Lady Leopards Defeat Aurora 3-1 to Win 1st District Title in Team History – Girls Soccer
#22 Louisville 3, #24 Aurora 1
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The #22 seed Louisville Leopards Girls Soccer Team defeated the #24 seed Aurora Greenmen 3-1 Saturday Night in the DIII Macedonia District Championship game played at Nordonia’s Boliantz Stadium. The district title is the first in the history of the Lady Leopards Soccer program. Louisville is now 11-4-2 and advances to play the #3 seed Bay Village Bay Rockets in the DI Boardman Regional Semifinals on Tuesday, October 29 at 7:00 PM.
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Leopards Score, Greenman Immediately Answer
Neither team was able to find the net through the first 13 minutes of action and shots on goal came at a premium. The Lady Leopards finally broke the ice when Payton Allan laced a shot into the top of the net past the outstretched hands of the leaping Aurora goalkeeper. The opportunity was setup by a perfect throw in down the left sideline by Haile Folk. The throw in led Alyssa Schillig down the sideline perfectly as she beat a Greenmen defender to the ball before centering a pass to Allan in the middle of the box for a score with 26:53 remaining in the first half.
The celebration and relief of getting on the board first was short lived as Aurora answered back immediately. Izzy Savukas took control of the ball in the Greenmen offensive end and pushed the ball to Bella Sferry on the left side of the penalty box. Louisville goalkeeper Tristyn Edgein charged in to make a play, but Sferry unexpectedly shot through the narrow angle to the left of Edgein. The boot hit its mark tying the game at 1-1 just 31 seconds after Allan had scored.
Allan Heads Home 2nd Goal to Put Louisville Up at Half
The Lady Leopards recaptured the lead in the 27th minute. Reise Klein launched a free kick into the box and Reese Riley took a quick shot that ricocheted off the goalkeeper and popped into the air. Allan head-butted the ball into the open net to put Louisville in front 2-1 with 13:10 left before halftime.
Schillig Adds 2nd Half Insurance Goal for Leopards
The Leopards were determined to add to their single goal halftime advantage early on in the second half. Folk intercepted a Greenmen pass in the backfield and passed it to Violet Lab who sidestepped to the right past a charging Aurora defender. She then centered the ball to Allan who pushed the ball ahead to Schillig who remained carefully onside with three defenders parallel to her.
Schillig used her speed to beat all of them to the ball, dribbled once, and then blasted a shot from 10 yards out. The ball cleared the diving goalkeeper and hit square in the middle of the net putting the Leopards in command 3-1 with 35:47 remaining in the game.
Louisville Defense Blanks Aurora in 2nd Half
Louisville’s offense continued to control the ball throughout and the Leopard defense shutdown Aurora the rest of the way to secure the first district championship in team history. Audrey Mercier was a menace to the Greenmen all night long clearing out scoring threat after scoring threat. Regan Biery, Folk, Klein, Kasey Lint, and others all made plays to avert Aurora shot opportunities to keep Louisville in a comfortable two-goal advantage.
Edgein kept a clean sheet in goal during the second half in large part to a point blank save with a little under six minutes remaining in the contest. Aurora’s Skylar Rule split through a pair of Leopard defenders and took a shot from about 12 yards inside the penalty box. Edgein batted the ball to the turf to save a goal, but Elakia Vadivelan was there for the Greenmen on the rebound. Mercier, an experienced goalkeeper herself, dove feet first to deflect the ball just enough to stop a clean shot attempt and deflect the ball to her left. Edgein pounced on it and let out an emphatic scream knowing that her save virtually clinched a district title for the Lady Leopards.
Aurora was able to get one more clean break at the goal with 2:25 left in the contest. It ricochet off the crossbar and Klein cleared it out from the goal box to the Leopard sideline.
Edgein would finish with 5 saves on 6 shot atempts.
Lady Leopards Win 1st District Championship
The final seconds ticked off and the Louisville sideline charged onto the field to embrace the rest of the team in celebration. In their 22nd year as a program, the Lady Leopards had finally broken through to win their first district championship.
Each LHS player and coach was announced individually before being dressed with a district title medal. Then the Louisville players and coaches received their district championship plaque and the team leaped in celebration.
The Lady Leopards are now 2-3 all-time in tournament games at the district level with both victories coming this season. Louisville is now 13-21 all-time in the postseason, 3-2 in the tournament under head coach Dale Mitchell, and 1-1 when playing playoff matches at a neutral location.
The Lady Leopards will look to win another game at a neutral location on Tuesday when they challenge the #3 seed Bay Village Bay Rockets in the DIII Boardman Regional Semifinals at Boardman’s Spartan Stadium. The Rockets defeated #11 seed CVCA 1-0 to claim the Northeast 1 Macedonia District Title. Bay Village Bay is an undefeated 18-0-2 on the season and has shutout its last 5 opponents overall.
This was the first ever meeting with Louisville and Aurora in girls soccer. The Greenmen are the 74th unique opponent the Lady Leopards have faced all-time and 18th different foe they have faced in the postseason. Aurora finishes the season 10-8-1 with the loss.
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UP NEXT: The #22 seed Louisville Leopards Girls Soccer Team will next take on the #3 seed Bay Village Bay Rockets in the DI Boardman Regional Semifinals on Tuesday, October 29. Game time is set for 7:00 PM from Spartan Stadium.
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Louisville Vs. Aurora Girls Soccer Box Score
LEOPARDS 3, GREENMEN 1
Team 1-2–TOTAL
Aurora 1-0–01
Louisville 2-1–03
1st Half
LOUISVILLE – Payton Allan (Alyssa Schillig) | LHS 1, AHS 0, 26:53
AURORA – Bella Sferry (Izzy Savukas) | LHS 1, AHS 1, 26:22
LOUISVILLE – Payton Allan | LHS 2, AHS 1, 13:10
2nd Half
LOUISVILLE – Alyssa Schillig (Payton Allan) | LHS 3, AHS 1, 35:47
Records: Louisville 11-4-2, Aurora 10-8-1