Coming into Thursday’s game, the Berkshire Badgers were riding on a seven-game win streak. Coach Ian Patterson’s squad won back-to-back games against Rootstown and Wickliffe to start the season, but an Aug. 29 loss to West Branch may have been just the motivation Patterson’s team needed.
Match photos click here.
Coming into Thursday’s game, the Berkshire Badgers were riding on a seven-game win streak. Coach Ian Patterson’s squad won back-to-back games against Rootstown and Wickliffe to start the season, but an Aug. 29 loss to West Branch may have been just the motivation Patterson’s team needed.
After much discussion on where the game would be played, the Badgers were forced to relocate to Chardon when Patterson was told Berkshire’s new field still wouldn’t be ready.
It didn’t slow the Badgers down, though.
Berkshire’s offense has been rolling in its last seven games, recording 52 goals in that time. This time, the team got off to a quick start with a goal by junior Alyssa Lawson, who was awarded a penalty kick with 27 minutes remaining in the first half.
Hilltoppers junior Skylar Duval-Lewis had an opportunity to even the game at one apiece, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Badgers senior Jordyn Wichert did, though, halfway through the first half, to extend Berkshire’s lead to two.
The Hilltoppers had a difficult time keeping the ball in their favor. Berkshire’s offense stole the show on multiple occasions, securing it on their side of the field.
Berkshire held a 2-0 lead into the half. But as soon as it was over, Chardon’s junior Teagan Sprague cut her opponent’s lead to one when she connected on the back of the net after a penalty kick was awarded to the Hilltoppers.
But the Badgers would finish the scoring with an assist from Tara Barcikoski to junior Evania McCandless, making it 3-1, with 6:30 remaining in the game, to claim their eighth straight win over county rival Chardon.
Despite the loss, the Hilltoppers were optimistic after the game, and reflected on playing against some childhood teammates.
“We knew a lot of these girls, and how they played,” said Maelynn Sprague. “A lot of these girls grew up playing with each other.”
“It’s always so much fun each year to play (Berkshire),” Teagan Sprague said.
McCandless said his team came in wanting to focus on playing its game.
“We’ve been going over tactics in practice, simple passing, and playing our game,” he said. “We didn’t let anything else affect us. Playing to feet, looking wide, making runs, and everything we could do to confuse the defense.”
A big matchup against Kirtland on Sept. 24 that would determine first place for the Chagrin Valley Conference — and was won by Berkshire, 1-0, bringing their streak to nine.
Lawson spoke on what winning that game would mean to her and her teammates.
“We have to play the way we’ve been playing,” she said. “We are playing simple soccer, and it’s working really well for us. It’s breaking down the defenses.”
Next up, Berkshire would host Orange Sept. 27, then travel to Cuyahoga Heights Sept. 29, while Chardon hosts Kenston Sept. 29.
