Polar Bears brave cold to eliminate Boardman

By WALT DOERSHUK

Canton Repository

MASSILLON

Boardman’s deepest girls soccer tournament run ended Saturday night in a 4-0 loss to Massillon Jackson in a Division I district final at Rick Neitzelt Stadium.

A brisk chill filled the air with the possibility of a “Frankenstorm” coming.

But the cold didn’t bother the Jackson High School girls soccer team, which had a warm feeling yet again after winning its eighth district title in the last nine years.

Polar Bears head coach Frank Gagliardi said this season was a little different because his team has had more losses than the past few years. But he said his team still enjoys winning championships at the district level.

“I’m really proud of our girls,” Gagliardi said. “They really look forward to get prepared to play the game.”

Boardman (10-8-1) had advanced to a district final.

“To get this far for us is big,” Spartans coach Fawzi Mujahed said. “We played hard even though we had a young team.”

Caitlyn Patton had no trouble fighting the elements, as the junior midfielder had a hat trick less than 27 minutes into the match. Her three-goal effort in a district final was exciting to her, but she said her team’s improvement matters most.

“The most exciting part is we have continued to progress every day,” Patton said. “That makes it look promising for the rest of the tournament.”

Her first goal quickly gave Jackson a 1-0 lead at the 38:33 mark of the opening half. Off an Abby Gindlesberger corner kick from the right side of the field, Patton headed the ball into the middle of the net.

Patton then took advantage of two Boardman penalties. On both occasions, the Bears were awarded penalty kicks after they were taken down in the box.

Both of Patton’s penalty kick goals were nearly identical. She knocked the ball each time past the reach of Boardman goalkeeper Kristen Huck into the left corner of the net. It ended up giving Jackson a 3-0 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the first half.

Patton said she went to the left side simply because it was most comfortable to her.

“That’s just how I train,” Patton said. “It was just sticking to what I am used to.”

Gagliardi said Patton’s mental toughness helped the most.

“Caitlyn is a dominant force,” he said. “She just has incredible composure and she takes pride in every battle.”

Gindlesberger sealed the game for Jackson with 19:09 left in the match with a 25-yard blast into the right side of the net.