Pattys Match Program Record Of Nine (9) OCC All-Conference Selections, Three (3) Central Region All-District Honorees (10/31/15)
October 31, 2015Pattys Make Program History & Advance To Regional Final (Elite 8), But Work Is Not Done! (11/3/15)
November 3, 2015
Olentangy Liberty Girls Soccer – 2015 District Champions!
On Halloween afternoon, the #6 Pattys won the program’s second District Championship in program history (and also in consecutive years), taking another step forward in the OHSAA Playoffs by defeating #4 Thomas Worthington 3-2 (1OT). Liberty is now 13-5-1 on the season, and add the 2015 District Championship to their OCC Central Division Championship which was secured a few weeks back. The Patriots advance to the State Regional Semifinal for the second year in a row as well, and will face conference foe Upper Arlington at 7:00PM on Tuesday, November 3rd at Dublin Jerome HS. UA defeated New Albany 2-1. New Albany had eliminated #1 seed Jerome in the District Semifinal this past Tuesday.
In addition, the Pattys All-Conference and All-District Honors were posted, click HERE for all the details!
Abby Jones opens the scoring on an assist from Emma Waters initial shot in the 8th minute.
In the match, Liberty got off to a fast start, controlling play in the opening minutes and putting the Cardinals on their heels. In the 8th minute, after a corner kick was cleared by Thomas Worthington, Senior Captain Emma Waters collected a loose ball, beat a defender at the top right corner of the box and drove a hard shot toward the upper back corner of the goal. The Cards goalkeeper slowed the shot but did not secure the ball, and as it dropped behind her, Sophomore Abby Jones maintained her run, found the ball and drove it into the left side of the goal for a 1-0 Liberty lead. It was Jones’ 5th goal of the season and Waters’ 9th assist.
Liberty struck again less than six minutes later, when senior Jordan Fike beat two defenders to deliver a shot on goal, which was not handled cleanly by the goalkeeper and Senior Captain Hailey Pickelheimer followed the shot and buried the rebound to increase the lead to 2-0. It was Fike’s team leading 13th assist of the season, and Pickelheimer’s 10th goal. Liberty had several opportunities to extend the lead, but the 2-0 score would hold until halftime and it looked like Liberty was in total control of the match.
However after the break, for the second straight game, the Pattys yielded momentum and allowed their opponent back into the match early in the second half, when Worthington’s Rian Reid got loose on the right flank behind the Patriots defense. She then won the 1v1 confrontation with the goalkeeper slotting the ball into the goal at the far post in the 42nd minute.
After the Cardinals’ score, the momentum turned in favor of Thomas Worthington, and Liberty had trouble controlling possession and for the better part of the second half were on the defensive. The Cardinals would capitalize on the momentum with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, with a carbon copy of the first goal by the Cards’ speedy forward Reid. Liberty pressed during the final 4 minutes but could not convert the game winner, so the score was knotted at 2-2 at the close of regulation.
However, the Patriots were not to be denied, and came out with renewed intensity at the start of the first overtime period. In the 88th minute, Sophomore Natalie Amodeo won a ball on the right flank, drew it back to Sophomore Olivia Sensky who was running onto the ball. Sensky hit a laser from long range that sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and ended the match at 3-2, and the celebration was on! The goal was Sensky’s 3rd of the year and it was Amodeo’s 7th assist. Check out the highlight reel from the Fike Fan Cam HERE, and you can see the full season Varsity stats HERE. Click HERE for the article posted by Michael Rich at the Delaware Gazette, and HERE for Brad Emerine’s wrap up in This Week News
For the match, the Pattys had a 17-8 edge in shots, 11-5 advantage in corners, and Thomas Worthington’s goalkeeper registered 10 saves. Patty’s Junior Goalkeeper Emma Campbell’s had four saves on the night. Liberty committed 11 fouls and the Cardinals were whistled for 9.
Coach Kristen McMahon, Senior Co-Captains Emma Waters, Hailey Pickelheimer are presented with the 2015 District Championship Trophy
Let’s dominate in the stands and help the Pattys make program history again by advancing to the State Regional Final (Elite 8) next Tuesday!
Congratulations and GO PATTYS!!!!
District Championship History
2003 Finalist (L, 1-5, Bexley)
2009 Finalist (L,1-2, Pick. North)
2010 Finalist (L,0-1, Upper Arlington)
2013 Finalist (L,1-2, Watterson)
2014 Champion (W,1-0, Grove City)
2015 Champion (W,3-2, Thomas Worthington)