Boys soccer: Geneva blanks Marmion to start season

Trent Giansanti's 60-yard mad dash scramble for a through-ball ultimately didn't end with a goal.

It did, however, provide a snapshot of the effort and drive the Geneva junior forward has exhibited his entire varsity career.

"Trent is a beast," Geneva coach Jason Bhatta said after the Vikings' 3-0 season-opening victory over Marmion on Tuesday. "He was a beast when he was a freshman, so now that he's a junior and he's playing against his age technically, he just looks even more as a beast."

"It's exciting to see him just play and he never gives up," Bhatta continued. "Every time I take him out [and] I know he needs some rest, he's always like 'I'm ready to go right away' and he just hassles the kids. I mean, he's huge."

Giansanti, a Kane County Chronicle all-area selection last season, will be looking to build off his eight-goal, five-assist sophomore season.

Giansanti did connect on a goal in the second half to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead on a header following a corner kick cross, so he's off to an ideal start.

"It's another season," Giansanti said. "It's my third year on varsity, just looking at it like every other year [and] coming out hard and giving it my all. Just for the team. Playing hard for the team because that's all we need. We're a family."

His goal-scoring ability is already established, but Giansanti's offseason training prioritized one-touch passing.

"It worked out and getting dangerous out there," Giansanti said.

The Vikings (1-0) scored first in the first half on Grant Havertine's tap in following an initial try from Genel Jaffer leaked through the Cadets' defense on a rebound. Giansanti scored his goal and then Colin Hasty put away a rebound from Cadets goalie Adam Ozsvath (six saves) to make it 3-0 late in the second half.

Two-year starting goalie Hayden Vostal transferred away from Geneva in July to enter a United Soccer League Academy contract with the Indy 11 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The move has paved the way for senior Matthew Towler to take his place.

While Towler earned some reserve minutes last season, Tuesday's clean sheet represented his first varsity start of his career. Towler had five saves.

"I was just trying to be as confident as I could," Towler said. "Obviously, there was some nerves, but I just try to be as confident as I can and work with the team because they know me and everything."

"I definitely consider myself a leader," Towler continued. "As being a goalkeeper, you kind of have to be so I just try my best to be a leader and control the team, even though I'm not Hayden Vostal, but I try my best."

Bhatta, however, saw Towler embrace the next-man-up mentality.

"The team has taken that mentality and they know when he played minutes last year ... he proved that he belonged," Bhatta said. "That he should be at this level. I'm excited to see what he does this year. I think he's got a little chip on his shoulder."

"His stature is not Hayden's stature [Vostal being 6-foot-3]," Bhatta continued. "So I think that makes him have a tougher mentality and saying he's got to work for it a little more. I'm excited to see what he does this year because the guys trust him. I trust him and I think he's going to be great."

The Cadets (0-1) ultimately weren't able to connect on chances stemming from multiple free kick opportunities in the second half.

"We got the fouls. We got the free kicks but we didn't create [enough] opportunities for ourselves," assistant coach Adrian Magana said while filling in for head coach Gerardo Alvarez, who was absent for a team-related matter. "I think if we would've gotten one of those in, I think it would've changed the game."