Three in a row, look at ‘em go.
Head coach Melissa Lamie’s Grove City women’s soccer program will be going for its third-straight PAC title on Saturday against Chatham.
One of the reasons for the sustained success is the established vision and values of the program.
“No matter who becomes a part of the team, those are the things we are trying to live out as we play and those things will not change,” Lamie says. “The returning players have now become the leaders and their experience the past two seasons helps us to approach the tournament with more confidence and less uncertainty.”
There have been some significant contributors who became part of the team this year, too. The Wolverines have six freshman starters, including leading scorer Gianna D’Amato and 2nd-leading minutes collector Annalese Aderholt. D’Amato assisted on fellow freshman Megan Mathes’ goal in the 30th minute of the 3-0 semifinal win against Franciscan, and then recorded another assist on the final goal by junior Tirzah Lloyd.
This freshman class has been a huge piece of our success this season,” says Lamie. “It started back in the spring really when they all bought in to who we are as a team and what we are about. They got onboard very quickly, then during the fall they really settled in.”
This squad has been a juggernaut all season. Yet to lose a game, Grove City racked up an astounding 101 points in 11 games played, 42 points better than the 2nd-place finisher (Chatham, 69). The offense is backed up by the number one defense in the conference as well. They’ve only given up a measly two goals in those 11 games, good for nine shutouts on the season.
“One huge strength is our possession game. This team is probably one of the best I have ever had in terms of ball skills and game smarts. This has allowed us to create some good chances on the attack with a solid group of defenders to help us build from the back,” says Lamie. “Our cohesiveness with one another off the field as well, particularly with our shared faith, has led to a concerted team-focused effort every time we step on the field.”
But, the Chatham Cougars represent a stiff test.
Grove City squeaked by the Cougars 1-0 in their first matchup back on April 8. It was Chatham’s lone loss, as they ripped off three wins to end the regular season slate and come into Saturday’s title match having beaten Westminster in four rounds of penalty kicks.
“Sustained success” is also the mark of this program as this is Chatham’s fifth-straight championship tournament appearance and second consecutive trip to the title match.
The Cougar defense is capable of shutting down anyone. They’ve only given up four goals in 10 games, tied for the 2nd-best goals against average in the PAC. They’re also the only other team in the conference aside from Grove City to average over two goals scored per game (2.7).
Chatham junior Morgan Anderson is the player to watch in this one, and just might be the best offensive player the PAC has to offer. Anderson leads in shots (43) and points per game (1.90), while tied for the conference lead in goals (8) and is the 2nd-leading points scorer overall (19).
“Morgan has a lot of natural ability that makes her difficult to defend. She is deceptive, fast and comfortable on the ball and creates a lot of opportunities for us,” said Chatham head coach Betsy Warren.
This matchup has everything you could want. Two well-coached, structured teams with talent all over the field, including in goal. Chatham sophomore goalie Tyler Colburn made 10 stops in the shutout win over Westminster Wednesday, while Grove City senior Columbia Harkrader recorded her 21st career shutout in the semi’s, extending her own school record.
“Tyler’s biggest save of the game Wednesday was actually the penalty she stopped,” said Warren. “She is always cool, calm & collected and comes-up big when we need her. We have 7 shutouts on the season and Tyler has only allowed 2 goals, she and our defenders are a just as much of a part of us getting to the finals as the players who have been scoring for us.”
Does Chatham have what it takes to dethrone the champs? Or will Grove City put the finish touches on an undefeated season with its 3rd consecutive title?
“I know last year the final result didn’t reflect how close the game (PAC title vs. Grove City) actually was and that is a big motivator for the team,” says Warren. “We love playing Grove City, it is always a good game. We look forward to another opportunity to compete and the chance at a PAC Championship title.”
We find out Saturday starting at 4 pm at Don Lyle Field. Watch it live at www.pacstream.net!
