Generals warming up to OCC title, notch District win
There wasn’t any celebration, but the Wooster High girls soccer team has moved on.
The Generals, currently 12-3-2, secured one of their goals this season when the Ohio Cardinal Conference preseason favorite won the first outright title in school history and their second in three years. The Generals went 5-0-1 in the regular season to secure the OCC title and the top seed into the tournament. They lost to Lexington in a second-round game in a penalty-kick shootout, but when second place Clear Fork lost that evening as well, Wooster had the title locked up as a result of the OCC’s point system, regardless of its final game.
When Clear Fork then handed the Generals a second consecutive loss, this time by a 2-0 score, the Generals were hardly in a mood to celebrate their title. They were in a better mood to do so Oct. 18 when Wooster defeated Akron Ellet 6-0 in Wooster to open Brunswick Division I Sectional/District play. What made that victory memorable was it was the first opening-round tournament win in over a decade, allowing the Generals to reach another of its preseason goals and ease the ugly feeling of its first two-game losing streak of the year.
They will advance to the second round of the tournament and are scheduled to play at Medina Highland, Oct. 22.
Getting back on the winning track was important for his squad, noted head coach Les Wudarzewski.
“We didn’t have a chance to celebrate winning the OCC,” said Wudarzewski. “Losing in the OCC tournament took that away. Our game against Lexington was our best game of the season and it hurt to lose. We had several balls hit the posts and crossbar and not go in – we were just unlucky.
“A couple days of being upset about the loss to Lexington took a little away, but after looking at the big picture, we played a heck of six weeks of soccer – a whole season worth instead of a couple of tournament games – it feels great. It’s the second time in three years and I believe those numbers will only climb on our banner.
“The fact is that title is going up on our banner in the gym.”
The Generals broke out of their two-game scoring drought by putting up a score only 45 seconds into their match against Ellet on a goal by Jenn Philippon. The senior forward made it 2-0 10 minutes later with a second tally.
From there, Wooster tacked on goals by Sydney Sleek, Kelli Baxstrom, Gabby Cicolani and Beth Courson, all in the second half, to send the Generals into the second round on an uptick.
“I think getting on the winning sheet is a positive thing and gives us some momentum going against a tougher opponent in Medina Highland,” said Wudarzewski. “Winning that game for the first time in so many years gives us confidence. We had a choice (Wooster was seeded No. 4) of not playing that game or playing it. Now when I look at it, it was a very good choice, especially after two losses.
“Winning that game against Ellet and getting back into the winning column was good. It was a good win for us.”
The Generals, currently 12-3-2, secured one of their goals this season when the Ohio Cardinal Conference preseason favorite won the first outright title in school history and their second in three years. The Generals went 5-0-1 in the regular season to secure the OCC title and the top seed into the tournament. They lost to Lexington in a second-round game in a penalty-kick shootout, but when second place Clear Fork lost that evening as well, Wooster had the title locked up as a result of the OCC’s point system, regardless of its final game.
When Clear Fork then handed the Generals a second consecutive loss, this time by a 2-0 score, the Generals were hardly in a mood to celebrate their title. They were in a better mood to do so Oct. 18 when Wooster defeated Akron Ellet 6-0 in Wooster to open Brunswick Division I Sectional/District play. What made that victory memorable was it was the first opening-round tournament win in over a decade, allowing the Generals to reach another of its preseason goals and ease the ugly feeling of its first two-game losing streak of the year.
They will advance to the second round of the tournament and are scheduled to play at Medina Highland, Oct. 22.
Getting back on the winning track was important for his squad, noted head coach Les Wudarzewski.
“We didn’t have a chance to celebrate winning the OCC,” said Wudarzewski. “Losing in the OCC tournament took that away. Our game against Lexington was our best game of the season and it hurt to lose. We had several balls hit the posts and crossbar and not go in – we were just unlucky.
“A couple days of being upset about the loss to Lexington took a little away, but after looking at the big picture, we played a heck of six weeks of soccer – a whole season worth instead of a couple of tournament games – it feels great. It’s the second time in three years and I believe those numbers will only climb on our banner.
“The fact is that title is going up on our banner in the gym.”
The Generals broke out of their two-game scoring drought by putting up a score only 45 seconds into their match against Ellet on a goal by Jenn Philippon. The senior forward made it 2-0 10 minutes later with a second tally.
From there, Wooster tacked on goals by Sydney Sleek, Kelli Baxstrom, Gabby Cicolani and Beth Courson, all in the second half, to send the Generals into the second round on an uptick.
“I think getting on the winning sheet is a positive thing and gives us some momentum going against a tougher opponent in Medina Highland,” said Wudarzewski. “Winning that game for the first time in so many years gives us confidence. We had a choice (Wooster was seeded No. 4) of not playing that game or playing it. Now when I look at it, it was a very good choice, especially after two losses.
“Winning that game against Ellet and getting back into the winning column was good. It was a good win for us.”
Published: October 20, 2011
