Naperville C. trips Batavia with 2 late goals
The number seven is considered lucky.
It proved to be huge for Pat Flynn and Naperville Central on Wednesday night.
Flynn scored his seventh game-winning goal of the season and Naperville Central beat Batavia 3-2 in a Class 3A Naperville North sectional semifinal match.
The Redhawks advance to Saturday’s sectional championship where they will rematch against Naperville North. The Huskies prevailed 2-0 on Oct. 4.
“The first half we weren’t strong with anything and didn’t have much energy,” Flynn said. “The second half we really turned it around and played with heart and realized this could be our last 40 minutes of soccer for the season.”
Naperville Central (16-4) had taken a 1-0 lead when the game commenced on Tuesday night. Jack Patrick scored with 15:51 remaining but 9 seconds later the game was delayed by lightning, and after a lengthy delay, postponed until Wednesday.
Batavia (15-6-3) seemingly was recharged once it returned on Wednesday, needing just 55 seconds before Lalo Cuautle sent a corner kick into the penalty area where Nick Barstatis scored the equalizer.
“That’s the way they’ve responded all year,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “They jump on teams right away so we were ready and prepared to run out there and take care of it.”
The Bulldogs took their first lead of the contest with 7:37 remaining in the first half when Cuautle curled a shot just inside the left post.
“I’ve seen him make some picturesque goals and that was one of the more memorable ones,” Gianfrancesco said. “We’ve pushed him to shoot and sometimes he’s hesitant to shoot because he’s trying to set everyone else up.”
It was quite a turn of events for both teams from where they game left off on Tuesday and how the first half would finish on Wednesday.
“Batavia has some incredibly talented players,” Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said. “We knew if we gave them time and space they’d score and that’s exactly what happened.”
The Redhawks regrouped in the second half though.
“I think we played with a lot more heart in the second half,” Adams said. “I think we outworked them a bit in the second half, and I think they outworked us in the first half, and it’s one of those things that it’s almost hard to play with that one-goal lead.”
Flynn scored the equalizer with 7:43 remaining when he followed in a flip throw-in from senior Blake Beehler, who proved to be a huge weapon throughout the second half, constantly pressuring the Bulldogs with his flip throw-ins.
“I think that Blake has become a great weapon for us to use,” Adams said. “Anytime you can go in the box, something good can happen.”
Something especially good happened with 57 seconds remaining for the Redhawks. Once again Beehler had the throw-in. It flicked off of Jack Patrick and Flynn was there to finish with the game-winner.
“I was on the back six and just tried to hit it back across the middle,” Flynn said. “If it didn’t go in I hoped it would deflect off someone and it ended up in the back of the net.”
When you give a team opportunity after opportunity, eventually it’s likely to bite you.
“That was a great hit by them,” Gianfrancesco said. “What are you going to do? You give up throw-in after throw-in and there’s only so much pressure you can withstand.”
Now the Redhawks are set for the rematch they’ve been thinking about since the beginning of October.
“North’s a good team with good forwards up top, good defense and a great goalie,” Flynn said. “It’s tough to score on them but hopefully we can put a few in the back of the net against them.”
The teams will play at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Naperville North.
It was a heartbreaking end to an unforgettable season for a Bulldogs team that won a conference title, as well as its first regional in 16 years. Wednesday proved to be the final match for their 16 seniors.