Players, stats to know for Madison-Shawnee girls soccer regional semifinal
TIFFIN — It's like it's 2021 all over again.
For the second time in three years, Madison will meet Shawnee in the Division II girls soccer regional semifinals for a chance to play for a regional championship and a state tournament berth.
Let's take a deep dive into the matchup with this scouting report.
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The Matchup
Madison (12-4-4) vs Shawnee (9-4-6), 7 p.m., Tuesday at Tiffin Columbian's Frost-Kalnow Stadium
Madison Rams: The Rams entered the Division II Lexington District bracket as the No. 4 seed and played inspired, motivated soccer for their sixth district championship in seven years. In this year's run, the Rams have allowed just one goal in the postseason, outscoring opponents 7-1 in three matches. For the year, they have 63 goals for an average of 3.15 per night. The co-Ohio Cardinal Conference champs have allowed 22 goals with seven shutouts including holding state No. 7-ranked Ontario to its first shutout of the season in the district final.
Shawnee: This team is on a bit of a Cinderella run. The No. 7 seed in the Elida District, Shawnee has pulled off upsets in every single postseason match so far: a 7-2 win over No. 4 Elida, a 2-1 win vs. No. 3 Bryan and 2-1 in overtime vs. No. 6 Celina. Shawnee played each of its postseason opponents during the regular season and went 0-1-2 against them: a 1-1 tie to Elida, a 3-1 loss to Bryan, and a 2-2 tie to Celina. It shows that Shawnee is a much-improved team. Despite only nine wins, Shawnee has outscored its opponents 59-23 on the year.
Analysis: It is about as evenly matched as you could hope for. The two teams met in the 2021 regional semifinal with Shawnee coming away with a 3-0 victory. Both teams have a go-to scorer to ignite things so it could come down to who makes the most of their opportunities. Neither team gives up a ton of goals. Neither team has allowed more than three in a match this season. Goals will be at a premium, so if Madison can score early as it did against Ontario, just four minutes into the game, it could be all that is needed to punch a ticket to the regional final.
Key Players to Watch
A goal-scoring machine, Lewis has 25 goals and seven assists on the season and has brilliant speed. She is extremely fast but seems to be even faster with the ball at her feet. She has an uncanny ability to take on one or two defenders off the dribble and create open shots. And she is a tremendous finisher around the goal. If she gets one early, she can really put on a show with a load of confidence. Her speed is an x-factor in every game the Rams play.
Kamryn Morris, Shawnee
A first team All-Western Buckeye League player, Morris is Shawnee's Lewis. When it needs a big goal, Morris is the go-to. She scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Bryan in the district semifinals and the golden goal vs. Celina. And she can score in multiple ways. She scored off of a corner kick and got behind the defense utilizing her speed to finish off a goal.
Natalee Back, Madison
Back is the engine that makes the Rams run. She is key in transitioning the ball from defense to offense, and she always seems to make the perfect pass to the perfect person at the perfect time. She may not get much credit on the stat sheet with five goals and six assists, but if soccer was like hockey and an assist went to the player who made the pass to the player who made the pass to the player who scored, Back would have triple the assists she has right now. She is so good at creating offense without being recognized.
Cameron Ridenour, Shawnee
Ridenour might be the X-factor of this match. She is one of those do-it-all players as she can score, pass and play suffocating defense. She had a goal and an assists in the sectional final win over Elida where she also had a steal that eventually led to a goal early on to set the tone. She is a second team All-WBL player and if she can give Shawnee multiple scoring threats, it could be huge in the outcome of the game.
Callie Cyrus, Madison
Cyrus is the Rams' best defensive player and has really blossomed this season. She takes pride in seven shutouts and has the Rams defense playing at an exceptional level right now. With Shawnee having multiple scoring threats, Cyrus will have her work cut out for her, but with how she has been playing lately, it wouldn't be a surprise if she covers them like a blanket.
Chloe Cleaves, Shawnee
A senior defender, Cleaves was a third-team All-WBL selection. She is the heart and soul of the defense that hasn't allowed more than three goals in a game this year. She will draw the task of keeping Lewis at bay but Cleaves impacts the game in multiple ways. She is also responsible for long-range free kicks and has a powerful leg that sends a ball into the mixer to set up scoring opportunities. She will make things interesting.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison vs. Shawnee OHSAA Division II girls soccer regional preview
