Here are 5 midseason storylines in Columbus-area high school girls soccer
League title races are heating up in central Ohio girls soccer.
Tight battles are shaping up in the OCC-Central between Dublin Coffman, Olentangy Liberty, defending Division I regional champion Olentangy Orange and Upper Arlington, in the OCC-Ohio with Gahanna Lincoln, New Albany and Pickerington North and in the OCC-Capital between Delaware Hayes and Dublin Scioto.
In the OCC-Buckeye, Pickerington Central is the lone team with a winning overall record (5-4).
In the OCC-Cardinal, Dublin Jerome is off to a good start in league play at 2-0, but it lost senior midfielder Imani Kissi for the season with an ACL injury. Olentangy Berlin also is 2-0 in the league.
Here are five storylines from the girls soccer season so far:
1. Tight race looming between four teams in OCC-Central
Coffman, Liberty, Orange and UA have more than league title hopes in mind. All are seeking long postseason runs.
Coffman handed Orange its first loss of the season, defeating the Pioneers 3-0 on Tuesday at home. Delaney Rollins, Whitney Scott and Mila Brkic scored for the Shamrocks.
“Coffman has already lost, so we still control our own destiny in the league,” Orange coach Tim Lawrence said. “We can still take care of the league; we just have to win out. We have no margin for error. We knew going in we weren’t going to be undefeated, especially in this league. We knew it was going to be tough.”
Orange (8-1, 1-1) entered the week ranked first in the district and second in the state. The Pioneers lost in a state semifinal last season.
Coffman (9-1, 1-1) is third in the district.
“It’s such a strong and impressive division of the OCC that we know each year we’re going to get quality league games and quality out-of-conference games, so it really sharpens you up,” Coffman coach Costa Kalorides said. “It also expends a lot of energy, too, during the regular season.”
Liberty (8-2-1, 1-0-1) handed Coffman its first loss, 2-1 on Sept. 12, and tied UA at 2 on Tuesday. The Patriots are ranked fifth in the district, while UA (9-2-1, 1-0-1) is second in the district and seventh in the state.
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2. Dublin Jerome loses key player for season
Jerome (7-0-1) will be without Kissi for the remainder of the season after she tore her left ACL in a 1-0 win over Hilliard Bradley on Sept. 5. She had surgery on Tuesday.
Coach Georgi Petrov expects Kissi to return to training by spring as she prepares for her freshman season at Howard University.
“We lost our top magician,” Petrov said. “Imani comes to every practice and game to support her teammates with the biggest smile on her face. We call it #ImaniStrong.”
Jerome is ranked fourth in the district and 14th in the state.
3. Gahanna Lincoln, Pickerington North off to solid starts
Faced with a challenging schedule to begin the season, Gahanna is 6-4 and 1-0 in the OCC-Ohio.
Three of the losses came against OCC-Central powers in Orange (4-0), UA (4-1) and Coffman (4-0).
“We knew we battled well in those matches and the record does not reflect the ability of our team,” coach Dave Merrick said. “Our players were excited (with) how they battled even though the outcomes were not what we hoped for. We have a hard-working group of players who believe in the process. They understand if you love the process and are disciplined the outcomes will be there at the end.”
Junior Claire Highland leads the team in scoring with eight goals. Junior Sophia Tee (5 goals) and her sister, freshman Olivia Tee (3 goals), also have contributed.
Seniors Emma Groves and Lauren Thomas have been key midfielders, while senior Kylie Lewis and sophomore Kendyl Cripe have been key defenders. Senior Kayla Serdenis and junior Maddie White have split time in goal.
Gahanna closes the regular season Oct. 12 at Pickerington North (9-3, 1-0), which is ranked eighth in the district.
Leading North's offense are senior Sania Dearing (10 goals, 8 assists) and sophomore Liv McCuen (10 goals, 5 assists). Goalie Reagan Green has 117 saves and three shutouts.
“We have played a very competitive schedule and have lost to the top three teams in the district,” coach Jeff Sever said. “We are a very young team with a new coaching staff still getting familiar with one another.”
4. Grandview Heights showing 'grit and unity'
Grandview is off to a strong start at 6-0-2 and 3-0 in the first-year Central Buckeye League. The Bobcats also are ranked first in the district and fifth in the state in Division III.
Senior Natalie Smith has 12 goals and seven assists, and sophomore Maci Tew has 11 goals and nine assists. Senior goalie Vivian Chute has 35 saves and four shutouts.
“The team has shown grit and unity, especially in this past week of games,” coach Brianna Dominach said. “Three games in a week, two of which were long distance travel (to Lexington and Lynchburg-Clay). The team has responded well to mid-game setbacks and every player is able and willing to step up to new challenges.”
The Bobcats played Lexington and Lynchburg-Clay to 2-all ties. They lost to Lynchburg-Clay 1-0 in a regional final last season.
League rival Worthington Christian (9-1-1, 4-0) is ranked second in the district and 12th in the state. The Warriors, who host Grandview on Wednesday, are led by senior Sofia Divine (10 goals, 6 assists).
5. Granville leading central Ohio Division II teams
Granville (6-1-2) has been the area’s top team in Division II, as the Blue Aces are ranked first in the district and sixth in the state.
Senior Lyndy Van Horn has five goals and 12 assists, and freshman Ivy Miller has six goals and seven assists.
Bloom-Carroll is second in the district, followed by Hartley, Bexley and Hamilton Township. Fairfield Union is ninth in the state.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 midseason storylines in central Ohio high school girls soccer
