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ST. MARYS - The postseason could not have started any better for the St. Marys boys and girls soccer programs, taking their opening round wins in a doubleheader of games at Roughrider Field.
The Roughrider boys opened the action with a 3-1 win over Norwalk in a Division III sectional semifinal, then the St. Marys ladies capped off the night with a 6-2 victory over Upper Sandusky in a Division IV lidlifter.
St. Marys' girls (7-7-4) return to action on Wednesday, traveling to Bath for a 7 p.m. sectional final. The Roughrider boys (13-2-3) return to Roughrider Field on Thursday for a sectional final against Ontario (9-6-1) at 5 p.m.
St. Marys 3, Norwalk 1
St. Marys' Jake Ackroyd controls the ball against Norwalk.
It was the boys to get the evening underway. The Roughriders played a physical Norwalk team, fresh off a 9-2 Sandusky Bay campaign.
The Truckers came into the match winners of four of their last five matches, but were held scoreless in the first half. St. Marys' defense and midfield controlled the game and were the key in the buildup.
After winning the ball, the midfield would try long balls over the top to try and create space. It worked in the first half early, despite no goal during the opening minutes. The Roughriders outshot the Truckers 14-2 in the first half and held a 6-1 margin in shots on goal.
It wasn't until there were six minutes left in the half, as Jake Ackroyd struck for the hosts. Another long ball over the top was played into the forward's path, and he calmly slotted it home for a 1-0 lead.
The score stayed the same for the final minutes of the half, and the Riders were wondering how it was only a one-goal cushion.
St. Marys' Bradey Triplett (16) looks to keep the ball away from Norwalk defenders during Monday's Division III sectional match at Roughrider Field.
Sensing a time to pounce, St. Marys started the second half on the front foot. Under 15 minutes into the half, Brady Triplett scored the Roughrider's second. It was a low cross into the box that the senior got his foot through to create some breathing room.
Eight minutes later, Triplett scored another. A corner kick resulted in a tough moment for the Norwalk defense, and Triplett was able to capitalize to make the score 3-0.
Norwalk did not go down quietly, as the Truckers pulled one back. It created a tougher final 13 minutes for St. Marys, but the defense stood tall on multiple occasions to keep the score 3-1. Landon Klaus finished with three saves and two collections.
"Norwalk played a great game, it was great effort from them," St. Marys boys coach James Holtzapple said. "I think we played slower than normal, but great teams find ways to win, and an ugly win is still a win. We'll take it."
St. Marys 6, Upper Sandusky 2
St. Marys' Sophia Menker (7) dashes past the Upper Sandusky defense during Monday's Division IV sectional match at Roughrider Field. Menker had four of the Roughriders' goals in a 6-2 victory.
For the girls, it was an even more convincing win over the visiting Upper Sandusky Rams.
Under 10 minutes into the match, Sophia Menker put the home squad on top. Menker got the ball near midfield, and dribbled past a few lunging Rams to give the Roughriders an early advantage.
Around two minutes later, there was a second. Claire Turner got on the end of a cross to make it 2-0. The junior used grit to get on the scoresheet, but the goal might have given St. Marys a little too much confidence heading into the halftime break.
A defensive error allowed Upper Sandusky to find a footing in the match just two minutes into the second half. Shiloh Shasteen broke through the defense and got a goal, to add to her team-leading goal scoring account.
"We were a little frustrated, we have trouble finishing games this season," St. Marys coach Nick Wilson said. "We talked at halftime about dropping the (defensive) line, and they did not."
That might have been the wakeup call St. Marys needed, as the Roughriders scored the next three goals.
Menker got her second just over a minute after the Ram's goal. It made it 3-1, and the nerves were settled. Five minutes after that goal, St. Marys was awarded a penalty kick after a Ram took out a Roughrider in the box. Menker got the ball, and powered it past the diving keeper. All of a sudden it was 4-1 and a rout looked on.
Freshman Braelyn Baker found the scoresheet next. A miscommunication between the Ram's keeper and defense gave Baker a chance to chip the ball from outside the box. She took the chance, and buried it in impressive fashion. Since Upper Sandusky got on the scoresheet, it was all Roughriders, who led 5-1.
A penalty was awarded to the visitors with fifteen minutes to go, and it was Shasteen again who scored it. That settled the match down a bit, as neither team got any great chances after.
Menker was not down yet however, as she scored a fourth goal with just one minute to go. It was an impressive outside the box effort, which just found the underside of the crossbar and dipped in.
With that it finished 6-2, and the Roughriders were off in celebration. They will look to take down the Wildcats in their next game, something they could not do in a 2-1 loss in Bath Township early in the season.
"Anytime you get a win in tournament play, you're happy. You're really happy that you can do it at home," Wilson said.
St. Marys' Kendal Davis (left) tries to keep the ball away from an Upper Sandusky player.
