CHESTERLAND — West Geauga cruised past visiting Edgewood, 8–0, in a Division IV, Region 16 district semifinal on Tuesday.
The Wolverines broke through in the 11th minute, and once they did, the goals poured in.
“That’s been the way it’s gone for us. Once we get our first couple of goals in, it is an avalanche of goals,” said West Geauga co-head coach Nate Vargo. “It’s especially like that in the regular season. When we get too few shots, it doesn’t bode well for us. We need volume shots.”
Adison Cook set up the first goal with a perfectly placed corner kick that found the head of Amelia Zaffiro. Just six minutes later, the duo connected again off another Cook corner to give West Geauga a 2–0 lead 17 minutes into the match.
The Wolverines kept the pressure on.
Lexi Bryan scored in the 18th minute, followed by a goal from Faelynn Beckrest in the 25th. Cook added her first of the night three minutes later, pushing the lead to 5–0.
Brooklyn Osolin converted a penalty kick, Cook netted her second in the 34th minute, and with four minutes left in the half, she completed her hat trick to seal the emphatic victory.
The eight-goal outburst showcased the Wolverines’ offensive versatility — goals off headers, corner kicks, a penalty, and traditional attacks from open play.
That variety, co-head coach Lidia Rodin said, can make West Geauga difficult to defend — an advantage as they look ahead to Saturday’s district final.
“I mean, this group of girls is incredibly unselfish, and they really work with each other,” Rodin said. “They want each other to succeed, and it helps us find goals in different areas from different people.”
While a district title is within reach, the Wolverines’ ambitions stretch even further — all the way to Columbus.
“The goal is much higher. Adison called that shot early on the year to the team, and that’s the end goal,” Vargo said. “The expectations are set high, and the girls have done a great job coming together as a team, creating for each other, and Adison has really done a nice job stepping up with the assists this year and getting everybody involved.”
The road to the state capital continues this weekend, with West Geauga set to face a familiar Chagrin Valley Conference opponent.
“We just have to stay focused mentally and make sure we’re homed in on the game-by-game,” Rodin said. “We have that (state championship) goal in mind, but Saturday comes first. We have to stay focused every day and put everything into it to get something out of it.”
West Geauga will take on CVC rival Wickliffe in the district championship on Oct. 25 at Jefferson, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
