Batavia checks all the right boxes,
shuts out Streamwood
Bulldogs move to 3-0-0 in league, end Sabres 3-game win streak
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Batavia basically took care of business against Streamwood pretty much like it has been doing all season.
The Bulldogs’ game plan called for a quick start, check.
Control the midfield and be aggressive on offense, check.
Limit the opponent’s opportunities, check
Add another win and get ready for the rugged Tournament of Champions event in Iowa, check.
Batavia, ranked no. 14 in the latest Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 Poll, did all of the above in Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference River Division date with Streamwood which meant the hosts added to their impressive numbers.
After an season-opening, eight-game win streak that included Lake Park’s Chris Frizzelle Memorial championship, Batavia (11-2-0, 3-0-0), picked up its 11th win in 13 outings with a 7-0 win, and the defense chalked up its ninth clean sheet.
“Every time you add a victory it’s very positive,” sophomore Anna Rakos said. “Today was a good time for all of our players to put on the field during a match everything we do in practice. It’s also good preparation for the test we can expect this weekend,”
Batavia heads to Burlington, Ia., for the Tournament of Champions this weekend. It is a multi-bracketed event featuring programs from a variety of states who have a history of postseason success. The Bulldogs are scheduled to face Dowling Catholic from West Des Moines, Ia., in Friday’s initial game. They’ll face either fellow Illinois entry Collinsville or Brookfield (Wis.) East on Saturday morning in the hopes of a championship match-up in the afternoon.
“Starting fast is something we aim for, and we were able to jump on them quickly, but the biggest plus was getting to see a lot of different people on the field, including some in different positions,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco added. “Megan (McEachern) once again delivered the kind of spark we expect from her.”
The Bulldog senior standout gained possession of the ball near the top of the Batavia penalty box and proceeded to race up field around or past Streamwood players in order to go 1-v.-1 with Sabres goalie Jasmine Resendiz. A strong fake got her past the keeper for a seven-yard empty-net finish just 2:54 into the evening.
Teammate Cameron Hindel had a blast that ricocheted off the crossbar at 9:10 before McEachern earned her the first of two assists for the evening. The cross enabled Keegan Maris to score her 12th goal of the season on a 10-yarder at 11:57. One minute, 31 seconds later, it was Anna Lins chalking up her fifth assist for the year finding McEachern on the right side for her team-leading 15th goal.
For her 2-goal and 2-assist evening, McEachern earned Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match recognition.
“There was some open space in front of me," said McEachern of her goal. "As I kept moving I found other gaps and ultimately got one-on-one with the keeper who I was able to fake.
“Scoring sometimes draws more defenders, and I know to look for my teammates and have faith they’ll score. Then it was Anna with a good ball to me that made it easy to get a second goal.”
The Bulldogs’ advantage grew to 4-0 at 17:08 gone when Kelly Bleakley sent a textbook cross to Mackenzie Foster, who tapped home a six-yarder for her third tally of the season. Batavia remained aggressive on offense and the pressure led to a 5-0 lead midway through the first half when Streamwood’s defense yielded an own goal from a failed clearing attempt.
Unfortunately for Streamwood, the Sabres (6-9-0, 0-2-0) couldn’t ride the momentum of its second-consecutive title in the Green Wave Invitational over the weekend ans saw their three-match victory string end.
Streamwood attempted a few counterattacks and through-balls that Batavia goalie Jenny Scara rushed out to capture to avoid danger. With 12:09 to go before halftime, the Sabres had their best scoring opportunity. Karina Nevarez sprinted to a well-placed Alondra Blanco through-ball only to find Scara again racing out to cut off the angle and make the stop.
At the opposite end, Resendiz came up big for Streamwood.
“Yasmine had a great game coming out of the goal making more than a few 1-v.-1 saves,” Streamwood coach Kristin Duffy said. “She had many great saves that got overshadowed by the final score.”
The Sabres’ goalie blocked a point-blank shot by Shannon King and then did an encore save when King followed up her own shot. But Batavia's continued attacks led to a sixth goal with 2:32 remaining before intermission. Freshman Avery Davis got her first varsity goal with a four-yard finish off a cross from Bleakley, whose two assists in the match go with six goals on the season.
Streamwood sweeper Esmeralda Navarro staved off another threat with a defensive clear up the field with the last 26 seconds before the break.
Batavia was equally aggressive to start the second half and McEachern notched her team-high 14th assist with a cannon shot that forced a rebound opportunity that Rachel Reinecke pounced on from the left side.
The 7-0 advantage at 44:04 meant total time for the match was reduced to 62 minutes. It was the seventh solo shutout for Scarra. Back-up keeper Madison Domin, who owns the other two whitewashes, wasn’t available. Otherwise 21 members of the Batavia's 22-player roster saw action.
With only half the number of reserves available, all of Streamwood’s players did their best to keep pace with a Batavia offense that is averaging 4.8 goals per match.
“We stayed in it against a very experienced team and did a better job of containing their offense in the second half,” Streamwood coach Kristin Duffy noted. “The very first goal coming so early was a little disheartening. After halftime, we emphasized playing harder on defense and kept battling.”
“Facing the tougher schools is always a challenge,” Blanco acknowledged. “We never give up, and the challenge is to keep working hard even when the score is against you. We try to go hard in every practice in order to be able to be fit and keep up against good teams like a Batavia or Geneva.”
The Bulldogs represented the first-of-four-straight UEC River contests that complete the regular season schedule for Streamwood. The Sabres sandwich home dates with Elgin (May 3) and Larkin (May 12) around a visit from no. 7 St. Charles East and a trip to sixth-rated St. Charles North.
Starting line-ups
Streamwood
GK: Yasmine Resendiz
D: Stephanie Corona
D: Esmeralda Navaro
D: Christina Corona
D: Alexandra Bonilla
MF: Paulette Carranza
MF: Alondra Blanco
MF: Vanessa Campos
MF: Michaela Gundersen
F: Shonali Pierce
F: Karina Nevarez
Batavia
GK: Jenny Scara
D: Megan Theros
D: Cameron Hindel
D: Abby Wood
D: Emma Ryndholm
MF: Mackenzie Foster
MF: Rachel Reinecke
MF: Anna Rakos
F: Megan McEachern
F: Keegan Maris
F: Anna Lins
MVP of the Match: Meagan McEachern, F, Batavia
Referees: Miguel Chavez, Trey McClure, Jim Franklin
Game summary
Batavia 7, Streamwood 0
Streamwood 0 0 --- 0
Batavia 6 1 --- 7
Scoring
B --- McEachern long run, fakes keeper 7-yards into empty net (unassisted), 3rd minute
B --- Corrigan 10-yarder from right off cross (McEachern assist), 10th minute
B --- McEachern 8-yarder from right following throughball (Lins assist), 12th minute
B --- Foster right side 6-yard strike off cross (Bleakley assist), 18th minute
B --- Streamwood own goal, 20:35 21st minute
B --- Davis 4-yard fiinish off cross (Bleakley assist), 28th minute
B --- Reinecke 9-yard putback off a goalie block (McEachern assist), 45th minute
Shots
S: 3 – 0 ---- 3 / B 23 – 5 ---- 28
Shots on goal
S 1 – 0 ---- 1 / B 18 – 3 ---- 21
Saves (goalie)
S (Resendiz) 12 – 2 ---- 14
B (Scara) 1 – 0 --- 1
shuts out Streamwood
Bulldogs move to 3-0-0 in league, end Sabres 3-game win streak
By Steve Nemeth
BATAVIA -- Batavia basically took care of business against Streamwood pretty much like it has been doing all season.
The Bulldogs’ game plan called for a quick start, check.
Control the midfield and be aggressive on offense, check.
Limit the opponent’s opportunities, check
Add another win and get ready for the rugged Tournament of Champions event in Iowa, check.
Batavia, ranked no. 14 in the latest Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 Poll, did all of the above in Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference River Division date with Streamwood which meant the hosts added to their impressive numbers.
After an season-opening, eight-game win streak that included Lake Park’s Chris Frizzelle Memorial championship, Batavia (11-2-0, 3-0-0), picked up its 11th win in 13 outings with a 7-0 win, and the defense chalked up its ninth clean sheet.
“Every time you add a victory it’s very positive,” sophomore Anna Rakos said. “Today was a good time for all of our players to put on the field during a match everything we do in practice. It’s also good preparation for the test we can expect this weekend,”
Batavia heads to Burlington, Ia., for the Tournament of Champions this weekend. It is a multi-bracketed event featuring programs from a variety of states who have a history of postseason success. The Bulldogs are scheduled to face Dowling Catholic from West Des Moines, Ia., in Friday’s initial game. They’ll face either fellow Illinois entry Collinsville or Brookfield (Wis.) East on Saturday morning in the hopes of a championship match-up in the afternoon.
“Starting fast is something we aim for, and we were able to jump on them quickly, but the biggest plus was getting to see a lot of different people on the field, including some in different positions,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco added. “Megan (McEachern) once again delivered the kind of spark we expect from her.”
The Bulldog senior standout gained possession of the ball near the top of the Batavia penalty box and proceeded to race up field around or past Streamwood players in order to go 1-v.-1 with Sabres goalie Jasmine Resendiz. A strong fake got her past the keeper for a seven-yard empty-net finish just 2:54 into the evening.
Teammate Cameron Hindel had a blast that ricocheted off the crossbar at 9:10 before McEachern earned her the first of two assists for the evening. The cross enabled Keegan Maris to score her 12th goal of the season on a 10-yarder at 11:57. One minute, 31 seconds later, it was Anna Lins chalking up her fifth assist for the year finding McEachern on the right side for her team-leading 15th goal.
For her 2-goal and 2-assist evening, McEachern earned Chicagoland Soccer's MVP of the Match recognition.
“There was some open space in front of me," said McEachern of her goal. "As I kept moving I found other gaps and ultimately got one-on-one with the keeper who I was able to fake.
“Scoring sometimes draws more defenders, and I know to look for my teammates and have faith they’ll score. Then it was Anna with a good ball to me that made it easy to get a second goal.”
The Bulldogs’ advantage grew to 4-0 at 17:08 gone when Kelly Bleakley sent a textbook cross to Mackenzie Foster, who tapped home a six-yarder for her third tally of the season. Batavia remained aggressive on offense and the pressure led to a 5-0 lead midway through the first half when Streamwood’s defense yielded an own goal from a failed clearing attempt.
Unfortunately for Streamwood, the Sabres (6-9-0, 0-2-0) couldn’t ride the momentum of its second-consecutive title in the Green Wave Invitational over the weekend ans saw their three-match victory string end.
Streamwood attempted a few counterattacks and through-balls that Batavia goalie Jenny Scara rushed out to capture to avoid danger. With 12:09 to go before halftime, the Sabres had their best scoring opportunity. Karina Nevarez sprinted to a well-placed Alondra Blanco through-ball only to find Scara again racing out to cut off the angle and make the stop.
At the opposite end, Resendiz came up big for Streamwood.
“Yasmine had a great game coming out of the goal making more than a few 1-v.-1 saves,” Streamwood coach Kristin Duffy said. “She had many great saves that got overshadowed by the final score.”
The Sabres’ goalie blocked a point-blank shot by Shannon King and then did an encore save when King followed up her own shot. But Batavia's continued attacks led to a sixth goal with 2:32 remaining before intermission. Freshman Avery Davis got her first varsity goal with a four-yard finish off a cross from Bleakley, whose two assists in the match go with six goals on the season.
Streamwood sweeper Esmeralda Navarro staved off another threat with a defensive clear up the field with the last 26 seconds before the break.
Batavia was equally aggressive to start the second half and McEachern notched her team-high 14th assist with a cannon shot that forced a rebound opportunity that Rachel Reinecke pounced on from the left side.
The 7-0 advantage at 44:04 meant total time for the match was reduced to 62 minutes. It was the seventh solo shutout for Scarra. Back-up keeper Madison Domin, who owns the other two whitewashes, wasn’t available. Otherwise 21 members of the Batavia's 22-player roster saw action.
With only half the number of reserves available, all of Streamwood’s players did their best to keep pace with a Batavia offense that is averaging 4.8 goals per match.
“We stayed in it against a very experienced team and did a better job of containing their offense in the second half,” Streamwood coach Kristin Duffy noted. “The very first goal coming so early was a little disheartening. After halftime, we emphasized playing harder on defense and kept battling.”
“Facing the tougher schools is always a challenge,” Blanco acknowledged. “We never give up, and the challenge is to keep working hard even when the score is against you. We try to go hard in every practice in order to be able to be fit and keep up against good teams like a Batavia or Geneva.”
The Bulldogs represented the first-of-four-straight UEC River contests that complete the regular season schedule for Streamwood. The Sabres sandwich home dates with Elgin (May 3) and Larkin (May 12) around a visit from no. 7 St. Charles East and a trip to sixth-rated St. Charles North.
Starting line-ups
Streamwood
GK: Yasmine Resendiz
D: Stephanie Corona
D: Esmeralda Navaro
D: Christina Corona
D: Alexandra Bonilla
MF: Paulette Carranza
MF: Alondra Blanco
MF: Vanessa Campos
MF: Michaela Gundersen
F: Shonali Pierce
F: Karina Nevarez
Batavia
GK: Jenny Scara
D: Megan Theros
D: Cameron Hindel
D: Abby Wood
D: Emma Ryndholm
MF: Mackenzie Foster
MF: Rachel Reinecke
MF: Anna Rakos
F: Megan McEachern
F: Keegan Maris
F: Anna Lins
MVP of the Match: Meagan McEachern, F, Batavia
Referees: Miguel Chavez, Trey McClure, Jim Franklin
Game summary
Batavia 7, Streamwood 0
Streamwood 0 0 --- 0
Batavia 6 1 --- 7
Scoring
B --- McEachern long run, fakes keeper 7-yards into empty net (unassisted), 3rd minute
B --- Corrigan 10-yarder from right off cross (McEachern assist), 10th minute
B --- McEachern 8-yarder from right following throughball (Lins assist), 12th minute
B --- Foster right side 6-yard strike off cross (Bleakley assist), 18th minute
B --- Streamwood own goal, 20:35 21st minute
B --- Davis 4-yard fiinish off cross (Bleakley assist), 28th minute
B --- Reinecke 9-yard putback off a goalie block (McEachern assist), 45th minute
Shots
S: 3 – 0 ---- 3 / B 23 – 5 ---- 28
Shots on goal
S 1 – 0 ---- 1 / B 18 – 3 ---- 21
Saves (goalie)
S (Resendiz) 12 – 2 ---- 14
B (Scara) 1 – 0 --- 1