The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Resolute Hornets are returning to Columbus
McIntosh’s goal in first half lifts Kirtland past Liberty-Benton in D-III state semifinal
AVON » There is a certain serenity about Kirtland deep in the fall, even when the moments carry the most magnitude.
It had been 371 days since the Hornets walked off the pitch in Clyde, seeking to comprehend a Division III state semifinal setback to LibertyBenton.
Nov. 10, Kirtland got another shot at the same level against the same vaunted foe, this time at Avon.
And in a serene moment that seemingly lasted forever, Macy McIntosh authored a moment that will live forever in Hornets’ lore.
The junior outside back netted a first-half strike, and Kirtland rode that and a gutsy 80 to a 1-0 D-III state semifinal win over the Eagles.
The Hornets (18-1-3) will play for the D-III state championship for the third time in four seasons at 1 p.m. Nov. 13 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus against another familiar foe, Cincinnati Country Day. The Indians were a 4-1 winner over Columbus Academy in the other D-III state semifinal Nov. 10.
With a pressing need to see out a result, Kirtland’s leng thy postseason experience, which includes five state final four appearances and 36 playoff matches since 2015, showed the way.
“What also helps, you want to look at a Giuliana Vladic and a Maria Bevanda, and they were the ones that were on the bench last year watching and wanting everything they could to get in that game,” Hornets coach Ed Bradac said. “And they learned from that. And they stepped on the field tonight, and the moment wasn’t too big for them. They played outstanding.
“And I can look to other kids who fall into that category that has been with us for those games. If you go back and look, in reality this senior class, they’ve now made it to four final fours, and it’ll be now three state championship games. You’re only allowed like 17
games, and with the numbers, they’ve played a whole other season. A full other soccer season. They’re just an amazing group.”
A group that makes even the biggest stages feel serene.
After that 2-1 state semifinal setback to the Eagles (17-3-2) last fall in Clyde, Kirtland had to make a tactical adjustment to play wider in the natural flow of attack against a rigid Liberty-Benton shape and place more value on set pieces. Consider both tasks accomplished, especially the latter when it mattered most.
In the 33rd minute, Kirtland generated a corner. Giuliana Vladic served a nicely weighted ball to the middle of the box. Aria Evans-Roskos got a head on it for a lofting strike that dinked off the crossbar.
Enter McIntosh for a moment that likely felt like slow motion.
She had not only not scored a goal in 2020, but according to her, never in her soccer career.
Goal No. 1 won’t soon be forgotten in the heart
of Lake County, as the junior slotted a banger on the edge of the six for a 1-0 advantage.
In 2018, when Kirtland won a 1-0 D-III state semifinal over Archbold in Sandusky, it came down to a set piece in the 33rd minute, with Lidia Rodin powering home a beautiful inswinger of a free kick.
The 33rd minute was kind once more.
“Giuliana had a great ball in,” McIntosh said. “The goalie came out, and the same with the defenders. It bounced around a couple times. I saw it. I was open. I put it into the back of the net. I was shocked.
“It took forever to drop. I’m so glad I could get something on it and put it in the back.”
Kirtland nearly made it a 2-0 match 35 seconds into the second half, when Leah LaVerde capped a good bit of workrate with a hard strike turned away well by Eagles goalkeeper Sophie Aschmeier (seven saves).
The Hornets were admirably custodial in seeing out their 11th clean sheet of the fall.
The defensive-third play, anchored by center back Amber Yurick and goalkeeper Corinne Aquila (four saves) was confident. The midfield work, headed by Evans-Roskos, Vladic and Maria Bevanda, was steady. Reilly Greenlee gave the side the wide element it needed on the right flank. Prolific striker Erika Zschuppe, contending with tight marking to the hour mark, turned in a laudably unselfish 80 up top and later as an outside mid.
LaVerde, who had a fine match early in her usual left outside mid role and after halftime in a tactical shift to striker, calmly played a diagonal run through midfield as the final seconds ticked off to grab the result.
But as one can imagine, there was nothing serene about the jubilation that followed, as Columbus beckons again.
“They thought they knew us,” McIntosh said. “They thought we were bringing back the same people. It’s a whole different and new setup. We shocked them.”
Likely, though, not themselves.