By Kevin Chroust

Neuqua Valley’s patience stepped into the ring with Bartlett’s ability to take body blows. Patience had the last laugh and a strong enough punch.

After a first half that showed promise for both sides, Bartlett took an early second-half lead Thursday at Streamwood’s Millennium Field, only to see the Wildcats up the ante in the final 30 minutes in the attacking third and skip out of town with a 2-1 Upstate Eight Conference victory on two goals by Kevin Skrip.

“We just wanted to slowly get back into it,” Skrip said. “Possess the ball more. In the box we created many more chances as things started to come together for us in the second half.”

Bartlett struck first with a well-scripted and executed direct kick from 35 yards out. Midfielders Fabio Aiello, Anthony DiNuzzo and Ramiro Arroyo all stood over the ball.

Aiello ran over it and continued off the right side of the wall. Arroyo tapped it to DiNuzzo, who played a quick, well-timed ball over the right side of the wall to Aiello.

The senior playmaker buried a high, hard shot from a poor angle to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute.

“It’s a risky play,” Hawks coach Ben Beary said. “It takes a perfect ball and Anthony played him a perfect ball. We worked on it a good 20 minutes this week. … They were prepared for it, but being prepared is one thing. Executing that play is not easy.”

The lead lasted just under 14 minutes. Neuqua Valley (7-3-1) kept its composure after conceding the goal and Bartlett (5-4-1) withdrew from its midfield game and sat back.

Wildcats attackers Alex Liu, Brian Benjamin and Nick Smith started peppering Hawks keeper Cristian Alva from long range.

The senior keeper kept the Hawks lead single-handedly until the 60th minute when Skrip headed home a pretty cross from Liu.

Skrip added his second goal four minutes later on a one-timer from close range after Ryan Ross worked the ball into the box alone along the end line and centered it into the 6-yard box.

The Hawks were unable to switch back into attacking mode in the final 16 minutes of play and Beary made it clear more offense needs to happen for his team to beat Neuqua. That offense begins with more consistent possession.

“This is a team where if you’re not possessing the ball, then you’re basically watching them possess the entire game because they do that so well and the chances go their way.”

For the first 15 minutes of the match, the Wildcats danced gracefully into the Hawks’ box, but stepped on their own feet once it came time to put the ball away.

Some pretty combinations in the attack got the Wildcats behind the Hawks’ backline, but the chances failed to fully develop. The best chance came on a through ball to Benjamin, but Alva made the first of his 12 saves.

Neuqua Valley coach Tony Kees told his team to be patient and continue with what it does best.

“That’s what we said at halftime, just stick to what we are doing,” Kees said. “We knew we were going to get more chances. The probing and the possession is better than it has been in a while, so it was a matter of not getting too frustrated.”

Meanwhile, the Hawks started to get it together in the midfield with center midfielders DiNuzzo and Aiello and left midfielder Arroyo leading the way and showing flashes of how they can dictate a game when healthy. Thursday was Aiello’s first match back from injury.

Beary said he wasn’t completely discouraged by the loss after getting the lead over one of the Valley Division’s front runners, and thinks his team is just getting back to its best form.

“I can’t say I’m unhappy with the result considering it’s going to take us some time to find that flow,” Beary said. “Give us a game or two and the possession will get better.”