West G notches signature result over Chagrin

Frankee Flesher’s strike in the 44th minute propelled West Geauga to a pivotal 2-1 win at neighborhood and CVC Chagrin rival Chagrin Falls on Sept. 13 in an all-area headliner and battle of unbeatens.

For the Wolverines (8-0), topping the Tigers (5-1) marks their best regular-season road result in years.

How many years is debatable. But it might go all the way back to when perhaps the most technically skilled female player in News-Herald coverage area history graced the pitch in the nowretired No. 4 for West G earlier this decade.

That former player proudly had the perfect vantage point for a young side’s signature result.

“I just think that altogether, Chagrin Falls, they’re a very composed team,” West G coach Kori Jesenovec said. “They have very good attacking players — (Chagrin center back Katie Schumacher), she’s fantastic. And they’re always a team that sticks together. And part of our strategy was we have to separate them if we’re going to score. Coming into this game, they didn’t have a single goal scored against them. So we came and responded I think very well. For that, we really challenged our backline.

“And I think the difference maker tonight was that we put together an allin performance from start to finish. The biggest thing is, we stress fitness at the beginning of the season, so that when we come into the season, we can play soccer.” The Wolverines have been on peak form in that regard this fall.

In the 11th minute, a Chagrin penalty kick was awarded after a handball in the box. But West G freshman goalkeeper Ashlyn Drayer lunged to her right and pared away the strike from the spot.

The Wolverines, in their first regular-season win over Chagrin since 2013, capitalized on a set piece to take a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. Nikki Ehrbar made an assertive run through the heart of the box, latched onto her sister Rae’s corner and did well with a header inside the right post for her 13th goal of the season.

The Tigers equalized in the 22nd minute, when Peyton Gellin slotted a PK.

West G showed flashes of dangerous combination play in the opening 40, in large part via smart, pacey ground service.

Flesher delivered the match-winner in the 44th. The freshman, sprung on a through ball, finished a leftfooted effort.

In a second half that was a midfield quagmire because of the contentious ballwinning, there were only three combined shots on target.

Flesher’s strike provided the cushion, and the Wolverines turned in a gutsy effort in the defensive third paced by center backs Aubrey Zanella and Emily Allegretti that yielded just one shot on target after halftime.

“Beating Chagrin, that was a big win for us,” Ehrbar said. “We knew coming into this game that it was going to be very hardfought — it was going to be tough either way. We definitely played very well today. We definitely stayed in our game. We didn’t get too frustrated or concerned with how we’re playing. We stuck to who we were, and it’s a great confidence boost going into the next couple weeks here.”

The Tigers showed occasional promise with their combo work and wide play in a match Coach Pamela Malone knew would yield a stiff test for her side.

“Overall, it was a great match,” said Malone, who lauded West G’s gritty work on 50-50s. “I want a match like that vs. an 8-0 playing 22 players and not really learning anything. I think we learned some things about ourselves. I’m not disappointed in the girls’ effort at all. You’re only going to get so many opportunities to put a ball in the back of the net, and you’ve got to capitalize on every one.”

“And I think the difference maker tonight was that we put together an all-in performance from start to finish.”

Coming soon

For more from this match, check back in the coming days on News-Herald.com and in our print edition.