Elida Sectional: Lima CC 4 Lincolnview 0

Girls Division III
Elida Sectional
Lima CC  4    Lincolnview  0

Top seeded Lima CC began their tournament action in the Elida sectional by taking on the Lincolnview Lancers on Wednesday evening.  The teams had last met on September 16th in regular season play with the T-Birds winning 7 - 0.  Lincolnview has improved since then and was coming off a 4 - 0 sectional win over Crestview.  This promised to be a better match up the second time around.



Lima CC got on the scoreboard in the 16th minute of play when sophomore Sammy Stechschulte crossed the ball from the top corner of the penalty area on the right flank to the back post. Junior forward Sidney Santaguida making the classic corner / corner / post backside run finished the play to put the T-Birds up 1 - 0.

Lima CC had the better run of play throughout the early portion of the half, but the goal allowed seemed to wake Lincolnview up as the Lancers became much more assertive over the next several minutes of action. The Lancers were able to pressure the T-Bird defense but not quite able to break through.  Lima CC's Taylor Shultz was instrumental in turning back at least 3 Lincolnview threats during that span of play. The T-Birds regained control of the match over the last 5 minutes of first half play.

To start the second half Lima CC came out with a relentless assault on the Lincolnview defense.  Just over 3 minutes into the half, Lancer goalkeeper Julia Thatcher turned in he play of the night in making a spectacular of a shot off the foot of Meredith Shepherd. Thatcher laid out fully extended in the air at the right post in getting both hands to the ball before landing and maintaining control.

At the 47:52 mark in the contest he T-Birds Sidney Santaguida scored from a direct free kick 22 yards from goal after the Lancer's had been whistled for a foul.  As is often the girls high school soccer Santaguida was able to play the shot over the wall and into the net at near post putting Lima CC up 2 - 0.

The action remained fairly even throughout much of the second half until the liberal substitution made by Lima CC seemed to wear down the limited Lincolnview bench.  The remaining T-Bird goals came late in the match against an exhausted Lancer team.   In the games 74th minute Santaguida played Meredith Shepherd in behind the defense at the left post. Shepherd finished to the side netting at the back post for a 3 - 0 Lima CC lead.  The final T-Bird goal came in the games 76th minute when Santaguida carried the ball central from the left flank before finishing at the near post for the final margin of victory.

This match was much closer and more evenly contested than the final score will indicate as Lincolnview played hard and hung around until very late in the match. If he ball had bounced a bit differently or the Lancers had gotten a break here or there things could have become very interesting indeed. As it was, Lima CC's Meredith Shepherd's play as an attacking midfielder proved key to the T-Bird's fortunes. Shepherd is obviously the engine that drives her team for Lincolnview's best runs of play came when Shepherd moved to forward.  Without #7 patrolling the middle of the pitch the Lancers were able to generate their best chances.

Lima CC advances to play next Wednesday at 7:00 pm in Bath District action against the winner of Saturdays contest between Continental and Ottawa-Glandorf.