Batavia edges Wheaton Warrenville South
Bulldogs win 2-1, extend unbeaten string to four matches
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA --- Whether it was near-misses in the first half or thrilling surprise goals in the second half, Tuesday’s DuKane Conference clash between Wheaton Warrenville South and host Batavia was a constant back-and-forth affair.
In the tail-end of regulation, the Bulldogs edged South by a 2-1 tally in a match that both sides wanted for momentum purposes.
The visiting Tigers aimed for a third victory within four outings for that extra boost heading into a Thursday visit to longtime rival Wheaton North. Unfortunately for Wheaton Warrenville South (2-5-1, 0-1-1), the result became its first DuKane Conference loss.
On the flip side, Batavia (2-5-3, 1-1-1) finally broke into the win column after a victory-less run that included four losses and a pair of ties. It also gave the Bulldogs a reset in the DKC going into the annual Tri-Cities Night event. Batavia faces Geneva in the 7 p.m. second match played at St. Charles East’s Norris Stadium. The host Saints face rival St. Charles North in the 5 p.m. opener.
“It’s good to get a win,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said with a combination of relief and joy. “We were finally able to finish some chances. Granted I’d like to have seen us put another one away to avoid the hectic finish, but again, it’s just good to get a win.”
As pleased as Gianfrancesco was by the efforts of his goal scorers, he heartily endorsed Max Hardin’s selection as Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“He did so much more than just hit the crossbar twice, his being a threat everywhere created chances for everyone,” Gianfrancesco noted. “It’s always easy to look at the goal scorers, but he took the pressure off for others either taking on (opposing) guys or calming things down for us.”
The first two notable attacks of the game belonged to Wheaton Warrenville South -- Batavia goalie Jacob Mefford snared a Kevin Stumbris free kick before the Tigers’ Griffin Wight went just wide of the near left post.
Just under 17 minutes in, Batavia rang in when Hardin left the crossbar vibrating with a missile from the right wing. Bulldog reserve Miguel Garcia began an eventful night with a left-side putback attempt that Wheaton Warrenville South keeper Joe Adamek smothered.
The intensity level once again began to reflect the scoreless draw until there was 14:51 left before halftime. That’s when Tigers substitute Sumani Husseini began an exhibition of blazing speed with a breakaway run. As the senior closed from the right side, Mefford rushed out to narrow the angles of opportunity. Husseini’s shot struck the far left post in such a fashion that the ball thudded more than ricocheted. That’s why Ryan Duffy’s rush on that side appeared to be a second too late for a putback.
At the other end it was Adamek’s turn to step up as the senior keeper made a solid defensive catch on a pass from Kipp Knecht on the left side.
Wheaton Warrenville South's Husseini made yet another fastbreak try but his last contact wasn’t quite solid enough and Mefford had no trouble with an easy ground ball.
After intermission Batavia stepped up its attack. The Bulldogs launched 14 of their overall 18 attempts in comparison to South’s 12. Of those, nine of Batavia’s 12 shots on goal came in the final 40 minutes while the Tigers has six on net for the entire match.
The second half began with a Bulldogs breakaway try for Joe Grendzinski, however Rolin Thang raced in to shield the ball for Adamek. A few minutes later, Hardin had a booming blast from right of center but Wheaton Warrenville South’s Declin Ermer registered a save with a defensive header that allowed the game to remain tied.
The frantic stretch continued when Adamek soared high to snare a Batavia corner kick and then the Tigers goalie made dove to his left to block a Hardin rocket. The Bulldogs senior banged another blast off the crossbar at 56:15. Less than a minute later, another Hardin shot required another diving rejection from Adamek, who scrambled to his feet to stop one putback try before another sailed wide right. Then it was Carter Craney just missing the left post.
With momentum growing, the home fans got to erupt at 58:39 when Garcia sent a 19-yard bullet from the left side inside the far right post.
“I saw the nearest defender was a little flat, and the keeper was leaning in so I let one rip,” Garcia said. “It was so exciting to have my teammates all running to me. I don’t recall hitting one so solidly.”
While it may have only been Garcia’s second goal this season, his coach had a flashback.
“Last year I had pulled him up from the defense, and he nailed a similar type of shot from about the same spot,” Gianfrancesco said. “So yes, I believed he had it in him. Previously he kept going right into defenders, but that time he created some separation so that he could get off a really good strike.
“I’m just hoping he’ll keep doing it.”
Naturally that created a sense of urgency for Wheaton Warrenville South, which started to knock on the door. A Cristian Munoz laser was saved by Mefford, who also turned away a try from Noel Santacruz. However, that ball was never cleared out of the Batavia box and the Tigers attacked right back with Munoz feeding Husseini for his second goal of the year.
“Seeing Cristian settle the ball and make a solid pass I just had to put it into the opening I saw,” Husseini explained. “I thought it was a good example of how hard we play. We didn’t put our heads down but battled back. However we have held the ball better in other games, so we need that kind of possession going forward.”
Senior co-captain Ermer echoed much of that view.
“After they scored we came back with Sumani scoring a great goal. That was a perfect example of how we never give up,” insisted Ermer, who was an impossible-to-miss presence on defense in much the say way Hardin was to Batavia’s offense.
“We started using a new formation, so I just wanted to do anything I could to help, basically win every ball near me,” Ermer added in reference to his move from forward to a defensive role. “I’d say I learned that work ethic from my dad, but I also know I’ve got teammates who don’t let up either. We had a chance right to the end.”
That need for another response was a result of Batavia regaining the lead less than six minutes later. Garcia had another blast knocked away by Adamek before the resulting corner kick led to the 2-1 Bulldog lead. Adler Palos’ service became a five-yard re-direct finish for Eddie Torres.
“Usually I go more toward the far post but I saw Joe (Grendzinski) sort of screening the keeper and Adler’s service was right to me for an easy tap-in,” Torres said. “It feels really good to score and even better to have a game-winner.”
“I thought Joe might have got a head (deflection) on that play, but the best thing was the result,” Gianfrancesco said. “In the past, these guys (South) are usually really good at defending set pieces, so to get one on them is like a bonus.”
The final 10 minutes then became heightened back-and-forth efforts. The visitors narrowly missed an equalizer although the Tigers were also flagged for being offsides.
With 8:45 to play, Garcia had a 1-v.-1 with Adamek and the Wheaton Warrenville South goalie made a highlight-reel worthy save by dragging his foot. A minute later Drew Lillig took a try from the right side and Adamek made a leaping save on a ball that looked to be dipping under the crossbar.
At the other end, Husseini had a header go wide right. A Bulldogs counterattack saw Grendzinski breaking in on an angle, but Adamek raced out to cover the ball and upend the Batavia senior. The clock ticked toward the final 60 seconds and the Tigers’ Duffy had a shot carom off defenders, and Mefford eventually caught a putback effort.
A Bulldogs foul led to a stoppage with 18.5 seconds still showing, however a 30-yard direct kick for South sailed high and the scoreboard tally became final.
“This was the first real test for a new system, and we handled it well at times, maybe a little disorganized once,” said veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari. “But we wanted to show greater fight and remain competitive. Unfortunately we didn’t have our full complement tonight, so going forward with a few players returning should help.”
Last year the Tigers and rival Wheaton North battled to a 0-0 deadlock through two overtimes when both were DuPage Valley Conference members. Wheaton Warrenville South will be considered the underdog for all but one of its remaining DuKane matches which include foes like no. 5 Lake Park, no. 20 St. Charles North and honorable mention teams Wheaton North and St. Charles East.
As for Batavia, they Bulldogs also have to face the Saints, North Stars and Falcons after dealing with Geneva.
Garcia offered advice for his conference mates: “Don’t sleep on Batavia.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Joe Adamek
D Sam Schlegel
D Declin Ermer
D Jared Coria
D Rolin Thang
M Noel Santacruz
M Cristian Munoz
M Kevin Stumbris
M Paul Thalmann
F Ryan Duffy
F Griffin Wight
Batavia
GK Jacob Mefford
D Austin Saenz
D Kipp Knecht
D Joe Grendzinski
D Jason Nichols
DM Ian Wood
M Drew Lillig
M Adler Palos
M Eddie Torres
M Gunner Knox
F Max Hardin
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Max Hardin, sr., M, Batavia
Referees: Miguel Chavez (center), Manny Mbende, Justin O’Bryan
Game summary
Batavia 2, Wheaton Warrenville South 1
Wheaton Warrenville South 0 1 --- 1 (2-5-1 / DKC: 0-1-1)
Batavia 0 2 --- 2 (2-5-3 / DKC: 1-1-1)
Scoring
First half
None
Second half
B – Garcia 19-yard bullet from left wing (unassisted), 58:39 gone
WWS – Husseini seven-yard finish inside right post (Munoz assist), 66:26 gone
B – Torres five-yard re-direct off corner kick (Palos assist), 69:16 gone
Shots
WWS 5 – 7 --- 12
B 4 – 14 --- 18
Shots on goal
WWS 2 – 4 --- 6
B 3 – 9 --- 12
Saves (GK/defender)
WWS (Adamek, 80 min.) 3 – (6, Ermer 1) 7 --- 10
B (Mefford, 80 min.) 2 – 3 --- 5
Corner Kicks
WWS 1 – 2 --- 3
B 0 – 3 --- 3
Offsides
WWs 1 – 3 --- 4
B 0 – 1 --- 1
Bulldogs win 2-1, extend unbeaten string to four matches
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA --- Whether it was near-misses in the first half or thrilling surprise goals in the second half, Tuesday’s DuKane Conference clash between Wheaton Warrenville South and host Batavia was a constant back-and-forth affair.
In the tail-end of regulation, the Bulldogs edged South by a 2-1 tally in a match that both sides wanted for momentum purposes.
The visiting Tigers aimed for a third victory within four outings for that extra boost heading into a Thursday visit to longtime rival Wheaton North. Unfortunately for Wheaton Warrenville South (2-5-1, 0-1-1), the result became its first DuKane Conference loss.
On the flip side, Batavia (2-5-3, 1-1-1) finally broke into the win column after a victory-less run that included four losses and a pair of ties. It also gave the Bulldogs a reset in the DKC going into the annual Tri-Cities Night event. Batavia faces Geneva in the 7 p.m. second match played at St. Charles East’s Norris Stadium. The host Saints face rival St. Charles North in the 5 p.m. opener.
“It’s good to get a win,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said with a combination of relief and joy. “We were finally able to finish some chances. Granted I’d like to have seen us put another one away to avoid the hectic finish, but again, it’s just good to get a win.”
As pleased as Gianfrancesco was by the efforts of his goal scorers, he heartily endorsed Max Hardin’s selection as Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“He did so much more than just hit the crossbar twice, his being a threat everywhere created chances for everyone,” Gianfrancesco noted. “It’s always easy to look at the goal scorers, but he took the pressure off for others either taking on (opposing) guys or calming things down for us.”
The first two notable attacks of the game belonged to Wheaton Warrenville South -- Batavia goalie Jacob Mefford snared a Kevin Stumbris free kick before the Tigers’ Griffin Wight went just wide of the near left post.
Just under 17 minutes in, Batavia rang in when Hardin left the crossbar vibrating with a missile from the right wing. Bulldog reserve Miguel Garcia began an eventful night with a left-side putback attempt that Wheaton Warrenville South keeper Joe Adamek smothered.
The intensity level once again began to reflect the scoreless draw until there was 14:51 left before halftime. That’s when Tigers substitute Sumani Husseini began an exhibition of blazing speed with a breakaway run. As the senior closed from the right side, Mefford rushed out to narrow the angles of opportunity. Husseini’s shot struck the far left post in such a fashion that the ball thudded more than ricocheted. That’s why Ryan Duffy’s rush on that side appeared to be a second too late for a putback.
At the other end it was Adamek’s turn to step up as the senior keeper made a solid defensive catch on a pass from Kipp Knecht on the left side.
Wheaton Warrenville South's Husseini made yet another fastbreak try but his last contact wasn’t quite solid enough and Mefford had no trouble with an easy ground ball.
After intermission Batavia stepped up its attack. The Bulldogs launched 14 of their overall 18 attempts in comparison to South’s 12. Of those, nine of Batavia’s 12 shots on goal came in the final 40 minutes while the Tigers has six on net for the entire match.
The second half began with a Bulldogs breakaway try for Joe Grendzinski, however Rolin Thang raced in to shield the ball for Adamek. A few minutes later, Hardin had a booming blast from right of center but Wheaton Warrenville South’s Declin Ermer registered a save with a defensive header that allowed the game to remain tied.
The frantic stretch continued when Adamek soared high to snare a Batavia corner kick and then the Tigers goalie made dove to his left to block a Hardin rocket. The Bulldogs senior banged another blast off the crossbar at 56:15. Less than a minute later, another Hardin shot required another diving rejection from Adamek, who scrambled to his feet to stop one putback try before another sailed wide right. Then it was Carter Craney just missing the left post.
With momentum growing, the home fans got to erupt at 58:39 when Garcia sent a 19-yard bullet from the left side inside the far right post.
“I saw the nearest defender was a little flat, and the keeper was leaning in so I let one rip,” Garcia said. “It was so exciting to have my teammates all running to me. I don’t recall hitting one so solidly.”
While it may have only been Garcia’s second goal this season, his coach had a flashback.
“Last year I had pulled him up from the defense, and he nailed a similar type of shot from about the same spot,” Gianfrancesco said. “So yes, I believed he had it in him. Previously he kept going right into defenders, but that time he created some separation so that he could get off a really good strike.
“I’m just hoping he’ll keep doing it.”
Naturally that created a sense of urgency for Wheaton Warrenville South, which started to knock on the door. A Cristian Munoz laser was saved by Mefford, who also turned away a try from Noel Santacruz. However, that ball was never cleared out of the Batavia box and the Tigers attacked right back with Munoz feeding Husseini for his second goal of the year.
“Seeing Cristian settle the ball and make a solid pass I just had to put it into the opening I saw,” Husseini explained. “I thought it was a good example of how hard we play. We didn’t put our heads down but battled back. However we have held the ball better in other games, so we need that kind of possession going forward.”
Senior co-captain Ermer echoed much of that view.
“After they scored we came back with Sumani scoring a great goal. That was a perfect example of how we never give up,” insisted Ermer, who was an impossible-to-miss presence on defense in much the say way Hardin was to Batavia’s offense.
“We started using a new formation, so I just wanted to do anything I could to help, basically win every ball near me,” Ermer added in reference to his move from forward to a defensive role. “I’d say I learned that work ethic from my dad, but I also know I’ve got teammates who don’t let up either. We had a chance right to the end.”
That need for another response was a result of Batavia regaining the lead less than six minutes later. Garcia had another blast knocked away by Adamek before the resulting corner kick led to the 2-1 Bulldog lead. Adler Palos’ service became a five-yard re-direct finish for Eddie Torres.
“Usually I go more toward the far post but I saw Joe (Grendzinski) sort of screening the keeper and Adler’s service was right to me for an easy tap-in,” Torres said. “It feels really good to score and even better to have a game-winner.”
“I thought Joe might have got a head (deflection) on that play, but the best thing was the result,” Gianfrancesco said. “In the past, these guys (South) are usually really good at defending set pieces, so to get one on them is like a bonus.”
The final 10 minutes then became heightened back-and-forth efforts. The visitors narrowly missed an equalizer although the Tigers were also flagged for being offsides.
With 8:45 to play, Garcia had a 1-v.-1 with Adamek and the Wheaton Warrenville South goalie made a highlight-reel worthy save by dragging his foot. A minute later Drew Lillig took a try from the right side and Adamek made a leaping save on a ball that looked to be dipping under the crossbar.
At the other end, Husseini had a header go wide right. A Bulldogs counterattack saw Grendzinski breaking in on an angle, but Adamek raced out to cover the ball and upend the Batavia senior. The clock ticked toward the final 60 seconds and the Tigers’ Duffy had a shot carom off defenders, and Mefford eventually caught a putback effort.
A Bulldogs foul led to a stoppage with 18.5 seconds still showing, however a 30-yard direct kick for South sailed high and the scoreboard tally became final.
“This was the first real test for a new system, and we handled it well at times, maybe a little disorganized once,” said veteran Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari. “But we wanted to show greater fight and remain competitive. Unfortunately we didn’t have our full complement tonight, so going forward with a few players returning should help.”
Last year the Tigers and rival Wheaton North battled to a 0-0 deadlock through two overtimes when both were DuPage Valley Conference members. Wheaton Warrenville South will be considered the underdog for all but one of its remaining DuKane matches which include foes like no. 5 Lake Park, no. 20 St. Charles North and honorable mention teams Wheaton North and St. Charles East.
As for Batavia, they Bulldogs also have to face the Saints, North Stars and Falcons after dealing with Geneva.
Garcia offered advice for his conference mates: “Don’t sleep on Batavia.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Joe Adamek
D Sam Schlegel
D Declin Ermer
D Jared Coria
D Rolin Thang
M Noel Santacruz
M Cristian Munoz
M Kevin Stumbris
M Paul Thalmann
F Ryan Duffy
F Griffin Wight
Batavia
GK Jacob Mefford
D Austin Saenz
D Kipp Knecht
D Joe Grendzinski
D Jason Nichols
DM Ian Wood
M Drew Lillig
M Adler Palos
M Eddie Torres
M Gunner Knox
F Max Hardin
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Max Hardin, sr., M, Batavia
Referees: Miguel Chavez (center), Manny Mbende, Justin O’Bryan
Game summary
Batavia 2, Wheaton Warrenville South 1
Wheaton Warrenville South 0 1 --- 1 (2-5-1 / DKC: 0-1-1)
Batavia 0 2 --- 2 (2-5-3 / DKC: 1-1-1)
Scoring
First half
None
Second half
B – Garcia 19-yard bullet from left wing (unassisted), 58:39 gone
WWS – Husseini seven-yard finish inside right post (Munoz assist), 66:26 gone
B – Torres five-yard re-direct off corner kick (Palos assist), 69:16 gone
Shots
WWS 5 – 7 --- 12
B 4 – 14 --- 18
Shots on goal
WWS 2 – 4 --- 6
B 3 – 9 --- 12
Saves (GK/defender)
WWS (Adamek, 80 min.) 3 – (6, Ermer 1) 7 --- 10
B (Mefford, 80 min.) 2 – 3 --- 5
Corner Kicks
WWS 1 – 2 --- 3
B 0 – 3 --- 3
Offsides
WWs 1 – 3 --- 4
B 0 – 1 --- 1