MATCH PHOTOS: http://smu.gs/2laVWko
Avenging an earlier loss, the West Geauga girls soccer beat rival Chagrin Falls 2-0 at C.S. Harris Stadium. The Wolverines were the seeded one spot below Chagrin Falls.
For the Wolverines, goals in the second half secured the win, from a pair of talented freshmen forwards who have grown this season into a formidable foe. They, and the Tigers, played against some very solid opponents.
After battling through a scoreless first half in which neither team could get much offense going, just beyond the midway point of the second half, senior Morgan Brown of West Geauga corralled a loose ball along the left side of the field and fed freshman Bailey Zanella with a pinpoint pass down the middle. Zanella deposited the ball into the back of the nets for a precarious 1-0 lead.
Earlier in the season, the Tigers had taken measure of the Wolverines by a 4-2 score, but this game matched up totally different squads.
“This team of ours played with more heart and passion tonight than we have had in any game all season,” an elated coach Kori Chapic said. “We’ve had some really good moments at times, but tonight we really put together an outstanding effort the entire way in every phase of the game. We knew that’s what it would take against Chagrin Falls — it always does — and tonight we finally put it all together.”
Eight minutes later, after a pair of huge defensive plays kept the Tigers from scoring opportunities of their own, another freshman, Nicola Ehrbar, took a fine pass from Morgan Brown, planting the ball into the cords for a 2-0 lead. As the Tigers stepped up their efforts to regroup, a stifling defense from the Wolverines, sparked by Brown, Zanella and Kayla DiLalla in the midfield area, squashed Tiger hopes for a comeback.
Twice, Zanella stepped in front of a streaking Tiger forward heading for a breakaway shot on goal, stood her ground, and forced a turnover, sending the Wolverines (6-9-2) the other way to kill clock.
That shifting defense allowed only seven Tiger shots on goal, compared to 15 from the Wolverines. DiLalla nearly scored twice in the first half on direct kicks, but Chagrin keepers were equal to the task, and the entire midfield group of defenders for the Wolverines shadowed forward Bella Dalessandro all night, effectively keeping her out of scoring range.
“You have to credit West Geauga for playing a great game tonight,” Chagrin coach Pamela Malone said. “We gave it our best shot with the players we had, and it wasn’t nearly good enough. We have two girls ill, and another three injured, so that’s five starters we missed. To see the improvement, though, in the Wolverines, it may have made a difference but would have taken a nearly perfect game to beat them.”
The perfect blend of upperclassmen and newcomers to the varsity team paid dividends for West Geauga, and they know it.
Senior DiLalla, who could score from anywhere on the field within 40 yards of the goal with her booming kicks from either foot, appreciates how quickly the younger girls have taken in Coach Chapic’s system.
“I’m really proud of everybody on this team,” she said amid celebration over their neighbors. “To start three freshmen like we do and have them contribute so much is huge for the whole program in the future, as well. I am really impressed with how hard everybody worked and left all their emotions on the field.”
For Morgan Brown, another senior, effort was key.
“We’ve just practiced very hard, especially to get ready for this game tonight,” she said. “These are our neighbors and rivals, and after they beat us before, our first goal coming into this game was just to beat Chagrin Falls, and everybody played so well. I’m thrilled.”
For the freshmen whose stars now shine even more brightly, it’s a step forward.
Nicola Ehrbar, who tallied the second goal, said the process was simple.
“Our mindset tonight was to play totally as a team and fight for everything we could get,” she said.
Bailey Zanella was nearly speechless, but agreed with her teammates.
“I was really excited when I was able to score that first goal,” she said. “Playing as a team is very important at this level.”
And for Chapic, hard work in the offseason also paid superb dividends.
“I’m so proud and grateful to have been part of the summer program I was involved with,” she said. “The girls all came out and watched some talented players do their thing, and they learned a lot from it. It gives them an opportunity to see good soccer, and helps them hone in on their own skill sets as well. We’ve been able to develop different leaders in every game, their confidence has grown a lot, and our freshmen have been able to prove that they belong here at the varsity level. That can only make our program stronger.”
For the Tigers, who only have four seniors on the roster and missed one in particular, Maddie Miralia, who was out with a torn MCL, the future also looks very bright, so there is no reason not to expect more superbly played soccer from both teams over the next few years.