ROCKETS DII STATE SOCCER CHAMPION GIRLS

OPS was on hand for the Girls DII Soccer Championships. Here is a look at the champion and the match.

Bay may be a school that only has an enrollment of 300 or so kids, but the brand of soccer they play is much larger. The Bay Rockets, 2002 Division II Ohio state soccer champs came as advertised and actually was better than the hype.

Their opponent, the Indian Hill Braves, was making their first appearance in a state championship game. Throughout the playoffs the Braves hadn't allowed a goal, but against Bay that stat changed within the first 4 minutes. Bay's Natti Naso started the scoring with a literal rocket from about 20 yards out to get the scoring started. Bay's tactical and technical play was extraordinaire. Is wasn't that Indian Hill didn't have capable and skilled players, but the play of Bay made you wonder whether Bay is some type of soccer academy. To illustrate my point, the Braves were out shot 18-0 in the first half. The second Bay goal came in the 33rd minute as Elise Falatach connects with the speedy Halle Plagens to make it 2-0.
 
The second half scoring began with Bay's Alix Heinicke scoring unassisted in the 44th minute. 2 minutes later, Indian Hill finds some redemption with a goal by Amanda McCaw. Bay scores twice more and the final score is 5-1.

Bay repeats as state champs. If you weren't there, you may think that the 5-1 score made the game laughable or that Indian Hill was just totally outmatched. The beauty of this championship that Bay won, was not in the fact that they did win, but in how beautifully they played the game. Of all the games that were played this weekend, this game exemplified how beautiful the game can be. Deft passing,tenacious defense, combinations ran over and over. Bay soccer epitomizes sharp passing, a constant energy, class and a style and manner of play that you don't see very often at this level.
 
Braves coach Amy Dunlap was very proud of what Indian Hill accomplished this season, and rightfully so. The Braves had gone 3 games farther than any other Indian Hill girl's team and had exceeded their goal of reaching and winning the regional championship. She credited the seniors for taking this team beyond their initial expectations.  This day, the better team won and for all the right reasons, that was OK.
 

Indian Hill
Pos	No.	Name	Min	SOG	Saves	GA	PKF	PKS	D	SO	C/P
GK	32	Sarah Wiggers	80	17	12	5			L
Pos	No.	Name	Min	Goals	Ast	Shots	SOG	FC	FS	Off	CK	Blk
D	1	Sam Spear
M	3	Ali Tuddenham
F	4	Amanda McCaw	1		3	2
D	7	Sam Schoeny		1
D	9	Becca Bechtold			1	1
M	10	Emily Goldman
M	11	Allie Schiesl
F	17	Kaitlin Flood
M	20	Erin Arbaugh
D	21	Katy Spear
F	12	Jill Hoffman
M	13	Brooke Rogers
M	14	Danielle Levy
M	5	Annie Lerner
Totals				1	1	4	3	12		2	0
Bay Village Bay
Pos	No.	Name	Min	SOG	Saves	GA	PKF	PKS	D	SO	C/P
GK		Allie Zajaros	80	3	2	1			W
Pos	No.	Name	Min	Goals	Ast	Shots	SOG	FC	FS	Off	CK	Blk
D	2	Molly Sweeney
M	3	Callie Broomfield				2
D	5	Jessica Lauerhass				1
F	6	Natty Naso		1	1	3	3
M	8	Alix Heinicke				2	2
F	9	Halle Plagens		1		4	2
M	13	Bryn Heinicke		2		11	5
M	16	Caity O'Hara		1		4	2
D	17	Maggie Pugliese
D	20	Elise Falatach			1	6	3
M	4	Kayleigh Zajaros				1
D	11	Bethany Jordan
M	7	Jenny Evans
M	12	Leigh Morrison
M	14	Lauren Farver
M	21	Kristen Lattner
Totals				5	2	34	17	12		1	11

Linescore		1	2	PK	FINAL
Indian Hill		0	1		1
Bay Village Bay		2	3		5
Scoring Summary
Team	Min	Goal		Assist
BVB	4	Naso
BVB	33	Plagens		Falatach
BVB	47	B. Heinicke
IH	49	McCaw		Schoeny
BVB	67	O'Hara
BVB	74	B. Heinicke		Naso