ST. CHARLES – Tri-Cities Night has become a highlight every season for Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North.

The four schools in the Tri-Cities area annually get together for a night of charity that uses great high school soccer rivalries to raise money for a local family in need.

On Tuesday night, St. Charles North hosts Batavia (6-6-0, 1-2-0) taking on Geneva (7-5-0, 1-1-0) at 5:30 p.m. followed by St. Charles East (12-1-3, 2-0-0) against the North Stars (7-2-4, 1-1-1) at 7:30 p.m. 

Among the events will include face painting, a “Baskets of Love” Donation (in lieu of admission), a 50/50 raffle, a gift card raffle, a gift basket auction, an eighth-grade scrimmage and a mascot penalty kick shootout prior to the St. Charles East-St. Charles North game. The concessions stand will feature grilled food.

All four teams will combine for a group picture that creates a memorable keepsake for the student-athletes and coaches. 

Geneva coach Megan Owens said the event will benefit the family of James Oliver. The freshman was a beloved classmate and member of the swim team, who passed away from a medical condition this school year.  He was the grandson of Hall of Fame Fighting Saints soccer coach Tim Dailey.

“Tri-Cities night is a wonderful event put on by four local high school soccer programs to use our platform to give back to our community and help a local family,” Owens said.

The Vikings come into Tuesday’s game battle-tested after a close defeat to no.1 ranked Barrington to go with a signature win over Oswego East in the prestigious Naperville Invitational last week.

“We’re playing really well lately,” Owens said. “We have 10 veteran seniors and have been waiting for the team’s chemistry to finally click. We have a lot of talented individuals on this year’s squad. We have been working really hard on playing a complete 80-minute game. I love how hard we have competed recently and am very proud of the strides we’ve made.”

Owens detailed a few keys to beating Batavia.

“We need to focus on ourselves and playing 80 minutes of intense, focused soccer,” she said. “We need to be first to every ball, win the battle in the air and take our shots when we have them.  But, most of all, we want to play hard, have fun, and raise money to help James’ family.  This is such a cool and special tradition that the four Tri-Cities soccer programs have started, and we’re proud to be a part of it and give back.”

Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said Tuesday night is a great night for the community. 

On the field, the Bulldogs (6-6-1) have received solid play from Natalie Warner, Sarah Koziol, Alexa Schorr and Reagan Sulaver heading into the Geneva game, Gianfrancesco pointed out.

“We have been able to persevere through some tough games and adapt to our opponent,” he said. “Hopefully, this has hardened us a little as we progress into the back half of the season and the playoffs. It’s going to be a challenging match. We need to be solid defensively and finish our opportunities when they arise. We need to match their physicality and intensity from the opening whistle to strive to play 80 minutes.”

The nightcap features a pair of teams vying for local supremacy and state-title hopes.

St. Charles North coach Brian Harks enters the game aiming to extend their positive play, while knocking off their highly ranked neighbors.

The North Stars, ranked 20th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, face a motivated and 15th-ranked St. Charles East. In 2023, the North Stars achieved an unprecedented three-game sweep over the Fighting Saints.

St. Charles North won twice in the regular-season a 2-1 win on April 28 and notching a 4-1 triumph on May 2 in a rare back-to-back matchup in a Naperville Invitational quarterfinal and conference match. The came a thrilling victory in the Class 3A West Chicago Sectional championship. St. Charles North scored tying goals in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime to extend the match before winning 3-1 in penalty kicks.

The North Stars, led by senior centerback Kyra Treanor, senior forward Laney Stark and senior midfielder Kayla Floyd, want to extend the streak against their cross-town rivals. 

“Our girls have been playing very well so far this season,” Harks said. “We’re a versatile team that can attack in a variety of ways. Our backline has been playing exceptionally well, and greatly limits the chances of the opposing teams. We know that St. Charles East is a very good team, as always. Our goal will be to limit mistakes and capitalize on opportunities.”

Harks said everyone is a winner on Tuesday night.

“It’s a great event that brings the entire community together,” Harks said. “It highlights some of the best soccer in the state, allows for eighth-graders to get their first opportunity to play in a high school event and, most importantly, it raises money for a local family.”

Considering last season’s trio of losses to the North Stars, the Saints are hungry for some revenge. 

St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo said the North Stars represent another challenge for his team after a 2-0 victory over Downers Grove North on Friday and a shootout win against Loyola on Thursday that advanced his club to the semifinals of the Naperville Invitational.

“St. Charles North has a lot of talent all over the field which makes it difficult for us to prepare. They can hurt you from a number of different positions,” DiNuzzo said. “The keys will be to keeping them in front of us and limit their scoring opportunities around the area. We will have to capitalize on the chances which we create and focus for 80 minutes. We have prioritized defending and that has led to limiting our opponents scoring chances.”