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Mustangs, Warriors vie in scoreless battle until defending state champs kicked out
By Michael Beaven Special to the Beacon Journal
Published on Thursday, Nov 08, 2007
SOLON: Nothing was decided after two meetings and 190 minutes of play this season between the Walsh Jesuit and Strongsville girls soccer teams.
The perennial state powers played to a scoreless tie on Sept. 10 and were scoreless after 80 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute overtime sessions Wednesday night in a Division I state semifinal at Stewart Field behind Solon High School.
A group of five players lined up for each team Wednesday for a shootout round, which Strongsville won 4-1. The loss ends the bid by the Warriors (13-4-5) to defend the title they won last season.
Strongsville, 18-0-4 and ranked No. 4 in the nation by the National High School Soccer Coaches Association, will play Cincinnati St. Ursula in the state championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Columbus Crew Stadium.
''There is nothing you can say; we had a couple of chances in the game, and we didn't put them away,'' said Walsh coach Dino McIntyre, who has led the Warriors to state titles in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006.
''It was a great game. Once you get to PK's (penalty kicks), it's a lottery. You never know what you are going to get. Oh, well, it wasn't meant to be.''
Mustangs seniors Kerri Krawczak and Kristen Lynn each made their shot in the alternating shootout, while a pair of Walsh shots netted nothing. Mustangs junior Danielle Hubka and senior Kesley Kempton then each converted a shot, and Walsh freshman Kelsey Smigel made hers.
Kempton's shot gave Strongsville (18-0-4) the 4-1 advantage, which Walsh could not match with just two girls waiting their turns to kick.
''The seniors have probably kicked over 2,000 PK's in practice over four years,'' said Strongsville coach Jon Felton, who was wearing a Crew hat and has led the Mustangs to state titles in 1998, 2002 and 2005 and a runner-up finish in 2003.
Of this season's contests against Walsh, he said: ''Both games were the same way, both battles.''
Walsh, which was 23-0-0 last season and was ranked No. 1 in the nation by NHSSCA, held a 3-0 advantage in shots on goal in the first half. Warriors juniors Alexis Garcia, Kendra Simmons and Jaime Townsend each had a shot on goal.
Strongsville's first shot on goal came in the 62nd minute when Hubka kicked a fastball from about 20 yards away that was caught with two hands by Walsh senior goalkeeper Brianna Segerson.
''To make it to state, you have to have some luck,'' said Hubka, who leads the Mustangs with 20 goals. ''The rest is talent and hard work.''
After the regulation and overtimes ended, Walsh held a 8-3 lead in shots on goal. Strongsville junior goalkeeper Nicole Wood had seven saves, Segerson three.
Senior Samantha Salamon and juniors Townsend, Jordan Finch and Erica Sackett led the Walsh defense with sophomore Carolyn Vespoli.
''We're not as fast as they are; we relied on tactical awareness,'' McIntyre said. ''If you would have told me we lose eight big-time (senior) players from last season, and we make it to here, I would not have believed you.''
Smigel ends the season as Walsh's leading scorer with 13 goals and six assists.
''We do have a young team coming back,'' McIntyre said. ''We only lose three key players, and we return some others who were injured.''
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
SOLON: Nothing was decided after two meetings and 190 minutes of play this season between the Walsh Jesuit and Strongsville girls soccer teams.
Get the full article here.
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