Pattys Secure Key Conference Victory at Davidson & Receive #2 Rank in State Poll (9/23/14)

Hilliard Davidson Match Summary

The Pattys entered their match on Tuesday at Hilliard Davidson having just learned that teammate and 2013 All-Ohio performer Natalie Flahive had been lost for the season due to an injury suffered in the 4-0 victory over Kilbourne last Thursday.  Despite this blow to the squad, the girls rallied together, and after a tentative first half delivered a solid second half performance on one of the worst playing surfaces in the area to secure a 1-0 conference victory over the #5 district ranked Davidson Wildcats. The win raised the season record to 10-0-1 overall and 5-0-0 in the conference. The Patriots control their own destiny in pursuit of a conference championship with remaining matches against Dublin Coffman and Thomas Worthington in the next two weeks.

The game winner was delivered 15 minutes into the second half on a corner from Emma Ranalli that Lexy Fisher drilled into the back of the net on a precision header.  Liberty also controlled the battle of the midfield led by senior captain Emma Ranalli, Fisher and Olivia Sensky, forcing Davidson into trying to play long crossing or driven balls across or over the line of defense, but without success. Senior Kylie Slusser repeatedly put Davidson on their heels both in attacking and defending on the flank, and although she did not register on the scoreline, made a major impact. On the defensive end, early in the second half junior captain Emma Waters cleared a sure goal off the line, and senior captain Katie Best did not allow any of Davidson’s speedy front runners to get into scoring position. Hayley Hickman and Emma Koshan teamed up to lock down the other outside back position, and Miranda Kuhns turned in another consistent performance in goal, registering five saves.  To date, the Pattys have allowed only two goals and have a .18 goals against average, the lowest in the state to date.

State & Local Rankings Update

In the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association (OSSCA) polls released on 9/22/14, the Patriots moved up two slots to #2 in Girls Division I, and remained #1 in the Central District.  Click HERE for state rankings and HERE for local rankings. In the Top Drawer Soccer rankings, which does not distinguish between divisions, the Pattys are ranked #14 in Ohio and those rankings can be found HERE.

The Patriots return home on Thursday against an always solid and well coached Hilliard Bradley side that will certainly be poised to gain revenge for their two losses to the Pattys in the 2013 season. Please encourage friends and neighbors to attend on Thursday and deliver a true home field advantage!

GO PATRIOTS!