DuKane fortunes at stake on Tri-Cities Night
By Steve Nemeth
While DuKane Conference fortunes may have changed since last year’s Tri-Cities Night was conducted at an earlier point in the season, the competitive aspect of the doubleheader never changes.
There’s always a lot at stake beyond “The Fight for The Fox” traveling trophy and the bragging rights that come with it.
The twin bill begins at 5 p.m. with Batavia and St. Charles North trying to gain a first DuKane Conference win for 2019.
The 7 p.m. match features Geneva and St. Charles East in a showdown of the current DKC leaders based on points.
All of which is once again the backdrop for the charitable aspect of the rivalry among the three communities. The proceeds from T-shirts, aneurysm awareness bracelets, a 50/50 raffle and will be turned over to Kenneth and Deborah Nicely, who have chosen to support the Ronald McDonald House and the Holy Cross Catholic Church, of Batavia, on behalf of their son Kyle. The Bulldog junior soccer player died of a brain aneurysm on Sept. 13.
When the 2018 edition of the Tri-Cities Night took place it was still early in the inaugural season of the DuKane. Batavia and North sported 1-1-1 records while East was 1-1-0 and Geneva stood 0-1-2.
In 2019, St. Charles North (7-4-3, DKC 0-2-3/3 points) hopes to get back on track. After a 5-0-0 start to the year, coach Eric Willson’s crew seemingly couldn’t catch a break going winless (0-4-3) in their next seven matches. Home victories over Streamwood (1-0) and Neuqua Valley (4-0) could be the foundation for a significant winning streak heading to a regional the North Stars will host.
In addition to coping with its loss, Batavia has handled a season of hurdles with remarkable grit and effort. Making this particular week more challenging is it taking part in the 22nd annual WarStang Invitational co-hosted by Metea and Waubonsie Valley.
Mark Lillig scored twice in helping the Bulldogs (1-12-1, DKC 0-5-0/0 points) end an eight-match skid with a 2-2 draw against Waubonsie Valley in a match that was regretfully ended after 55 minutes due to an on-field altercation.
Batavia comes to its Tri-Cities match one day after topping Boylan 1-0 in the second of three contests in the tournament. Coach Mark Gianfrancesco’s Bulldogs face a solid Wheaton Academy program Saturday to complete the event and then Wheaton North --- a defending DKC co-champion --- for its regular-season finale.
The spotlight obviously shines brighter on the outcome of the nightcap.
Coach Jason Bhatta’s reconstruction of the Geneva program may be ahead of schedule according to many observers, but the Vikings (11-4-2, DKC 4-1-0/12 points) have clearly put last year’s 4-11-3 season (DKC 1-3-3) in the rear view mirror.
Of course Geneva, which is ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, needs to recover from the sting of a 3-2 Tuesday loss to defending DKC co-champ in
Lake Park. That setback was the loss that ended an impressive nine-match (7-0-2) string. After years of club play, senior Shun Yonehara (3 goals, 4 assists/10 points) has been a welcome addition for the Vikings.
Fellow senior Matt Fuller (5g/10 pts.) and sophomore Christian Diaz (8g, a/17 pts.) complete a formidable trio accounting for nine game-winners. Senior Josh Eiss (3g, 2a/8 pts.) is poised to become yet another weapon. At the other end, senior goalie Osten Lockner has quietly amassed six shutouts while spearheading a defense that has limited opponents to two or fewer goals in 13 of 17 matches.
No. 15 St. Charles East (14-1-2, DKC 4-0-0/12 points) is on a 13-match unbeaten run (11-0-2).
The Saints are fresh off a 3-2 home win over the other defending DKC co-champ in Wheaton North. That marked the return of Chicagoland Soccer All-State candidate Sebastian Carranza, who picked up his fifth assist in that contest by setting up Renato Avendano. The latter, a junior, has emerged as the top-point producer in the Tri-Cities area with 28 points from 13 goals and two assists.
Notching eight goals over the last six outings has enabled Avendano to move ahead of Carranza (10g, 5a/25 pts.) on the St. Charles East production chart. Carranza was the only freshman to earn All-DKC status last year.
Coach Vince DiNuzzo has the luxury of the deepest goaltending crew prehaps in the whole state with three seniors.
Jack Settle owns six clean-sheets and one shared shutout; Zach Doerr has a solo and a shared shutout, while Joshua Kennedy has shared two clean-sheets.
By Steve Nemeth
While DuKane Conference fortunes may have changed since last year’s Tri-Cities Night was conducted at an earlier point in the season, the competitive aspect of the doubleheader never changes.
There’s always a lot at stake beyond “The Fight for The Fox” traveling trophy and the bragging rights that come with it.
The twin bill begins at 5 p.m. with Batavia and St. Charles North trying to gain a first DuKane Conference win for 2019.
The 7 p.m. match features Geneva and St. Charles East in a showdown of the current DKC leaders based on points.
All of which is once again the backdrop for the charitable aspect of the rivalry among the three communities. The proceeds from T-shirts, aneurysm awareness bracelets, a 50/50 raffle and will be turned over to Kenneth and Deborah Nicely, who have chosen to support the Ronald McDonald House and the Holy Cross Catholic Church, of Batavia, on behalf of their son Kyle. The Bulldog junior soccer player died of a brain aneurysm on Sept. 13.
When the 2018 edition of the Tri-Cities Night took place it was still early in the inaugural season of the DuKane. Batavia and North sported 1-1-1 records while East was 1-1-0 and Geneva stood 0-1-2.
In 2019, St. Charles North (7-4-3, DKC 0-2-3/3 points) hopes to get back on track. After a 5-0-0 start to the year, coach Eric Willson’s crew seemingly couldn’t catch a break going winless (0-4-3) in their next seven matches. Home victories over Streamwood (1-0) and Neuqua Valley (4-0) could be the foundation for a significant winning streak heading to a regional the North Stars will host.
In addition to coping with its loss, Batavia has handled a season of hurdles with remarkable grit and effort. Making this particular week more challenging is it taking part in the 22nd annual WarStang Invitational co-hosted by Metea and Waubonsie Valley.
Mark Lillig scored twice in helping the Bulldogs (1-12-1, DKC 0-5-0/0 points) end an eight-match skid with a 2-2 draw against Waubonsie Valley in a match that was regretfully ended after 55 minutes due to an on-field altercation.
Batavia comes to its Tri-Cities match one day after topping Boylan 1-0 in the second of three contests in the tournament. Coach Mark Gianfrancesco’s Bulldogs face a solid Wheaton Academy program Saturday to complete the event and then Wheaton North --- a defending DKC co-champion --- for its regular-season finale.
The spotlight obviously shines brighter on the outcome of the nightcap.
Coach Jason Bhatta’s reconstruction of the Geneva program may be ahead of schedule according to many observers, but the Vikings (11-4-2, DKC 4-1-0/12 points) have clearly put last year’s 4-11-3 season (DKC 1-3-3) in the rear view mirror.
Of course Geneva, which is ranked 25th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, needs to recover from the sting of a 3-2 Tuesday loss to defending DKC co-champ in
Lake Park. That setback was the loss that ended an impressive nine-match (7-0-2) string. After years of club play, senior Shun Yonehara (3 goals, 4 assists/10 points) has been a welcome addition for the Vikings.
Fellow senior Matt Fuller (5g/10 pts.) and sophomore Christian Diaz (8g, a/17 pts.) complete a formidable trio accounting for nine game-winners. Senior Josh Eiss (3g, 2a/8 pts.) is poised to become yet another weapon. At the other end, senior goalie Osten Lockner has quietly amassed six shutouts while spearheading a defense that has limited opponents to two or fewer goals in 13 of 17 matches.
No. 15 St. Charles East (14-1-2, DKC 4-0-0/12 points) is on a 13-match unbeaten run (11-0-2).
The Saints are fresh off a 3-2 home win over the other defending DKC co-champ in Wheaton North. That marked the return of Chicagoland Soccer All-State candidate Sebastian Carranza, who picked up his fifth assist in that contest by setting up Renato Avendano. The latter, a junior, has emerged as the top-point producer in the Tri-Cities area with 28 points from 13 goals and two assists.
Notching eight goals over the last six outings has enabled Avendano to move ahead of Carranza (10g, 5a/25 pts.) on the St. Charles East production chart. Carranza was the only freshman to earn All-DKC status last year.
Coach Vince DiNuzzo has the luxury of the deepest goaltending crew prehaps in the whole state with three seniors.
Jack Settle owns six clean-sheets and one shared shutout; Zach Doerr has a solo and a shared shutout, while Joshua Kennedy has shared two clean-sheets.