
Geneva had a breakaway of sorts with 17:34 to go but Dominguez’ last touch from a foot race didn’t have much zip on it, and Griffin grabbed it.
The Saints had another notable drive, but Geneva’s Cannon made a tackle that avoided a potential 1-v.-1 for Hannah Miller against Montgomery.
“Kaitlyn stepped up big on that occasion and saved my tail,” Montgomery said. “Although our offense was a little flat in the first half, we were always in it thanks to my defenders dealing with their speed. They certainly made my job easier.”
Shortly after Cannon’s huge defensive effort, St. Charles East's Griffin had to race off her line with just 2:36 still to be played. Her defensive clear was a much more difficult play than when she handled a 40-yard free kick from Gratz with just over a minute left.
“My backline (Miller, Bailey King, Hayley Popiel and Ashley DiOrio) did a good job even when Geneva got a little more aggressive in the second half,” Griffin noted. “We’ve got two more games to get some more momentum and chances to work on finishing shots if we do run into them again.”
Of course Geneva expressed a similar view.
“Since they are a big rival and it being Tri-City Night, it is a little frustrating not to come out with a win,” Geneva senior co-captain Lauren Albrecht said. “The important thing for us is to learn from what we didn’t do, so that if there is a rematch, we have a better outcome.”
The Vikings definitely have a tougher test at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Wheaton Academy. The Warriors were once ranked as high as ninth, but fell out of the Top 25 listings for the first time this week. Then Geneva, the no. 5-seed in the 16-team sectional it hosts, will meet 12th-seeded Hoffman Estates in a Rolling Meadows Regional semifinal.
St. Charles North welcomes South Elgin for their 6:30 p.m. Thursday regular season finale. To start the playoffs, the fourth-seeded Fighting Saints face 13th-seeded regional host Rolling Meadows. DiNuzzo’s crew adjusted to the start-of-the-year loss of scoring sensation Chantel Carranza and then had to navigate the loss of Kathryn Hill. Most recently, defensive stalwart Alondra Carranza needed stitches and was sidelined. It’s hoped the sophomore defender can return for the postseason.
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK: Grace Griffin
D: Hannah Miller
D: Bailey King
D: Hayley Popiel
D: Ashley DiOrio
M: Alessia D’Argento
M: Madison Cady
M: Margaret Harper
M: Emma Blankenship
F: Kayla Villa
F: Rose Stackhouse
Geneva
GK: Katie Montgomery
D: Annie Brolly
D: Amanda Rose
D: Rachel Lawrence
D: Kaitlyn Cannon
D: Kristina Lockner
M: Annalise Spindle
M: Lauren Albrecht
M: Sydney Gratz
M: Stephanie Howe
F: Jenna Dominguez
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Rose Stackhouse, sr., F, St. Charles East
Referees: Trevor Fulk, Justin O’Bryan, John O’Bryan
Game summary
St. Charles East 0, Geneva 0
St. Charles East 0 0 --- 0 (10-5-6 / UEC-R: 3-2-1)
Geneva 0 0 --- 0 (10-6-4 / UEC-R: 3-1-2)
Shots
SCE 10 – 8 --- 18
G 3 – 6 --- 9
Shots on goal
SCE 6 – 4 --- 10
G 2 – 5 --- 7
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Griffin) 2 – 5 --- 7
G (Montgomery) 6 – 4 --- 10
Corner kicks
SCE 0 – 2 --- 2
G 0 – 3 --- 3
Offsides
SCE 0 – 0 --- 0
G 0 – 1 --- 1
2 meetings, 2 ties this season for outgoing Upstate 8 rivals
By Steve Nemeth
ST. CHARLES -- If one team is going to have bragging rights over the other when it comes to the Geneva-St. Charles East rivalry, both will need to win their regional openers.
If that happens, the Saints and Vikings will square off on May 18 for the Class 3A Rolling Meadows Regional title ... and somebody has to win.
Thinking that far ahead is a result of nothing changing following Tuesday’s opener of the Tri-City Night doubleheader when the squads battled to a scoreless draw. Minus a goal apiece, it was the same outcome as when the two met back on April 7 as part of St. Charles East’s 29th annual Augsburg-Drach Invitational.
So “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Geneva, which resides in the honorable mention group of the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, entered the game with the hope of tying for second in the very last rendition of the Upstate Eight Conference River Division standings before both teams leave the the new DuKane Conference next school year. But the Vikings final loop record (3-1-2, to go with a 10-6-4 overall mark) kept them in third place.
No. 22 St. Charles East (10-5-6) really wanted to close the UEC River chapter of its history on a positive note, but instead the promise of starting with three-straight league wins concluded in a fourth place showing at 3-2-1.
Beyond having no value in jumping the gun, both sides now have the same desire – win one last home game in the regular season to carry over into the regional opener.
Geneva did walk off with the Augsburg-Drach title for the second-straight year and could take some solace in not falling to East, but neither was any consolation to Vikings boss Megan Owens at this point.
“We definitely didn’t play our best and need to make some more adjustments going forward,” she said while not masking her disappointment over the stalemate. “Obviously we’re pretty evenly matched as evidenced by two ties, and East is a good team. Being Tri-City Night, both teams fought hard.”
Geneva and goalie Katie Montgomery chalked up a seventh shutout for the year; for the Saints and keeper Grace Griffin it was clean-sheet no. 11. Getting absent players back on the pitch would clearly help both sides, but this tangle was all about playing the cards available.
Other than not scoring, East’s Rose Stackhouse was everywhere and that versatility earned her Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match acclaim. Not scoring clearly fueled the senior forward’s fire.
“It is a little frustrating not to get the win when we had the run of play for most of this game, actually we did that in the first meeting as well,’ Stackhouse said. “There are a lot of good teams, all capable of winning or losing on any given day, but I 100 percent believe we’re as dangerous as any of those others.”
In the earlier meeting, Geneva’s Jenna Dominguez scored with 16:43 remaining in regulation. But the junior forward, who sports team highs for goals (20), game-winners (four), and points (42), was kept in check like the rest of the Vikings offense.
While there was a slight breeze during the game, it wasn’t enough to account for St. Charles East producing an 18-9 advantage for overall attempts and a 10-7 edge in shots on goal. A more telling number was Geneva two shots on target in the opening half.
“We were clearly a little flat in the first half,” Owens said. “I know we’re capable of playing better. The bottom line is that at the varsity level you have to show up every time.”
The Vikings had an early chip shot from Kaitlyn Cannon and just eight minutes prior to halftime Sydney Gratz launched a free kick from the right side that required a save from Griffin. But just about everything in between offensively came from East.
Stackhouse had an early blast sail high, a 28-yard free kick that Montgomery had to stop, another chance that went wide of the right post and a sizzling 16-yard grounder. At other times the senior tri-captain cut off Geneva attacks at midfield.
“Rose definitely worked hard,” East coach Vince DiNuzzo said. “She did a good job defensively holding up play and interrupting their transition to offense. On the other end, their backline had to make adjustments to where she was as a threat.”
“Just because I mainly play up-top doesn’t mean I don’t have defensive responsibilities,” Stackhouse explained. “My approach is to outwork any opponent. Hopefully that pushes my teammates to do the same.”
While Geneva opened the second half with a trio of attempts, Griffin made saves with confidence. With the Saints backline pushing up to keep the pressure on, Emma Blankenship took a Vikings clearance and volleyed it back into the middle only to have Montgomery make a catch. There was 26:55 still to go when Stackhouse had a cross that traveled through the goalie crease begging for a redirect, but no one from East was there.
Four minutes later, Kayla Villa came the closest to scoring with a shot off the crossbar. In the earlier meeting when East trailed, Stackhouse set up Villa for the equalizer with just 8:45 left.
Geneva had a breakaway of sorts with 17:34 to go but Dominguez’ last touch from a foot race didn’t have much zip on it, and Griffin grabbed it.
The Saints had another notable drive, but Geneva’s Cannon made a tackle that avoided a potential 1-v.-1 for Hannah Miller against Montgomery.
“Kaitlyn stepped up big on that occasion and saved my tail,” Montgomery said. “Although our offense was a little flat in the first half, we were always in it thanks to my defenders dealing with their speed. They certainly made my job easier.”
Shortly after Cannon’s huge defensive effort, St. Charles East's Griffin had to race off her line with just 2:36 still to be played. Her defensive clear was a much more difficult play than when she handled a 40-yard free kick from Gratz with just over a minute left.
“My backline (Miller, Bailey King, Hayley Popiel and Ashley DiOrio) did a good job even when Geneva got a little more aggressive in the second half,” Griffin noted. “We’ve got two more games to get some more momentum and chances to work on finishing shots if we do run into them again.”
Of course Geneva expressed a similar view.
“Since they are a big rival and it being Tri-City Night, it is a little frustrating not to come out with a win,” Geneva senior co-captain Lauren Albrecht said. “The important thing for us is to learn from what we didn’t do, so that if there is a rematch, we have a better outcome.”
The Vikings definitely have a tougher test at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Wheaton Academy. The Warriors were once ranked as high as ninth, but fell out of the Top 25 listings for the first time this week. Then Geneva, the no. 5-seed in the 16-team sectional it hosts, will meet 12th-seeded Hoffman Estates in a Rolling Meadows Regional semifinal.
St. Charles North welcomes South Elgin for their 6:30 p.m. Thursday regular season finale. To start the playoffs, the fourth-seeded Fighting Saints face 13th-seeded regional host Rolling Meadows. DiNuzzo’s crew adjusted to the start-of-the-year loss of scoring sensation Chantel Carranza and then had to navigate the loss of Kathryn Hill. Most recently, defensive stalwart Alondra Carranza needed stitches and was sidelined. It’s hoped the sophomore defender can return for the postseason.
Starting lineups
St. Charles East
GK: Grace Griffin
D: Hannah Miller
D: Bailey King
D: Hayley Popiel
D: Ashley DiOrio
M: Alessia D’Argento
M: Madison Cady
M: Margaret Harper
M: Emma Blankenship
F: Kayla Villa
F: Rose Stackhouse
Geneva
GK: Katie Montgomery
D: Annie Brolly
D: Amanda Rose
D: Rachel Lawrence
D: Kaitlyn Cannon
D: Kristina Lockner
M: Annalise Spindle
M: Lauren Albrecht
M: Sydney Gratz
M: Stephanie Howe
F: Jenna Dominguez
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Rose Stackhouse, sr., F, St. Charles East
Referees: Trevor Fulk, Justin O’Bryan, John O’Bryan
Game summary
St. Charles East 0, Geneva 0
St. Charles East 0 0 --- 0 (10-5-6 / UEC-R: 3-2-1)
Geneva 0 0 --- 0 (10-6-4 / UEC-R: 3-1-2)
Shots
SCE 10 – 8 --- 18
G 3 – 6 --- 9
Shots on goal
SCE 6 – 4 --- 10
G 2 – 5 --- 7
Saves (goalie)
SCE (Griffin) 2 – 5 --- 7
G (Montgomery) 6 – 4 --- 10
Corner kicks
SCE 0 – 2 --- 2
G 0 – 3 --- 3
Offsides
SCE 0 – 0 --- 0
G 0 – 1 --- 1