Two quick goals help Falcons down Wildcats

Alaina Becker, Dylan KobaNelson and Lillian Laughrey each scored one goal in Firelands’ 3-0win against Keystone. Robert Fenbers has the details from the Oct. 9 match.

Firelands needed just four minutes to make it a senior night to remember.

The Falcons left little doubt in their final regular season home game, unloading with a pair of goals in the first four minutes en-route to a 3-0 victory over Keystone in a Lorain County League matchup at South Amherst Soccer Stadium on Oct. 9.

Firelands (7-5-3, 3-1-2 LC), which still had hopes for a possible LC title heading into the night, quickly went on the attack as senior Alaina Becker booted a spiral that curled over the head of Keystone goalkeeper Sierra McCollum for the early goal in the third minute.

After suffering through a scoreless draw the last time she played Keystone, Becker was eager to take the field for another shot.

“It felt amazing, she said of the unique goal.” Becker said. “I have had my ups and downs, and the last game I was really low, and I barely played. I really took that as a drive to make myself better for this senior night. I just stayed out of my head and just went for it.”

Becker finished with one goal and one assist.

Junior Dylan Koba-Nelson added another just FIRELANDS 3, KEYSTONE 0

a minute later, receiving a short pass from Emma McDevitt in the box, and swiftly kicking it in.

With tears streaming and emotions running high prior to the game, it was a welcomed sigh of relief for Coach Kevin Ziegler to see the Falcons come out focused and flying high in the opening minutes.

“It was nice, and it kind of let everybody relax and then we could enjoy the rest of the night,” Ziegler said. “It took a lot of pressure off because they tied us 0-0 the last time we played them. That start helped a lot.”

Having already weathered a tough regular season, the quick two-goal deficit was another growing pain for Keystone coach Tim Giesel and the Wildcats (1-11-4, 0-3-3 LCL) squad that touts six firstyear players.

“It’s just one of those things,” Giesel said. “We gave up an early goal, and we are young. It’s hard to come back from something like that. We are almost through the season here, but we are still learning how to start games.”

Firelands defense held firm all evening as they did not allow a shot-ongoal in the first half, and allowed just three shots on the night.

“The girls played well,” Ziegler said. “All nine seniors played the entire first half, and a good bit of the second half.”

One of those seniors, Becker, believes the defense is a potent aspect of the team.

“Our defense is very strong, very fast. Our goalie (Lexy Coggins) is very strong and she is just great.”

Coggins, a senior, wasn’t threatened much, tallying three saves.

The Falcons looked to add to their lead in the opening minute of the second half, but were denied when McDevitt knocked it off the top off the crossbar and back into the diving hands of McCollum.

McCollum finished with eight saves for the Wildcats.

From the opening kick, Firelands’ aggression never waned.

That aggressive play paid off once again as Becker hit senior Lillian Laughrey with a swift pass from the left side of the box. Laughrey promptly booted it in, boosting the Falcons’ lead to 3-0 in the 50th minute.

Keystone’s offense came to life in the final 10 minutes, tallying three shotson-goal as Coggins got some work in, including a diving save in the 70th minute.

The late fight is a common theme with the Wildcats this season.

“We do a lot of good stuff, but sometimes it doesn’t always show,” Giesel said. “They don’t quit. That’s something that I have complimented them for, and something that other coaches have complimented them for. They work hard, and they work all the way through. Our motto is to finish strong.”

On a night where everything went its way, Firelands’ LC title chances evaporated as Wellington defeated Columbia on the road, 4-1, to claim the inaugural Lorain County League championship.

Ziegler still believes he is fielding a strong team that could turn some heads in the postseason.

“We are a good team,” Ziegler said. “If we all play at the level we are capable of, we can play with a lot of teams that maybe we will catch them by surprise.”

The sixth-seeded Falcons will open up sectional play on Oct. 14 against No. 11 Brookside, a team they defeated twice during the regular season. No. 10 Keystone will tackle with seventh-seeded Lutheran West.

In regular season action, Firelands will travel to Columbia on Oct. 12 while Keystone hosts Oberlin.