County Queens: Ontario draws first blood in win over Madison to sweep Richland County
ONTARIO — Ontario girls soccer coach Larry Atkinson and Madison coach Zac Huff weren't budging during pregame conversations on Wednesday night.
They weren't going to hype up the highly anticipated district championship game rematch and simply referred to it as just another game on the schedule. But judging by the intensity of play on the pitch during the Warriors' 2-0 victory, the game meant something more than just a late-season matchup between two regular teams.
"I think all of our young players handled themselves very well," Atkinson said. "We knew Madison was going to come out and play a solid game because they always do. This is just a late-season game and tournament time; they will be back to full strength and will be playing with confidence.
"It means something to our kids, especially the freshmen and sophomores. With as young as we are, to play in this and know the rivalry of this game, it is big for their growth."
Huff agreed. Whenever Madison and Ontario meet on the pitch, even if it has nothing to do with the outcome of a league championship race or tournament seeding, it always means something.
"It means something definitely," Huff said. "Especially with us being five-time district champs coming over here and they beat us just like last year. At the end of the day, the game may not mean anything, but it does."
Freshman Hattie Yugovich scored on a penalty kick with 5:07 left in the first half in her first taste of the Ontario/Madison rivalry that has been the matchup in each of the last five Division II district championship games, all won by Madison. Yugovich knew she and her young teammates gained valuable experience playing in the high-intensity rivalry.
"They were very intense, but a great team and I loved playing in this game," Yugovich said. "It is such a good rivalry and I am glad we have this with them. It was very physical and I came out kind of caught off guard with the intensity, but I had fun and it was a great game."
Yugovich stepped up and smashed the PK to the left side of the goal just outside the outstretched hand of Madison keeper Jayden Pifher, who correctly predicted the direction of the shot and nearly made a spectacular save on the play. Yugovich approaches every PK the same — go in with a plan and don't second-guess anything because as soon as self-doubt starts creeping in, that's when you miss one you shouldn't.
"I have a plan before I even go up there to take the kick," Yugovich said. "I know what I am going to do and have a specific routine every time I go up there. Once I pick a side I am officially going to that side even if the goalie is already there."
The score stayed 1-0 through halftime as both teams battled the driving rain and wind. Needing one more goal to make things comfortable, the Warriors (14-2) turned to their dynamic and versatile senior leader, Adi Turnbaugh, who was told to make the switch to midfielder after spending 65 minutes playing defense. Two minutes after the switch, she skipped a shot passed the Madison keeper off the wet grass and in for the second goal of the night with 10:56 left to play.
Atkinson credited Turnbaugh for putting the game out of reach but knows having her change positions mid-match wouldn't happen if it wasn't for the versatility of other players who also had to change positions.
"It is something we have done a few times and the main reason we are able to do that is because Jakiah (Trammel) does such a good job in the back when we do make that switch," Atkinson said. "Adi is a senior and everyone looks up to her, and when we put her up there everyone looks up to her and gets her the ball and she is so good with the ball at her feet. And we appreciate her doing that because it was a difference-maker."
The Rams (7-8-1) had their chances, but never truly threatened to put one in the back of the net. Down one of their main goal-scorers in Natalee Back, the Rams will be at full strength when the tournament starts next week and have their hopes set on making it back to the district title game — where Ontario will likely be waiting.
"This was a tournament-time atmosphere game and, unfortunately, we did not get the result we wanted," Huff said. "With the way we played, we were fine. We were in the game, and if one or two things go differently here or there we get a goal, and who knows what happens?"
It was a game that allowed both teams to get a good look at the other. Huff scouted Ontario's sensational freshmen Yugovich and Adi Pittman and Atkinson figured out a few things that worked well against Madison's stingy defense.
"We need to play our game, slow it down and pass a little better," Huff said. "The first five minutes we were jumbled, and after that we started passing the ball and looking much better. Then, they took over and we got tired in the second half because we only went 12 deep. We wanted to play it out and see what we could do with what was out there and I am happy with our results. I told the girls, who were hanging their heads, to keep their heads up, get ready for practice tomorrow and we will go from there."
Most of all, the victory gave Yugovich and her teammates confidence as the tournament opens Tuesday.
"I think this gives us a lot of confidence moving forward because we beat all of the local teams around here this year," Yugovich said. "If we do play them again, we have to watch their runs because they make a lot going in so we have to be checking our shoulders and watching for them."
Ontario travels to defending 2021 Division II state champion Chagrin Falls on Saturday while Madison travels to Celina on the same night as both teams put the finishing touches on their regular seasons.
The victory made the Warriors 5-0 against Richland County teams this year, outscoring Mansfield Christian, Lexington, Clear Fork, Shelby and Madison 28-2 to give them the crown of Queens of Richland County.
The fact the Warriors could overcome everything they lost last year with just one starter coming back says a lot about the state of the program.
"It is a late-season game, but if we won it it meant we beat every Richland County team on our schedule and that is something that gives us a lot of confidence moving into the tournament," Atkinson said. "Everyone had questions coming into this year about where we would be after losing 12 seniors, 10 starters and an All-American. Everyone thought we could falter. Did we mature quicker than we thought? Yes. But the girls have responded, played well together and practiced hard."
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ontario Warriors beat Madison Rams in high school girls soccer action
