Girls soccer gains steam in SEO

MINFORD — When reporting info on his Lady Falcons’ ladies soccer matches, or in postmatch interviews, Minford head coach Shane Tieman historically makes it a degree to say two issues.

Tieman thanks current media members for his or her attendance and protection of not solely his membership but additionally ladies soccer in normal, and at all times expresses pleasure in regards to the development of the women sport.

“We recognize everyone’s protection and assist and we had an amazing crowd once more tonight,” mentioned Tieman, following the Lady Falcons’ 2-1 conquer Wheelersburg on Tuesday evening, to take a one-game Southern Ohio Conference lead.

In reply, our media fraternity appreciates Tieman’s type phrases, and many people echo his enthusiasm in regards to the ladies sport —and its future.

For these into counting, except for the Southeast District’s Logan and Chillicothe competing as Division I packages and thus taking part in Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason event matches in the Central District, there are 35 ladies soccer Southeast District groups —17 in Division II and 18 in Division III.

That Division III quantity possible would have reached 20 —had each West and Ironton St. Joseph fielded items this season.

Among these in Division III are the three Scioto County squads —Minford, Northwest and Wheelersburg —and top-tier division packages from the Southern Hills Athletic Conference, together with Eastern Brown, Fairfield, Lynchburg-Clay and North Adams.

Then there’s Rock Hill of the Ohio Valley Conference, which Minford staged that unforgettable and epic comeback towards simply 9 nights in the past —trailing 5-0 to the Redwomen, earlier than amassing seven targets in a span of 20 second-half minutes to prevail 7-6.

Speaking of Rock Hill, on Thursday evening, Wheelersburg’s Lady Pirates performed it to a 1-1 draw on its Lawrence County hillside off Route 93 —because the now 3-3-1 Pirates have misplaced 2-1 highway selections at Division II stronghold Unioto in the opener, and at North Adams and Minford in a span of three days.

That was after a 10-day layoff for Wheelersburg, too.

“We knew that these six days (North Adams, Minford and Rock Hill matches) had been going to be big, a part of the toughest schedule that we’ve ever had. But that’s okay,” mentioned Wheelersburg coach Todd Jarvis. “I felt the women, each side (Wheelersburg and Minford), performed their hearts out tonight and gave it all the pieces they’d. It was a enjoyable match to observe.”

Indeed, plenty of good, robust, and physically-demanding Division III ladies soccer being performed —maybe arguably much more aggressive at instances than their boys counterparts.

If you’ve not attended a ladies soccer match, I encourage you to take action —as a result of the women go after it and usually are not afraid to combine it up full contact with usually reckless abandon, our bodies banging all over the place and hitting the pitch turf laborious.

Tuesday evening’s Wheelersburg and Minford match was about as intense because it will get, with a number of fouls being known as —in addition to a few yellow playing cards.

When the phrase “knock down and drag out” affair will get thrown round, ladies soccer means it more often than not.

But, the women sport has grown in Southeastern Ohio.

Take Tieman and Minford for instance.

The Lady Falcons, now 7-1-0 following Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Division I Lancaster, captured two colossal victories in 5 days time — the biggest comeback in Minford ladies soccer historical past, adopted up by their first win over Wheelersburg since 2014.

The Lady Falcons have been round for 2 full a long time as effectively —their inaugural marketing campaign coming in 2003.

“The progress that ladies’s soccer has made in southern Ohio in the final 10 years is phenomenal. We went from the one ladies staff round (Scioto County) for 10 years to instantly we have now a league (SOC) to instantly we’re taking part in different leagues to instantly we’re competing with among the larger packages,” mentioned Tieman, following the win over Rock Hill. “Rock Hill and Wheelersburg are proper there with us.”

So too are the aforementioned 4 SHAC colleges —as final season Eastern Brown received the Region 11 championship.

The Lady Pirates are the defending SOC champion —following 5 titles in a row from 2015 through 2019.

Waverly, of Division II, was the SOC winner two years in the past.

Naturally, as packages progress by their infancy — it’s going to take time to develop, construct, keep, and finally turn into established.

However, we’re seeing that with ladies soccer —as Tieman makes it a level of a very good speaking level following each interview or match outcomes report.

Minford’s Lexi Pendleton (23) and Rock Hill’s Chloe Long (12) battle for possession of the ball throughout (final) Thursday evening’s non-league ladies soccer match at Minford High School.

Paul Boggs

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by e mail at [email protected], or on Twitter @paulboggssports © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

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