Ryan Ross knew Neuqua Valley needed to get back on track after consecutive losses broke the Wildcats’ eight-game win streak.
Coach Skip Begley was simply hoping Ross would get back on track, and the senior did just that with a hat trick. Neuqua Valley’s 3-1 win Wednesday in the clash of Upstate Eight division winners also ended a 15-game unbeaten string for Batavia.
Neither team is likely to dwell on the outcome as both No. 11-ranked Neuqua Valley (13-7) and No. 3 Batavia (16-2-3) have to refocus for the start of Class 3A tournament play. If the seedings are accurate and both teams can win on Tuesday, the two will meet again with a regional championship at stake.
“We’re looking at this as the last game of the regular season and we know we’ve got bigger aspirations,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “Having had a quality season, playing well and kind of rolling through so many games, maybe it did seem easy, so now we’ve got that bitter pill to help us refocus.”
Neuqua Valley got off to a fast start with Reed Kurtenbach’s team-high sixth assist leading to a Ross goal from the left wing just 4:36 into the game. With 19:15 left before halftime, Xavi Ortiz’s through ball enabled Ross to score from the opposite wing.
Although the game was delayed a day due to unplayable field conditions as a result of Tuesday’s downpours, the conditions were less than ideal and the muddy track made for sloppy conditions and frustrations. Unlike the first half, the Bulldogs believed a second-half shot went off the soccer crossbar portion of the combination soccer-football field goal structure. A red card expulsion to Joe Jorgensen meant Batavia had to play shorthanded for the final 29:53.
Neuqua Valley capitalized just over six minutes later as Ortiz’s second assist of the night and fourth of the year led to Ross’ second hat trick of the season, bumping his goal total to 18.
“A hat trick is nice but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. The best part is going into the playoffs with a big win over a great team like Batavia,” Ross said. “Winning the UEC championship makes it all more special.”
Batavia, which blanked opponents on 12 occasions, avoided getting shut out when reserves Brandon Knapp and Charlie Marston combined for a goal with 6:57 remaining. It was the first goal for Marston while Knapp added an assist to a previous goal.
