Girls soccer: Batavia tops Bartlett for 1st regional title since 2013
With both teams playing tenacious defense, Bartlett and Batavia relied on set plays for shots on goal in Friday's Class 3A West Chicago girls soccer regional championship game.
The Bulldogs capitalized on a free kick while Bartlett was stymied on its uncontested shots in Batavia's 2-0 victory.
The Bulldogs, winning their first regional crown since 2013, will face a familiar rival - St. Charles North - in Wednesday's Hoffman Estates sectional semifinals. 0
"It's been four long years and it has finally happened and I am very happy," said Batavia senior keeper Jenny Scara. "I can't put it into words. It means a lot to us."
A Gracey DiBiase free kick with 11:11 left in the first half put Batavia on the scoreboard. It was the junior defender's third free kick of the half. DiBiase made the attempt from the right sideline about 40 yards from the goal. The ball hit the ground in front of Hawks keeper Teagan Noesen (3 saves) and bounced over her into the goal.
"I was trying to hit the front post for someone to run on to it," said DiBiase. "But it hit that turf because it was slick. It bounced and went right over the goalie's head. I was very lucky on that one."
Keegan Maris put Batavia, seeded third in the sectional, ahead 2-0 a minute later. The senior got past Bartlett's defense and buried a 35-yard shot into the back of the net.
Sixth-seeded Bartlett made 4 shots on goal from free kicks in the second half. Alyssa Modugno kicked all attempts from the sideline. The closest was 20 yards from the goal. In all four plays, Modugno hit the ball over the wall of Batavia defenders to the top of the goal, only to have it batted away by Scara (5 saves).
"Scara saved the bacon and frustrated them," said Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco."They had some very nice hits on frame."
In the first half, most of the action took place on Bartlett's side of the pitch. The Hawks' back line stopped the Bulldogs from completing their attacks by blocking or intercepting passes near the goal.
"I don't know of any other high school teams that played as well out of their back as we do," said assistant Hawks coach Mark Mirsky. "Something that I can honestly say is that I am so proud of our back 4 and our keeper."
Mirsky was filling in for head coach Vince DiNuzzo, who is getting married Saturday.
"I think it was the slickness of turf. I think our touch was better than theirs and that helped to create opportunities," said Gianfrancesco about the first half. "I think we would have had created a few more if wasn't such a fast surface. We took advantage of the chances we had."
In the final 40 minutes, a revitalized Bartlett offense kept the ball on Batavia's half of the field. The Bulldog backs returned the favor, breaking up the Hawks' offense before they could make shots on goal.
"They definitely picked up the intensity - they were very physical and a couple of foul calls disrupted our momentum," Gianfrancesco said.
St. Charles North, second seeded in the sectional, beat Batavia 1-0 earlier this month.