STREETSBORO–Two early goals helped Chagrin Falls oust Canfield, 5-3, in a Division II, Region 5 semifinal at Streetsboro High School’s Quinn Field on Tuesday.
The Tigers, who improved to 17-2-1 and will play Akron Copley in Saturday’s regional championship game, got off to a fast start thanks to senior Creagan Mee, who scored two goals within the first 15 minutes of the game. Mee scored both goals off quick strike opportunities and finished with a cross creating a one-on-one situation. The second goal was assisted by sophomore Sarah Burgess.
The Tigers closed out the first-half scoring with a Peyton Gellin crowded header from the box. The sophomore gave Chagrin Falls a 3-0 advantage in the 30th minute.
Goalkeeper Aerin Krebs certainly played her part in the first-half shutout of the Cardinals. She finished the game with eight saves and had a crucial save in the 25th minute to keep Canfield off the board.
The Cardinals did not play dead the entire game though. Marissa Ieraci scored a quick goal in the 44’ as a part of a stretch where four goals were scored in just six minutes. Angie Mangie drilled one to the twine to cut the deficit to just one before Canfield shot themselves in the foot.
Just one minute after seizing the momentum and scoring their second goal, the Cardinals scored an own-goal to put Chagrin Falls back up by a pair of goals.
A handball in the box from Chagrin Falls led to a penalty kick for Canfield’s captain, Ally Stein, who capitalized to bring the score to 4-3 in the 56th minute.
After another huge save from Krebs in the 59th minute, Burgess found the score sheet in the 71st minute. This time tipping a ball that trickled in between the posts to put the icing on the cake for the Tigers.
Chagrin Falls returns to the regional final for the first time since 2016, when the Tigers reached the state championship game, and the 11th time in program history. They are 5-5 in regional finals.
“If we want to win, we have to execute perfectly,” Chagrin Falls coach Pamela Malone said. “We can’t have any lapses. Copley is a good team, but if we play well, we have the talent on this team.”
