BROOKLYN, Ohio — A two-goal halftime advantage wasn’t enough to put West Geauga Girls Soccer away Tuesday night, but Gilmour Academy Girls Soccer found an answer each time the Wolverines threatened.
Four different Lancers scored as Gilmour Academy survived a furious second-half comeback to defeat West Geauga, 4-2, in a Division III Region 11 semifinal.
The victory sends Gilmour Academy (14-4-2) into Saturday’s regional championship against Aurora, putting the Lancers one victory away from a trip to the state semifinals.
For Gilmour Academy coach Juliet Tyma, the challenge was maintaining composure against a West Geauga team that refused to let its season end quietly.
“We knew that it was going to be a battle, and it was not going to be the same game we played in the regular season,” Tyma said. “We knew they were going to come out in the second half fired up, and we just had to stay composed and play our game and find the back of the net just a couple more times to give us some insurance, and that’s what we did.”
Lancers strike early, add crucial goal before halftime
Gilmour Academy wasted little time establishing itself offensively.
In the sixth minute, Kynzie Campbell opened the scoring with a shot that struck both goalposts before finding the back of the net, giving the Lancers a 1-0 advantage.
The early breakthrough allowed Gilmour Academy to dictate the pace, but West Geauga remained within striking distance throughout much of the opening half.
That changed in the final seconds before intermission.
With just five seconds remaining, Anni Franks unleashed a strike from approximately 20 yards that sailed high into the corner of the goal.
The dramatic finish doubled Gilmour Academy’s advantage to 2-0 and sent the Lancers into halftime with momentum.
Tyma, however, wasn’t interested in allowing her team to become comfortable.
“It’s never enough in the Sweet 16. 2-0 is the worst lead in soccer because it feels comfortable,” she said. “We are never comfortable, and that’s what I tell the girls. We are never comfortable with any lead until it’s mercy, and there are no mercy rules anymore in this stage of the tournament.”
West Geauga refuses to go quietly
Facing a two-goal deficit and the possibility of elimination, West Geauga responded with the determination that had carried the Wolverines deep into the postseason for a second consecutive year.
The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute.
Ava Borz delivered a free kick into a dangerous area, where Faelynn Beckrest connected with a header to beat the Gilmour Academy defense and cut the deficit to 2-1.
The goal energized West Geauga and placed the pressure squarely back on the Lancers.
Gilmour Academy responded in the 65th minute when Clara King finished a left-footed opportunity to restore the two-goal advantage at 3-1.
Even that wasn’t enough to shake the Wolverines.
Three minutes later, Lexi Bryan pressured the Gilmour Academy goalkeeper on a clearance attempt. The ball ricocheted off Bryan’s leg and into the net, pulling West Geauga within 3-2 with approximately 12 minutes remaining.
Suddenly, the Wolverines were one goal away from erasing what had been a seemingly comfortable halftime deficit.
Gilmour Academy was forced to protect its narrow lead against a West Geauga attack that had already scored twice in a 15-minute span.
The Lancers held firm through the closing minutes before Audrey Hastings delivered the decisive goal in the 80th minute.
Hastings’ finish pushed the advantage to 4-2 and ended West Geauga’s comeback hopes.
The final whistle sent Gilmour Academy into the regional championship and brought the Wolverines’ season to an end.
A senior class leaves its mark at West Geauga
Although the loss ended West Geauga’s postseason run, it did little to diminish the accomplishments of a senior class that helped establish the Wolverines among the area’s most successful programs over the past two seasons.
West Geauga reached the Division IV regional championship in 2025 before advancing to the Division III regional semifinals this fall.
The latest run came with an added challenge: competing in a higher division against a deeper field of postseason opponents.
For West Geauga co-head coach Nate Vargo, the group’s legacy extends beyond its tournament victories.
“It’s a great legacy that you could stack up with some of the other previous great teams and players that we’ve had,” Vargo said. “They didn’t have quite the success that they wanted the first couple years, but it’s all about the building they’ve done.”
That growth became evident over the past two seasons as the Wolverines advanced to consecutive regional tournaments.
Vargo believes the team’s ability to maintain its postseason success while moving into Division III speaks to the character of the players who helped build the program.
“They did a great job of that last season and then this season; stepping up a division was huge,” he said. “The competition’s even better. I mean, Division III is stacked all around with the talent level.”
The senior class helped establish a standard that future West Geauga teams will attempt to maintain.
“So for them to get this far is a testament to everything they’re about as players, students, all around,” Vargo said. “It’s a great group of kids. They’re great teammates. They’re fun to coach, and they’re going to be sorely missed.”
Gilmour Academy eyes another milestone
For Gilmour Academy, Tuesday’s victory represents another step in a postseason run that has brought renewed excitement to the program.
The Lancers have now won a district championship and advanced to the regional final, where an opportunity to reach the state tournament awaits.
Tyma sees a meaningful connection between this year’s group and a previous generation of Gilmour Academy players who helped establish the program’s championship tradition.
“I’m super excited. This is the second team to win district finals, and the last team to do it was a 2016 team who won state,” Tyma said. “So 10 years later, it’s pretty special.”
Standing between Gilmour Academy and a state semifinal berth is Aurora, which awaits in Saturday’s Division III Region 11 championship.
The matchup is scheduled for noon at Amherst Steele High School on Nov. 7.
After surviving West Geauga’s second-half surge, the Lancers will enter that contest knowing how quickly a postseason advantage can disappear — and how important it is to deliver when the pressure is highest.
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