5/15/09 Stow vs Green - OSLA Playoffs Rd 1 (L, 11-15)
Stow Falls to Green in First Round of Playoffs
Seasons end suddenly in high school sports. The season-ending state tournament play is unforgiving. If you don't win, it's simply over, and the season comes to an abrupt end. The Stow girls' lacrosse team had to experience this on Friday evening as they faced Green in a first-round OSLA tournament contest. In a game played on their home field, the Stow team battled hard but came out on the short end of a 15-11 score.
Stow limped into the game after playing a brutal end-of-season schedule, facing four top-ten teams in the last two weeks. There was little doubt their confidence had been shaken, not to mention the lengthening list of injuries which had little time to heal. Yet the Stow Bulldogs had defeated their southern counterparts earlier in the season, and it was hoped that they would be able to repeat their performance, particularly since they would be playing this time at home.
But the Green Bulldogs came out fast, with Abby Rogers scored after only 1:30 had ticked off the clock. Green's Kelsey Fezell added a second goal to stake the orange-and-black to the early lead after only 3 minutes had elapsed.
After gathering themselves, Stow began to win draws and Ellie Swanger rifled home Stow's first goal at the 21 minute mark. Then Lizzie Song hit the back of the net for two successive goals for Stow, and the maroon and gold looked to be taking command. But after Rogers scored again for Green on a breakaway to tie the score, it was clear that the visitors would not back down on this night.
Caroline Huth scored for Stow less than a minute later. Then, at the 12 minute mark, Lizzie Song zipped a pass from behind the net that Jaclyn Hoover caught high in the air and lashed quickly past the Green goaltender, putting Stow ahead 5-3. Green responded with two consecutive goals of their own to knot the score at five.
Huth scored her second goal of the night with a bullet off a penalty shot, and Swanger put Stow ahead by two goals with her second goal just before halftime. Stow led 7-5 and seemed to be able to answer any challenge that Green could muster.
After intermission, things began to change. Green began to dominate draw control and seemed to get to ground balls a little quicker than the maroon-clad Bulldogs. They reeled off three straight goals over the first 5 minutes to edge out to an 8-7 lead. Stow answered on a goal by Hannah Bonfiglio (assisted by Huth), but Rogers reclaimed the lead for Green a minute later. At just under 17 minutes, Bonfiglio scored again, this time assisted by Lizzie Song.
With the game tied at nine apiece, and only 15 minutes left to play, both teams tried to increase their intensity. Stow's defenders, including Alex Madonia, Kaity Steiger, Ann Miller, Kendra Mossor, and Rachel Spiker, attempted to dig in against the attack. In addition, Katie Hill and Sierra Bilhimer, added to the Varsity roster to provide greater depth, joined in the defense. But Green was able to break through to score three goals over the next 5 minutes.
Stow's midfield and attack, including Jess Welsh, Kaiti McCleary, Grace Song, Kelsey Mayer, and Karlie Jones, battled to gain control and maneuver the ball into the offensive end. But the Green athletes were able to thwart the repeated Stow attacks, often leaving Stow players sprawled on the field. Coach Lindy Stoner protested some of the Green tactics, drawing the ire of an official, who promptly pulled a yellow card in response.
Green's Christa Chappell quickly took advantage off the penalty and scored another goal, giving the visitors a five-goal lead with only 9 minutes left, effectively placing the game out of reach.
As has been the case throughout the entire year, Stow would not quit, and Senior Captain Shannon Rohrich scored with 4 minutes left to give the hosts a glimmer of hope. But Green came back to score just 15 seconds later after winning the draw and slashing through the tiring Stow defense.
As the clock wound down, Rohrich scored the final goal of her stellar high school career, and the last goal of Stow's season, with only two minutes remaining in the game. It was fitting that Rohrich, who has been so important to the program over the last 4 years, would hit the net for the last time in 2009.
Green retaliated thirty seconds later to end the scoring and secure the victory for the visiting team. Erin Wright had blocked seven shots on goal, but nevertheless took the loss in goal.
The stunned Stow team slowly absorbed the impact of the loss. Their final season record was a respectable 8-8-1 and included several thrilling wins, but they were close to several more.
The Stow Stix, led tirelessly by Julie Rohrich, provided a post-game buffet, and the team circled together on the field to eat, and share a few last minutes together in uniform. There were some tears, and many hugs between teammates, as they lingered on the field. The Seniors, after working hard for four years to help establish Stow's program as a legitimate D-I competitor, had worn their school's uniform for the last time. The Juniors, who have played so unselfishly, knew that their older teammates would soon disperse, and it would be their turn to lead.
So it is in high school sports. Just a few short ticks of the clock, and everything changed.
Thank you, coaches, and good luck, Seniors! It has been a great season, and you can all be proud.
5/13/09 Stow vs Medina (L, 7-13)
Stow Loses to 2nd-Ranked Medina
The Stow girls' lacrosse team ended its regular season at home on Wednesday against Medina, the second-ranked team in the state. The Bulldogs fought hard but fell to the Bees by a score of 13-7.
Medina scored the first two goals of the game before Caroline Huth connected on two consecutive scoring plays. The first was assisted by Lizzie Song while the second came off a pass from Grace Song. Medina scored two more goals to lead 4-2 at the 15 minute mark, but Lizzie Song drilled home a third goal for the Bulldogs to keep it close.
Medina took control of the game over the next 10 minutes, posting four unanswered goals over that span to take a commanding 8-3 lead. Junior Ellie Swanger raced through the Medina defense to lash a shot past the Bees goalkeeper with 4 minutes remaining in the half, but Medinas Ari Knox answered with her third goal of the half to give the Bees a 9-4 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, the Stow played inspired defense. Knox broke through at the 22 minute mark to score her fourth goal, but Huth answered with her third goal of the night only two minutes later. With the Bulldogs defenders contesting every pass and ground ball, the high-power Medina attack was slowed. Kaity Steiger, Ann Miller, Alex Madonia, and Rachel Spiker led the defensive effort. The game also featured strong play in goal by Erin Wright, who was credited with 12 blocks on the night. The Medina goalkeeper was also kept busy, blocking 10 shots on the evening.
At the 11:30 mark, Stow finally broke through on a score by Grace Song. From there, the battle continued as both sides changed field position rapidly. Jaclyn Hoover, Kendra Mossor, and Jessica Welsh were particularly strong in transitioning from defense to offense. Shannon Rohrich, Grace Song, Lizzie Song, Kelsey Mayer and Kaiti McCleary worked hard in the offensive end to provide scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs tallied a final goal on Rohrichs laser at the 3:17 mark, but the outcome was no longer in question. Medina gained possession and ran out the clock. Stow ends the season at 8-7-1 and will begin play in the OHSLA playoffs Friday against Green. The game will be played at Stow beginning at 5:00.
The JV Bulldogs also fell to the Medina squad by a score of12-7. Scoring goals for Stow were Laura Hale (2), Lizzy Perilman (2), Emily Hauser, Jessie Swanger, and Gina Bonfiglio.
5/11/09 Stow vs Hathaway-Brown (L, 8-15)
Hathaway Brown Defeats Stow
It was not a pretty game for the girls' lacrosse squad as they fell 15-8 against state power Hathaway Brown from Shaker Heights .
Sarah Froimson scored the first goal for HB after only 2 minutes, followed by two goals by Isabel Ballard to stake the Blazers to a 3-0 at the 20 minute mark. Stow rallied on a goal by Shannon Rohrich, and then Ellie Swanger found the mark to cut the lead to 3-2. From that point, HB went on a run of six goals over the next five minutes to lead 9-2.
Rohrich scored for the Bulldogs on a strong individual effort, then Lizzie Song hit the back of the net to make the score 9-4 with 12 minutes remaining. Desperate to get back into the game, Stow played with great effort and dominated time of possession over the next 11 minutes. The Bulldogs frustration mounted as the effort produced several scoring chances which were either blocked by the HB goalkeeper or sailed wide of the net. Then HB scored two goals (one each by Bigger and Shiverick) in the last minute of the first half to send the Bulldogs to intermission trailing 11-4.
In the second half, the Blazers' Shiverick scored the first goal after one minute, but Lizzie Song rifled a shot off an assist by Rohrich to answer for the Bulldogs. Halle Bigger scored for HB five minutes later, and Rohrich responded for Stow at the 13 minute mark.
The HB team was extremely physical and aggressive, playing a style which was unsettling to the Bulldogs and their supporters but rarely drew a penalty. The ugliness on the field spilled over to the sidelines. After Stow's Karlie Jones left the field with a serious injury resulting from the rough and tumble tactics, members of the crowd became more vocal, prompting disciplinary action against the home team and the threat of disqualification. With Coach Jen Kurtz placed on the sideline to police the crowd, tempers were held in check and play continued.
The Blazers' Haley Schaffer came off the bench to score two consecutive goals for the Blazers, putting the game out of reach at 15-6, but the Bulldogs would not go quietly. Caroline Huth streaked into the HB zone and fired a bullet from the right side to the left lower corner at the 3 minute mark. Thirty seconds later she scored her second goal on a nearly identical play, slicing to the right side after gaining possession in the midfield and drilling a shot to the back of the net while running full speed past the goalie.
Coach Lindy Stoner was saw many positives in from her team. "The girls were relentless and I was very proud of them for that...after they game they were exhausted...the last few goals we had made they had worked very hard for."
Erin Wright was effective in goal, blocking 8 shots. The HB goalkeeping tandem of Mary Beth Musser and Rachel Adler combined for 6 saves.
After the game, Coach Lindy Stoner commented on the issue of officiating, "The huge growth in girls lacrosse in Ohio over the last few years has made officials for the sport in very high demand. This year they have trained many new officials and we are definitely feeling the inexperience of officials during tough match ups like last nights game. Tomorrow vs. Medina will be no different; my biggest challenge will be getting them to stay focused and play their game."
Stow now moves to 8-6-1 on the season and will play Medina on Wednesday before opening tournament play at home on Friday against Green.
The Junior Varsity also had their hands full, as they fell to the Blazers by a score of 15-4. Laura Hale, Courtney Reginald, Kelly Vitt, and Emily Schneider scored for the Bulldogs. Anna Bendgen notched five saves.
5/8/09 Stow vs Walsh Jesuit (W, 17-10)
Bulltogs Win at Walsh
The Stow Bulldogs' girls lacrosse team traveled to Walsh Jesuit and posted a 17-10 victory on Friday night. Walsh tallied the initial goal after only 1 minute on a shot by Walsh (assisted by O'Neill). Stow responded with a goal by Hannah Bonfiglio off a pass from Ellie Swanger. Stow took the lead on a goal by Kelsey Mayer as she slipped around the back on the right side of the goal. A minute later, Grace Song took control of the ball at midfield, sprinted to the right side of the net and crossed over to fire a left-handed sidearm shot past the Walsh goalkeeper.
Scoring slowed until the 16 minute mark when Caroline Huth crossed from the left side of the goal and scorched a shot beneath the goalies stick. Thirty seconds later Grace Song scored again off an assist by Shannon Rohrich to give Stow a 5-1 lead.
Walsh called a timeout, and responded by scoring two goals, the first by Kelsey Kennedy and the second by Alex Luby. But Stow launched a second flurry as Rohrich scored off a Bonfiglio assist, then Kaiti McCleary scored (assisted by Grace Song), and finally the Song siblings connected, with Grace finding Lizzie to the side of the net before she delivered a laser to the back of the net.
The last three minutes of the first period featured four more Stow goals, as Rohrich and Grace song connected, followed by another combination of Grace to Lizzie Song, and the scoring was completed by a Bonfiglio penalty shot conversion with only 21 seconds remaining in the first half. Stow went to halftime with a commanding 12-3 lead.
Stow's domination was complete, as they controlled nine draws compared to Walsh's three in the first half. Defensively, Ann Miller, Kaity Steiger, Alex Madonia, Kendra Mossor, and Rachel Spiker all swarmed to the ball. Jessica Welsh and Karlie Jones were pivotal in controlling possession and advancing field position. Coach Lindy Stoner commented on the first half domination, "We played well; we won most of the draws and had many smooth transitions. We had several fast breaks and just before the half I told the girls to slow it down and run plays."
In the second half, Lizzie Song set up sister Grace for the first goal after less than an minute had elapsed. Walsh answered on a goal by O'Neill, but Grace Song found Kaiti McCleary and she drilled a shot to the corner to give Stow a 14-4 lead.
Walsh scored two consecutive goals, the first by Kennedy and the second by Emily Zito. But Stow's response was a lightning-quick sequence of passes from Rohrich to Grace Song to Lizzie Song who zipped the ball into the goal from close range. Walsh rallied to crose three more goals, two by Kennedy sandwiched around a goal by Abby Walters, but at the 11:21 mark Huth split a duble team and slashed to the goal, launching a rocket to the back of the net and restoring command of the game for the Bulldogs. At 8:50, Mayer scored her second goal on a breakaway and Stow led 17-9. Walshs Lauren Green scored with only 51 seconds remaining to provide the final scoring of the night, and the Bulldogs wound down the clock to secure the 17-10 victory.
Erin Wright was solid in goal, stopping 13 Walsh shots while her counterpart blocked 9 for the Warriors. Coach Lindy Stoner was pleased with her charges, "Walsh played extrememly aggressive the second half and towards the end of the game I was concerned for the well being of my players. But, the aggressive play will prepare us for our next games vs. HB, Medina and Green."
In JV action, the Bulldogs fell just seconds short of a draw. Walsh scored the first two goals of the contest before Kelly Vitt would answer with two consecutive goals for Stow, the second with only 2 minutes in the half. The teams went into halftime tied 2-2.
In the second half, the Warriors scored two more goals to post a 4-2 lead, but Laura Hale scored on a crease roll to narrow the margin. Walsh answered with a goal at the 13 minute mark. The Bulldogs' Jessie Swanger set up Hale for a second goal, then scored a goal of her own at the 10:30 mark. At just under 10 minutes, Courtney Reginald passed to Lizzie Perilman and she rifled a shot into the net to put Stow in the lead.
The Warriors responded with a 3-goal rally, but the Bulldogs would not quit. Kendall Lang scored with 25 seconds remaining to set up a dramatic finish. Stow controlled the draw and battled to move to the offensive end, but Walsh forced a turnover. Stow forced a turnover of their own, but time expired as Perilman was streaking unguarded down the sideline toward the Walsh goal. Anna Bendgen blocked 4 shots, while the Walsh goalie was credited with 8 blocks.
