Katie Norris, Gina Tipton lead Manchester to 2nd straight OHSAA girls soccer state semi

TALLMADGE — The Manchester girls soccer team is heading back to a Division III state semifinal for the second year in a row.

Seniors Gina Tipton and Katie Norris each scored a goal, and the undefeated Panthers benefitted from an own goal to beat previously undefeated Champion 3-2 in a regional final at Tallmadge High School on Saturday.

Manchester (22-0) played the final 51 minutes 10 vs. 11 after a red card was issued to Panthers senior goalkeeper Madi Cox.

"We were a little flustered," Manchester coach Eddie Kissner said. "As a matter of fact, some of the girls didn't even know we were down a person. When we went into the locker room at halftime, some of the girls said, 'We are really down a person?' And I said, 'Yeah, we are, but no problem.'

"Even when we lost Madi with a red card, [senior reserve goalkeeper] Jaydyn McKinney never touched the ball in the first half, so we were still controlling the game. We thought we were going to be able to create chances. We had to scrap out an outside mid, which kind of hurt us a little bit.

"... We still had enough faith in our attack and that we were going to be able to finish."

The Panthers will meet Ottawa-Glandorf in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Shelby.

Ottawa-Glandorf topped Manchester 2-0 in a state semifinal last year at Mansfield Madison.

"We have been there before and we are experienced," Norris said. "... We are ready."

Manchester took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute on Tipton's goal. Senior Lauren Gunsett started the scoring sequence with a shot that was saved. Norris then collected the ball and passed it to Tipton.

"This definitely was crazy, but I felt like we all came out strong," Tipton said. "We wanted that win, and we did it."

Champion (21-1) drew even at 1-1 in the 29th minute when senior Mia Nadaud converted a penalty kick after Cox received a red card.

"[The referee] said Madi wrapped her arms around the leg of No. 13 [senior Taylor Kuhn after a shot on goal and save]," Kissner said.

Kissner did not agree with the red card, but turned to McKinney, a two-time state champion wrestler, to enter the lineup at goalkeeper, and the Panthers played 10 on 11 for the final 51 minutes.

"With our keeper out, it was hectic," Norris said. "We didn't really know what to do, but our captains and all of the seniors were like, 'We want to be here and this is our last chance and we are not going out like this. This is not going to be our last game.'

"At halftime, they didn't have a lot of shots on us, so we were confident, even with Madi out and Jaydyn in. We persevered. ... Against Clear Fork [in a regular-season match on Aug. 21], we came back with three goals in, like, 15 minutes [and won 4-3], so I knew we were capable of winning this match."

Manchester took a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute on an own goal after Panthers junior Ellah Craddock started the play with a corner kick and the ball deflected off a Flashes defender.

"Usually I am looking for [senior] Emily [Allman] because she is tall and she can hit the ball with her head really well, but I hit it kind of short and it went off a girl," Craddock said.

"... We are mentally strong and we are ready for the next test."

Norris extended Manchester's lead to 3-1 with a goal in the 48th minute. Gunsett made a pass to Tipton, who then dished the ball off to Norris. Gunsett and Tipton were standing in front of Norris when she kicked the ball.

"They ducked," Norris said with a laugh. "Probably a good thing because the ball was coming pretty hard. ... The ball hit the crossbar and went in."

Nadaud made it 3-2 with a goal in the 63rd minute on a free kick from 25 yards out.

Manchester kept Champion sophomore goalkeeper Allison Henderlight busy with 11 saves.

"I think wrestling prepared me for this," said the 5-foot-4 McKinney, a state champion at 135 pounds as a junior and 120 pounds as a sophomore. "Wrestling in front of 20,000 people [in Columbus], you have a different mentality and you are like, 'It is all on my shoulders now. I can't fail the team.' I just had to put a game face on.

"Obviously, I was cold and I haven't been goalie [since a 3-0 win over Stow on Oct. 9], so my skills weren't there. It was really hard and I didn't want to let my team down. It was scary, but we pulled through."

Manchester seniors Carrie Clark, Kennedy Boal, Myah Schaber, Rowan Olechnowicz, Grace Soles and Allman and junior Ida Hegemann were solid defensively.

"I definitely think we have the best back line in the state," McKinney said. "We have Katie, Gina, Lauren and Ellah up top, and they are fabulous. They all give me confidence in myself. For this to be my senior year and go this far is incredible. This is the one sport I get to play with my friends."

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Manchester High School wins OHSAA girls soccer regional title