Girls soccer: Geneva wins battle of unbeatens

In the midst of one of the most grueling parts of its regular season schedule, Geneva's girls soccer team passed another big test Tuesday night.

Scoring a pair of goals in the first 15-plus minutes, the Vikings (13-0, 2-0) grabbed control early and hung on for a 2-0 Upstate Eight Conference River Division victory over Batavia (11-1, 3-1) in a battle of unbeatens at Burgess Field.

Sophomore forward Jenna Dominguez opened the scoring a little more than 3 minutes into the match with a penalty kick.

"It was a simple through ball," said Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco. "There was maybe a slight miscommunication and (number) 8 (Dominguez) got in behind."

The subsequent illegal tackle resulted not only in a penalty kick but left the Bulldogs short-handed for the final 73 minutes, 14 seconds.

"That was completely unexpected," said Geneva senior goalkeeper Emma Harkleroad, who recorded the shutout with 3 saves.

A little more than 12 minutes later, the Vikings added to their lead as senior midfielder Jenni Santacaterina scored off a corner kick from freshman forward Alicia White.

"It was pretty lucky really," said Santacaterina. "It was an awesome corner from Alicia. I just hit it and it went off her (defender) back and through the goalie."

Batavia didn't go quietly, however.

Despite being down a player, the Bulldogs kept things interesting. With 13 minutes left in the first half, Mackenzie Foster's shot was deflected wide by Vikings midfielder Lauren Albrecht.

Midway through the second half, Harkleroad rushed out of the net to beat a hard-charging Foster for the ball and thwart a Batavia scoring threat.

Three minutes later, Geneva defender Mackenzie Bennett helped preserve the shutout with a kick save on Foster's point-blank attempt.

"The difference was going down a man," said Gianfrancesco. "That changed the complexion of the game. For our girls, I thought they played really well. I'm very proud of them and the character they showed.

"We created a lot more chances than they did after we went down a man. We were smart with the ball and connecting passes. I think if we could have gotten one (goal), maybe the momentum would have turned a little bit."

Having outscored its first 13 opponents by a staggering 57-3 margin, Geneva was equally satisfied to beat Batavia for the first time in three years.

"It's incredible to beat Batavia finally," said Harkleroad. "We knew this was coming. Before the game, we did a little dance to keep the nerves down."

Geneva, which edged Waubonsie Valley 3-2 last weekend, faces 3-time defending state champion New Trier in Thursday's Naperville Invite quarterfinals before hosting fellow unbeaten St. Charles North (10-0-1) next Monday.

"It's definitely a tough stretch but I think it's a good mental test for us," said Geneva coach Megan Owens. "It's what has to happen in order to play well in the playoffs."

However, Tuesday's win still ranks as a big one for the Vikings.

"It's nice to bring it back to Geneva," said Owens. "Batavia played with a lot of heart. It meant something special to this group."

"I'd like to see them even-up, 11 on 11," said Gianfrancesco. "The season is not over. We'll keep playing."