The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chagrin bows out in semi
OBERLIN » The Chagrin Falls boys lacrosse team’s attempt to get to the Division II state championship game fell one goal short May 30. The Tigers worked for what would have been a game-tying goal for the final 26 seconds, but were unable to get off a shot.
Ottawa Hills held on for a 7-6 victory at Oberlin College.
The Green Bears (16-2) moved on to the state championship June 2 where they will face Columbus DeSales at Ohio Wesleyan University.
“It’s really tough to think about,” said Chagrin goalkeeper Otto Bergmann, “what we could have done and what we should have done. It’s tough getting that close and not getting it done.”
Chagrin (14-2) battled back from a 5-1 deficit in the third period to get within one goal. When junior Alex Morris hammered in a shot, set up by a hard check from Mark McGinley that forced a turnover, the Tigers trailed, 7-6.
Chagrin called a timeout with 26 seconds remaining to set up the final play.
Morris took the ball wide right, passed it off, and the ball rotated around behind the net where McGinley lowered his shoulder and tried to attack from the left side. A centering pass was deflected, and the Tigers were unable to gain control to get off a final shot.
When the final horn sounded, the Ottawa Hills the last two minutes. Unfortunately, players stormed the field, it didn’t go our way.” while the Chagrin players Chagrin never led. After crumbled to the turf in agony. a slow-paced first half
“We ran a play and knew in which each team only we wanted to get the ball scored once, Ottawa Hills into the hands of our best scored three goals in a row player, and we did,” Chagrin in the matter of 81 seconds coach Paul Corto said. in the third period to take “He drew the slide and found a 4-1 lead. The lead grew to (Kaeden) Kalinyak. Unfortunately, 5-1 on a Peter Boyce goal. Kaeden was hurt. But Chagrin narrowed He didn’t have it today. He the margin to 5-3 going into played through the pain. He the fourth on goals by Morris gave it everything he had in and Cam Owen.
“It’s grit,” Corto said of his team’s resiliency trailing, 5-1. “This team has a lot of grit and heart. We never give up.”
Cade Salyers made it a 5-4 game early in the fourth off a feed from Morris. But each time Chagrin made a goal, Ottawa Hills answered.
Jake Sigler’s goal with 5:02 left was followed by a goal from McGinley. But then Matt Minton scored to push the lead back out to 7-5.
Morris’ goal with 1:54 left put the Tigers within striking distance. But two late opportunities — one by Aiden Stephens and one by Morris — were deflected away.
That set up the final play, which never materialized as planned for Chagrin.
“I’ll remember a lot of shots I took and what I could have done better,” Morris said in a dejected manner. “It’s tough to think about.
“This is a resilient team. We never gave up.”
Corto said his team might have worn out some. Ottawa Hills possessed the ball much of the first half, making the Chagrin players exert a lot of energy playing defense.
“The second half, it came down to just being gassed,” Corto said. ‘We were tired. We were rotating guys through. When you’re tired, fatigue sets in. That’s why they were getting open.”
Corto praised the senior class for their success over the past four years.
The bar has been set high for the future.
“It’s a special senior class,” Morris, a junior, said. “I think we can do the same and more next year. For sure, this fuels the fire for us.”