CLYDE — Lexington and Clear Fork will meet again and this time more than bragging rights will be on the line.
The top-seeded Minutemen rumbled to a 5-1 win over Willard in the opener of Monday’s Division II district semfinal doubleheader at Clyde High School. The second-seeded Colts followed with a 1-0 win over Norwalk in the nightcap to set up a third meeting between the backyard rivals at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Clyde.
Lex won the regular season match 1-0 at Clear Fork and topped the Colts 2-0 in the Ohio Cardinal Conference tournament.
“We know how hard it is to beat a team three times in once season,” Lex coach Peter Them said. “We have a great deal of respect for Clear Fork. It’s good to see two Ohio Cardinal Conference teams and two Richland County teams advance this far in the tournament.”
Lexington raced out to a 2-0 halftime lead and never looked back. The Minutemen have outscored their three postseason opponents by a combined score of 24-1.
“We’re playing well right now,” Them said. “Willard has a kid (Heriberto Gomez) who has scored more than 30 goals this year, so we were focused on slowing him down.”
Kyle Alexander had a hat trick for the Minutemen, who improved to 15-3-1. Gavin Carns and Bailey Faust each scored a goal.
Clear Fork and Norwalk, the No. 4 seed, were scoreless at halftime before Ben Tucker scored off a Brad Studenmund assist. Goal keeper Cade Hickenbotham had seven saves for the Colts (13-4-2).
