WOOSTER — Kaleb Rinehart owned regulation, but overtime was Gavin George time.

George scored the game-winning golden goal in overtime for the second straight match as Lexington stunned Division II poll champ Bay 2-1 in the regional semifinals Wednesday at rain-swept Follis Field.

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  • Lexington’s Teddy Togliatti defends against Bay’s Kyle Cusimano during Wednesday’s Division II regional semifinal match at Wooster’s Follis Field.

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Fifth-ranked Lexington (20-1) will play No. 6 Lima Shawnee for a regional title Saturday at a time and site to be determined. Shawnee advanced with a 1-0 win over Toledo Central Catholic at Findlay on Wednesday.

The Minutemen, who lost to Bay 8-0 early in the regular season, got the match to overtime thanks largely to the play of Rinehart in goal. The junior was under siege throughout the second half and made several sensational saves.

Once in overtime, George didn’t waste any time. The senior forward got loose on a break-away and rocketed a shot past the Bay keeper with 10:56 remaining in the first 15-minute extra period.

“It was just like the last one in overtime except it wasn’t my head,” said George, referring to his game-winning header against Madison in the district finals. “I dribbled down and I lost it, then Ryan (Parker) headed it back to me. I just tried to drill it to the back post and fortunately it went in.

Lex played more men behind the ball in an effort to slow down Bay’s high-octane attack and picked its spots to attack offensively. The change in strategy worked to perfection as the Minutemen held the Rockets (19-1) scoreless for more than 75 minutes.

“In the first game, we probably gave up four goals on crosses to the outside and they were just tap-ins,” Lex coach Peter Them said. “In the first game I think we sent too many guys forward. Because of that, we were exposed and they countered us like crazy.”

Lexington took the lead with 12:38 remaining in the first half when Trevor Fehr scored on a rebound after a throw-in pinballed in the Bay box. The score would remain 1-0 until Bay’s Brock Pickett collected a rebound in front of Rinehart and scored with 4:26 remaining in regulation.

“Kaleb did a phenomenal job,” Them said. “We’ve kind of done a dual-keeper system, switching on and off. Kaleb is a little better on turf and we knew that was the game plan from Day 1. If we got back to the regional, Kaleb was going to jump in.

“(Senior keeper) Trevor (Cramer) spoke up as a senior and said, ‘It’s Kaleb’s night.’ Kudos and respect to him for that.”

Lexington will play for a regional championship since reaching the state semifinals in 2011. The Minutemen lost to Bay in the regional semifinals in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

“This is the first regional final in a while for Lexington,” George said. “I have no words for that. It’s just amazing.”