LEXINGTON — Until proven otherwise, the road to Columbus runs through Bay Village.
Lexington and Bay will meet in the Division II regional semifinals for a second straight year at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Wooster’s Follis Field.
Bay (19-0-0) won last year’s meeting 4-2 en route to the 17th regional championship in program history. If the Rockets defend their regional crown this year, they would match Columbus DeSales with 18 Final Four appearances, the most by any program in state annals.
Bay made six straight state semifinal appearances from 1989 to 1994, winning Division II championships in 1991 and 1993. More recently, the Rockets made four straight state semifinal appearances from 2012 to 2015, finishing as state runner-up in 2014 and 2015.
Lex and Bay have met at the regional level four previous times, with the Rockets winning all four. They played in the regional championship match in 2009 and met in the regional semifinals in 2014, 2015 and 2018.
The teams played a regular season game at Bay in mid-August, with the Rockets rolling to an 8-0 win. It was the only loss of the season for the Minutemen (19-1-0).
“We didn’t play that well, obviously,” said Gavin George, Lexington’s senior forward who scored the game-winning goal in a 3-2 overtime victory over Madison in the district finals. “We can play better, we know we can.”
The Minutemen will have to figure out a way to slow down Bay’s Kyle Cusimano, a Bowling Green recruit. The senior has 32 goals and 26 assists on the season.
As talented as he is, Cusimano is hardly a one-man show. Matt DeCapua has 16 goals and 17 assists, while Brock Pickett has 15 goals and 14 assists and Conner Bozak has 11 goals and 10 assists.
The Rockets won the coach’s association state poll championship for a second straight year. Lex finished fifth in the final coach’s poll.
“They are extremely talented. They are the No. 1 team for a reason,” Lexington coach Peter Them said. “They are stacked from one to 11.”
The Minutemen are led by midfielder Ryan Parker. The junior was selected the Ohio Cardinal Conference Offensive Player of the Year and the North Central Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association all-district Player of the Year in Division II.
George landed a spot on the all-district first team in Division II, along with junior midfielder Teddy Togliatti and senior defender Mason Blashak, who was selected the OCC Defensive Player of the Year.
Since the loss to Bay in mid-August, Lex has reeled off 18 straight wins.
“It’s crazy to think that (match) was two months ago,” Them said. “For it to go down the way it did, I honestly think these guys have bought in 100 percent.
“To rattle off 18 wins after just getting smoked, you don’t know what’s going to happen. We’re just extremely blessed and fortunate to be where we are right now.”
