Taryn Vespoint picks up first win, Natalie Clark scores twice for Ravenna girls soccer

RAVENNA — For the first time in five years, the Ravens are 1-0.

Facing a Southeast team to which it lost by a couple of goals a year ago, the Ravenna girls soccer team delivered a better result Friday with a 2-1 victory.

"I think it means a lot," Ravens first-year coach Taryn Vespoint said. "This is really going to build up their morale, boost their confidence in themselves. They're all full of skill. They just need to embrace it."

Junior midfielder Natalie Clark, who delivered both Ravenna goals, was in full agreement.

"It is great, and I think it's going to create more winning opportunities for us because we're going to have more confidence playing," Clark said. "I think it's just good for us overall."

Ravenna junior Natalie Clark shoots without fear

Clark can shoot. Vespoint knows that.

That's why the Ravenna coach has been encouraging the junior to shoot practice after practice.

On Friday, Clark twice put the Ravens (1-0-0) in front with her powerful foot, the latter time for good.

"Natalie's fantastic," Vespoint said. "She just has to have more confidence in herself, which she's slowly starting to get, which is why we push her at practice to take those shots, those challenging shots, especially from the outside, and this is exactly what happens when she does it."

Clark's first shot of the season was a doozy, a brilliant delivery in the 22nd minute from the right half of the box to the left edge of the net for a 1-0 lead.

"I just looked my head up and then I saw an open shot that I could take," Clark said. "I just looked for the back corner and took it."

After Southeast freshman Elliott Smallfield tied the score a little over two minutes later, Clark untied it early in the second half. With senior Camille Thomas tapping a pass back to Clark, the Ravenna junior fired away from 25 yards out, sending a high-arcing shot over the keeper and into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.

"Our coaches always tell me to look for a shot when I'm that far out because I can shoot that far," Clark said. "So I just really try to create an opportunity to shoot."

While the Pirates (0-1-0) led the shot count 11-4, sparked by a brilliant performance from Smallfield and strong play throughout their midfield, the Ravens took full advantage of their limited opportunities.

Clark was the epitome of that, cashing in on her only two shots of the game.

Taryn Vespoint savors her first win

The win was the first as a head coach for Vespoint, who played goalie for Ravenna (Class of 2008) and then Mount Union.

Vespoint said she originally had no plans of coaching the Ravens. Indeed, she hadn't been involved in coaching high school soccer before this year. Still, when her alma mater needed her, Vespoint felt obliged to step up.

"I actually tried to get everybody and their mom to coach just because I knew the girls needed somebody," Vespoint said. "I was just scared because I didn't have that coaching experience if I was going to be the one to help these girls."

Vespoint said she was encouraged by fellow alumni and Ravens athletic director Jim Lunardi, who was coaching at Ravenna when Vespoint was a student-athlete and who also shares a Mount Union link with Vespoint.

So far, so good.

"I love how much she pushes our teammates and everything," senior defender Samantha Weber said. "It's amazing how she made this team what it is today."

And, on Friday, that decision felt particularly good.

"It's awesome," Vespoint said of her return to the sideline at Portage Community Bank Stadium. "It's a different experience, but it's a very rewarding experience. It's good to be able to help these girls accomplish their dreams and show them what they truly are capable of, but then also seeing how excited they are when they get that win."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Led by Natalie Clark, Ravenna soccer wins first opener since 2018