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In seven seasons, Barberton girls soccer coach Scott Kelley (center) has seen steady improvement. On Tuesday, the Magics topped Cloverleaf 2-1 in a sectional opener and now meet Wadsworth in a second-round match.
BARBERTON, Ohio – Barberton girls soccer senior Jessica Mark wasn’t going to let an opportunity to meet Wadsworth for a sectional championship slip through her … well … toes.
Instead, Mark snapped a tie game Tuesday night when she kicked home the decisive goal with 8:15 left, and the Magics (11-4-0) defeated visiting Cloverleaf 2-1 in a first-round sectional contest.
It sets up a rematch this Barberton team has longed for – especially Mark, who played youth and club soccer for Wadsworth and knows the Grizzlies’ roster all too well.
“It’s going to be great,” Mark said with a smile. “No, it doesn’t get any better than this.”
The No. 7 seed Magics are scheduled to play at No. 2 seed Wadsworth on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a berth in the Brunswick Division I District semifinal on the line.
“The girls are looking forward to it,” seventh-year Barberton coach Scott Kelley said. “(Mark) was determined to find a way to get to Wadsworth.”
Seventeen Wadsworth players made the short trip to Glenn “Jeep” Davis Stadium to scout their next opponent.
Last year, during the regular season, Wadsworth's Danielle Braman scored with 21 seconds left in the match to propel the Grizzlies to a 2-1 win over Barberton.
In six Suburban League seasons, the now independent Magics never beat Wadsworth.
“Great opportunity,” said Barberton senior Kiersten Shifferly, who leads the Magics with 15 goals. “Last year, we had ‘em. The very last 21 seconds they put one in. This year, we’re ready to fight back.”
It was Shifferly who got Barberton started against Cloverleaf. Her tally gave the Magics a 1-0 halftime lead.
With 21 minutes to play, Cloverleaf goalkeeper Claire Turner made a big-time save on Shifferly’s rocket shot from 12 yards out to keep it 1-0.
The Colts then equalized with 14:45 left on Alana Ferrante’s long free kick into the 6-yard box and Katie Gokey’s finish.
A push in the back on Shifferly with less than nine minutes to play resulted in a direct kick from 22 yards out, and the Barberton striker, aiming for the upper 90, put her kick off the near post. Mark slipped into a throng of Cloverleaf defenders on the opposite side of the goal and punched the deflection high into the goal before Turner could recover.
“We don’t give up,” Mark said. “We have to keep going.”
“It feels absolutely awesome,” Shifferly said. “We came in here and gave 100 percent.”
It was a tough ending for the Colts (4-12-0), after winning three straight Suburban League titles coming into the 2011 season.
Hit hard by graduation and injuries, Cloverleaf’s team persevered.
“There’s a lot to be said about how hard the girls have worked and what they’ve accomplished,” first-year Cloverleaf coach Jacob Miracle said. “The heart that comes out of these girls, you couldn’t have asked for more.”
Kelley felt the same way about his Magics. A year ago, Cloverleaf beat Barberton 8-0. His team has won a first-round sectional game three of the last four years.
Now they have their sights fixed on a bigger prize.
In other girls soccer sectional matches:
KENT ROOSEVELT 2, TWINSBURG 0. At Twinsburg, Erin Waples scored a goal and Stine With a penalty kick to lead the Rough Riders (12-3-1) over the Tigers (9-7-1) in a Kent Division I sectional opener.
Kent Roosevelt next plays Saturday at Stow against No. 4 seed Stow-Munroe Falls.
GREEN 2, GLENOAK 1. At Canton, No. 7 seed Green scored the upset over the No. 5 seed in the first round of the Austintown Division I District tourney.
Juniors Colleen McCombs and Megan Woods each scored for the Bulldogs (3-12-2), who will play Saturday at Lake.
Seniors Jessica Bennett and Caitlin Elkins had assists for Green. Junior goalkeeper Haleigh Minor made seven saves for the Bulldogs.
Senior McKenzie Cross scored for GlenOak, while Alexis Crawford made six saves in goal.
FIRESTONE 5, AKRON GARFIELD 0. At Copley Road Field, junior Shannon Ede scored two goals and the Falcons (4-13-0) rolled to a comfortable win against City Series opponent Garfield (2-14-1) in a first-round Brunswick Division I Sectional.
Regular season:
FIELD 7, URSULINE 2. At Youngstown, sophomore twin sisters Sarah and Megan Francis each scored two goals and Field (8-6-2) completed its regular with a road win at Ursuline (1-14-1).