The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Rockets edge Rams to reach regional final
Bay goalkeeper Johnston saves the day; Sullivan scores only goal of the match
Bay head coach Beth English has stated her Rockets team doesn’t have a superstar offensive player.
But they have a superstar goalkeeper. And her name is Maeve Johnston.
Johnston was sensational in every way in a 1-0 Rockets Division II, Region 6 semifinal win over Mansfield Madison Oct. 30 at Sandusky High School.
Bay (12-5-3) faces Wapakoneta in the regional final Nov. 3 at a site to be determined.
This was a rematch of last season’s regional final, when Madison topped Bay, 2-1.
Payback was on the Rockets’
minds.
Bay got a Kealy Sullivan header in the 61st minute, assisted from Haylee Duffy, for the difference. And Johnston stopped 11 Rams shots.
“I think showing I’m able to make those saves is all on my teammates,” Johnston said. “They are the ones in practice that challenge me with those kinds of shots and I have to give it all to my teammates because we make each other the best players we are.”
Johnston’s first half was a sight to behold.
Madison (16-2-3), No. 3-ranked in the state, started the first five minutes with two great shot opportunities, stopped cold by Johnston. She stopped another shot in a scrum in front of the box in the 15th minute, and then stopped Madison star sophomore Taylor Huff in the 16th minute.
Huff, one of the top players in the country and a Tennessee commit, was marked by the Rockets’ defense. At times, she still broke free, but Johnston and her teammates held strong.
The Rams entered with 31 goals in four games in the postseason and outshot Bay, 12-3, on target.
“Huff is an outstanding player,” Johnston added. “For being a sophomore, she’s just outstanding. It was intimidating, I admit. As a team that’s struggled to score goals at the beginning and to beat a team that’s scored that many goals, it’s outstanding for us.”
As for Sullivan, she’s a hero for a second-straight game. Sullivan scored the winning goal in the district final over Rocky River, and stepped up again.
“It was a beautiful ball by Duffy,” Sullivan said. “We’ve been practicing just like that. We basically wanted to keep the ball more in their half where we could attack because this season we’ve been focusing on attacking in our midfield. Our coaches always emphasize staying positive at halftime and that’s why we improved in the second half.”
After a 0-0 first half, with Madison being the more aggressor, Bay adjusted and played a more direct style.
Huff had an opportunity in the 63rd minute when a shot went off the right post, and Huff had a corner kick in the 77th minute where she couldn’t connect with a teammate.
With two minutes left, Huff missed a free kick up high, and Johnston made the biggest save of the day with 30 seconds left when Madison attempted one more gasp at goal.
“Maeve is incredible,” Bay coach Beth English said. “She’s taken the leadership role and has ran with it all season.”
The Rockets’ confidence is at an all-time high, and they have plans to continue their postseason romp.
“From the beginning of the season, our goal was to win a state championship,” Johnston said. “And usually Bay girls soccer and state championship don’t come together. And we’re proving people wrong. It’s our job to prove people wrong and do it for our community.”