Three Chagrin Valley Conference girls’ soccer teams advanced to the Elite Eight with a win in the Sweet Sixteen on Tuesday.
Chagrin Falls, Berkshire, and Kirtland each won one-goal games to advance to Saturday’s regional championship round.
Chagrin Falls rode its defense to a 1-0 shutout win over West Branch in a Division IV, Region 13 semifinal on Tuesday at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium.
Abby Coy delivered the go-ahead strike in the seventh minute, then trusted her defense to finish the job.
“Our defensive line was the backbone of the game,” Coy said of her sides’ defense. “Going into the second half, our main focus was defense. The back line executed.”
Mia Buno came away with the assist on Coys’ seventh-minute strike, being enough to hold off West Branch.
Once the Tigers took the lead, the defenders and midfielders were tasked with keeping the shutout intact.
They rose to the occasion.
“Tremendous job by the defense,” said Chagrin Falls coach Joe Ciuni. “Izzy in the goal, the back four, and the subs we brought played great. The defense went through the whole lineup. The midfielders were phenomenal, shutting down (West Branch’s) top players. The forwards did a great job pressing and dropping back in help. We needed that defensive effort tonight. The girls stepped up.”
In a match filled with great defense on both sides, Coys’ strike in the early minutes was ultimately the difference maker.
“Abby’s goal was about effort and being in the right place at the right time,” Ciuni said. “She didn’t give up on the play. (The goalie) spilled it, and she was able to knock it into the net. An early goal is always huge if you can get one.”
Once that goal went through, Chagrin’s defense controlled the game’s pace, limiting West Branch to only four shots on goal. It polished off the last 73 minutes of play by handling the pressure from the Warriors and the game itself.
“One kick could have changed this game,” Ciuni said. “(West Branch) had a few looks at goal, but we did a good job limiting them. I thought that could be a nervous moment, but the girls performed. They played through the nerves and made the plays.”
The Tigers were roughed up by the injury bug throughout the night, and coach Ciuni turned to his bench for depth and breathers. His team’s defense never wavered.
They stepped up and earned valuable experience, which can be leaned on as Chagrin Falls makes its first regional championship game appearance since 2021.
“It was great to see,” Ciuni said. “We needed it big time tonight. They stepped up when we needed them. They didn’t look unprepared or scared of the moment. They were ready to go and made a few plays for us. It was really important for us.”
Through all the trials and tribulations, the Tigers survive and advance.
“We knew we had to give it our all because it could be our last game,” Coy said of the win. “We gave it our all and left it on the field.”
No. 6 Chagrin Falls advanced to play No. 2 Poland Seminary in the regional championship game at Byers Field on Saturday.
BERKSHIRE 2, WARREN JFK 1
Kelly McCandless and Marissa Karl each scored a goal in leading Berkshire to its first regional championship game in school history.
Emma Rucinski assisted on both goals and Liv Masink recorded nine saves and a clean sheet in goal.
The Badgers advanced to play Chippewa in a Division V regional championship game at Boardman on Saturday.
KIRTLAND 2, KALIDA 1 (OT)
Olivia Pickens scored on a breakaway goal early in the second half and Isabel Mueller clinched Kirtland’s regional semifinal win with a well-placed goal midway through the first overtime period as Kirtland held on for a 2-1 win over Kalida.
Megan Urbanick assisted on the game-winning goal.
Kirtland advanced to Columbus Grove in a Division V regional championship game on Saturday at Huron.
Should Berkshire and Kirtland both win, they’d square off in a state semifinal.
POLAND SEMINARY 2, WICKLIFFE 0
Wickliffe’s best season in school history came to an end on Tuesday with a 2-0 loss to Poland in a Division IV regional semifinal.
Cade Virgilio recorded six saves in the net for the Blue Devils, who closed out the season with a 15-3-2 record and the first district championship in school history.
