With four of the Chagrin Valley Conference’s top girls’ golfers in action, Tuesday’s showdown between Independence and host Chagrin Falls lived up to its expectations.
The visiting Blue Devils left Tanglewood Country Club with the win, but it didn’t come easily.
Tied 188-188 after each team compiled its top four scores, Independence won the tiebreaker with the lowest score carded by its fifth golfer.
“It’s always fun playing Chagrin,” Independence coach Karl Schuld said. “The girls are very competitive and it’s a good rivalry. We played well enough to do what we had to do today but our ball-striking wasn’t what it needed to be and our putting was off. We just weren’t sharp. We’ve got to get better at both of those things to do what we want to do.”
Morgan Pascarella, who earned first-team All-CVC honors last fall, led Independence with a 44. Allie Ksiazka, another first-team all-conference selection, and Reese Vilcheck both shot 47 for the Blue Devils and Molly McGreal closed out the top four with a 50.
Hillary Esper was fifth with a 53.
“I don’t think my girls were as sharp as they’ve been,” Schuld said. “I think not playing that course as much definitely hurt them today. They didn’t’ seem comfortable with their second shots to the green.”
Chagrin Falls’ Chloe Steger, a second-team all-league selection last season, claimed medalist honors with a match-low 43. Christian Joseph, who joined her teammate on the second-team last year, shot a 46. Ali Holtz and Molley Lowe closed out Chagrin’s top four with a 48 and a 51, respectively.
Alexa Nielsen came in at the fifth spot with a 59.
“I’m very proud of all of our players,” Chagrin Falls coach Kristin Reboul said. “While we would have liked to win today, it’s always a good match with Independence and we respect their program and enjoy playing them every year.”
Steger rose to the challenge on Tuesday and outplayed both of Independence’s first-team all-conference selections.
“Being medalist for my team means a lot to me,” she said. “I love being a role model for these girls and a want them to look up to me. My putting helped me immensely today. My long game was a bit rocky at first, but once I gathered my thoughts and kept my focus, my short game brought my score down significantly.”
She also felt right at home on her home course and never let one mishit turn into a bad hole.
“Whenever I hit bad shots, I try to keep my composure,” Steger said. “I know that if I don’t, I will only make myself more stressed. By forgetting the bad shots and focusing on the course ahead, I knew I would be able to recover.”
Despite the loss, Steger is confident the Tigers will rebound and have a lot more excitement coming their way this fall.
“After today’s round, I feel much more confident in my game,” she said. “I always tell myself I can play better as golf is a difficult game. However, knowing that my scores help my team and knowing that I have a strong team by my side, I know our season is going to be a great one and I am ready for any challenges coming my way.”
