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| 08-29-03: Dramatic win for Celina
girls |
By MARC TOBIAS
mtobias@dailystandard.com
 A
year ago, Celina’s girls soccer team ended its season with
a 4-1 loss to the hands of Findlay, and this year it appeared
as if Celina would once again be heart- broken as it surrendered
its one-goal lead 14 minutes into the second half.
A Shay Adams goal with three minutes left in the game changed
all that though and gave Celina a little payback and a 2-1 victory
to start the season.
The victory appeared to be especially sweet for Celina coach Dean
Liggett, as after the game he strolled off the field with a wide
grin across his face.
“That’s a victory that
I think is one of the most exciting victories that we’ve
had in the past couple years,” Liggett said. “The
girls played great, they played hard for 80 minutes, and even
at the end when we were looking a little tired, we took advantage
of a couple opportunities.
“We had some girls out there
that were banged up. Laura Snyder is banged up and didn’t
play a lot in the second half until the very end, Robin Snyder
didn’t know if she could play the second half because she
wasn’t feeling well and Brittany Riesen’s foot has
been black and blue for a week. We’ve got girls that are
sacrificing themselves for the team, and every person played some
kind of role,” added Liggett.
Celina’s big opportunity came when Adams scored her goal
off a Jenna Schleucher corner kick in the 77th minute. The ball
took one hop through the middle of the 18-yard box to a waiting
Adams who struck a one-touch ball into the top-left portion of
the net.
“We scored on maybe one restart play last year,
it doesn’t happen often, at least not as often as it should,”
Liggett said.
Adams was also involved in the Bulldogs’ first goal in the
23rd minute. Adams was streaking down the leftside of the field
when Findlay keeper Brittani Croy charged off her line. Adams
went left sliding the ball past Croy, and then served a perfect
ball in front of an empty goal mouth. Lindsey Miller took advantage
and netted her first goal of the season.
“Those are
both girls that came off the bench, they are juniors and the seniors
are starting right now, but those girls stepped up,” Liggett
said. “I always said it doesn’t matter if you’re
a starter, it’s what you do on the field and who’s
in the game when the game’s on the line.”
Findlay had its share of opportunities in the second half, but
had a few bad breaks with solid Bulldogs defense kept them frustrated.
Findlay did finally break through the stingy Celina defense in
the 54th minute, when the Trojans crossed a ball into the middle
of the box near the right sideline. Findlay’s Kate Turnow
was able to jump on the loose ball and strike a left-footed shot
to tie the game at one goal apiece.
The Trojans then had two golden opportunities when Caitlin Logan
put a ball over the cross bar from eight yards out, and when Lydia
Mikenas headed a ball over the crossbar with around 15 minutes
left in the half.
Williams was tough in goal all night for Celina, though, compiling
eight saves. Williams’ defense also did a good job of shutting
down a powerful pair of forwards in Logan and Turnow. Logan now
a sophomore, scored all four goals in the sectional final against
Celina a year ago.
“We picked up the intensity in the
second half in an effort to match Celina’s intensity, they
came out the first half and really took it to us and I think it
sort of surprised the girls a little bit,” said Findlay
coach Kevin Veroneau. “They really showed the girls that
they’re a team to take into serious consideration. We tried
to step it up in the second half and match their intensity which
I think we did, we just got unlucky and they hit their opportunities.
When you don’t play two halves it allows for bad things
to happen.”
Robin Snyder marked Logan for the majority of the game while Lauren
Dammeyer checked Turnow.
“I was impressed with our defense
because they were hurt and banged up, and I put Butturini (Carrie)
in there along with Knapke (Tracie) and Meg Smalley,” Liggett
said. “Those girls did their job, they didn’t do it
for long, but they got a good 10 minutes in there and gave the
other girls a breather, and that’s what a team sport is
about.”
The Bulldogs defense surrendered 14 shots in the second half,
but few came unchallenged.
After meeting each other the past three seasons in the tournament,
both coaches noted that they’ll most likely have a rematch.
Both coaches also said they expect it to be quite a bit different
as it will be after roughly 16 more regular season games, but
added they expect to see just as much emotion as they did tonight.
“This will be more than enough motivation for the girls,
it will be a totally different game come the fall,” Veroneau
said. “I hope Celina comes to it with just as much intensity,
I know we will and we’ll see what happens. Maybe the ball
will go in for us this time.” |
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