Elgin’s Geovanny Catalan faced a conundrum in the preseason.
A highly rated academy player, Catalan was uncertain about whether he wanted to try high school soccer. The senior midfielder also knew that time was running out.
“I was undecided,” he said. “But then tryouts were coming up, and the rest of the guys were encouraging me to come out and said that I’d have a lot of fun.”
Jimmy Romano was also new on the scene, accepting the coaching job for the Maroons a mere five days before the start of tryouts in August.
Catalan immediately caught his eye.
“That kid is a next level player,” Romano said. “He is going to go far. He creates so much.”
Catalan came through with so much more Tuesday, scoring goals at the end of the first half and regulation for Elgin in a 3-2 loss to York in the Class 3A Streamwood Supersectional.
In the most important game in program history, Catalan starred for Elgin (20-1-3). His mesmerizing goals wowed an overflow crowd before York (20-0-3) won 4-2 in the shootout.
“All season we have just been winning and winning,” Catalan said. “(Tuesday) we had some real adversity and we had to show what we were made of.”
Elgin, which set a program with single-season victories and in shutouts with 14, did just that as Catalan put on a show against the defending state champions.
Despite the loss, the Maroons showed toughness, skill and a defiant attitude.
“Props to Elgin,” York coach Jordan Stopka said. “Nobody we played this year moved the ball against us as well as they did. They’re a good team, and good teams never lie down.”
Behind Catalan and senior goalkeeper Kleber Rodriguez, Elgin fought back from two deficits. Catalan’s goal in the 39th minute created a 1-1 tie at halftime.
His goal in the 77th minute forced two overtimes as the Maroons went the final 25:27 with just nine field players after junior forward Angel Lopez was issued his second yellow card.
“We told the guys that we would have some adversity and tough situations that we had to play out of,” Romano said. “But our focus always had to be on the next play.
“It was two of the best teams in the state going at it, and our guys showed character and left it all out there.”
Like Catalan, Rodriguez was sensational in defeat. He made seven saves, including several highlight-reel diving stops that denied the Dukes at point-blank range.
“I was going to do everything I could to get us a victory,” he said. “We finally broke the Elgin curse of never getting past the sectional.
“I felt maybe I could have done more to stop those goals that went in, but I tried my hardest.”
It was a bittersweet homecoming for Romano, a former standout player and assistant coach who played for Streamwood on the 2014 team that took fourth place in the state.
He fought back tears in describing his first year directing the Maroons to the first supersectional appearance in program history.
“We had a lot of trust,” Catalan said. “Jimmy came in that day of training and he was tough on us. We realized he did it out of a place of love and respect.
“He really cares about us, on and off the field.”
For the season, junior forward Eduardo Nava paced Elgin offensively, finishing with 23 goals and 12 assists.
Senior defender Julian Orozco, who was named all-state, was the leader of a back line that allowed just 14 goals in 24 games.
Not since the Class 3A state championship game in 2018, which pitted Naperville North against Libertyville, had two undefeated teams played this late in the state playoffs.
“We just wanted to express the dog in us and keep fighting,” Catalan said.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
