The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Avon’s defense fends off Avon Lake at home
After a scoreless first 42 minutes at the Avon Lake Memorial Stadium between the Avon Eagles and Avon Lake Shoregals girls soccer teams, it was Avon junior Olivia Pepe who found the back of the net off a rebound from a free kick by senior Mara Jaracz.
It was Pepe’s first varsity goal and the only goal of the night, as Avon (4-2-0) held onto to beat Avon Lake 1-0 on September 1.
“Olivia had a fantastic game,” Avon coach Attila Csiszar said. “She was all over the field. She controlled the ball and wasn’t just giving it away.”
Csiszar added “Those ones that are giving the extra effort are normally the ones that get the assists and goals.”
“I just saw it and kicked it in the corner,” Pepe said.
Pepe added “It was awesome. We all just wanted this win against our rival.”
After the first 40 minutes of play, the score was tied up at 0-0 with both teams having some chances at breaking the seal, but nothing finding the back of the net. In the first half, Avon had six shots and Avon Lake had zero.
“I know what we have,” Csiszar said. “I coached a lot of these girls when they were babies and I know the quality that we have. Every coach knows that we can have a bad touch or a bad pass or a missed shot, the one thing we can’t do is coast.
“We can’t come here and say, ‘okay we already won the game’, the game hasn’t been won,” Csiszar added. “In the second half, they worked hard and they grinded and that’s all I want. I want these girls to come out every half and just run. If they do that, we are going to be successful.”
Avon goalkeeper Ariana Vakos did not allow the Shoregals to score on the night and earned the praise of her head coach.
“She’s one of the best goalkeepers out there,” Csiszar said. “She has great feet.”
For Avon Lake (4-1-0), missed opportunities was something they took away from this one.
“I was really pleased with the way we came out,” Avon Lake Brian Salco said. “In the first half I thought we had the better action and thought we possessed the ball better than (Avon) did.”
Salco added about the goal “I thought it was pretty questionable call and the ball came in and they got the goal.”
“It was an unfortunate result for us because I thought we were just as good, if not better, than (Avon) today and nothing to show for it,” Salco said.
Even though Avon got the win, there are lessons to be learned in every game for both teams.
“I would like to see a little more calmness and a little more connection,” Csiszar said about the Eagles. “We aren’t connecting as many passes as I know we can. We just have to put two halves together. They are starting to understand that the grind will win games right now.”
“We have to work on being more creative in the final third (of the field),” Salco said. “We were too stationary and waiting for balls to come in rather than trying to be a little more creative in getting the shots on goal.”
Salco added “Not for lack of effort. Our girls played their hearts out all 80 minutes and I am very proud of the girls and the way they played.
“It’s a tough conference and anything can happen so for this game to define us is the last thing I want to have happen,” Salco said. “Just try to stay positive.”