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Walsh ends season for Canfield
By Doug chapin
RAVENNA
When the Ohio High School Athletic Association went to three divisions in girls soccer before this school year, fans, coaches and players at the smaller Division I schools — such as Canfield — were probably thinking the move would help their teams come tournament time.
After all, shouldn’t it be easier to get through the regional tournament without having to play teams more than twice your size?
But a quick look at the schools making up Division II finds defending Division I state champ Walsh Jesuit included. The Warriors’ 2010 title was their fifth since 2000 and they took another step toward another Wednesday night with a 3-0 victory over Canfield (9-8-3) in a Div. II regional semifinal at Ravenna High.
“I just told the girls I’m very proud of them,” Canfield coach Phil Simone said. “We played them [Walsh] preseason in a 40-minute game, they beat us 5-0.
“They’ve improved since and I thought we matched up with them much better,” Simone said. “I think we gave them a better game than they anticipated. I’m very proud of the girls.”
Walsh (18-0-2), the top-ranked team in the state, dominated play, but Kennedy Payne’s shot from the top of the penalty area off a cross from Sandra Yu was the only scoring in the first half. It came with 32:25 remaining in the half.
Canfield goal keeper Olivia Governor (seven saves) prevented another goal at the 4:30 mark when Christen Westphal bent a free kick from near the left sideline toward the far upper corner. Governor got a hand on it and deflected it over the goal.
The Warriors finished with a 16-0 edge in shots for the game and an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.
“They are the type of team that just comes at you in waves,” Simone said. “They have the ability and the players and the athleticism, they just keep coming. It seems like there’s 15 of them on the field.
“Our game plan was to keep more numbers back, hope we can defend and try to put one up top and maybe get that one breakaway, that one corner kick, that one opportunity. The longer we could keep it close, the more frustrated they would get.”
The Warriors thought they had that important second goal about five minutes into the second half, but Yu was called for a hand ball when she tried to chest in a cross from Alyson Smigel.
The second Walsh goal came with 25:06 remaining when Westphal did get a free kick past Governor from almost the same spot as her first-half attempt. Westphal then put a corner kick onto the forehead of Maddy Anzelc who drove it home for the third goal with 12:23 remaining in the contest.
“You can’t give up that many corner kicks. They are very good on set pieces, they’re very good in the air, you just can’t give them that many opportunities.”