LEXINGTON — Lady Lex’s fairytale run through the postseason included wins over five-time defending district champ Madison and state-ranked Clear Fork and Ontario.
Those obstacles pale in comparison to the one awaiting Lexington in the Sweet 16.
Lady Lex (11-5-3) will play Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Division II poll champ Copley (18-0-1) in the Division II regional semifinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Wooster’s Follis Field. Copley has allowed just two goals the entire season and has outscored its opponents 113-2.
The closest Copley came to losing came late in the regular season when Massillon Jackson forged a scoreless tie. In three postseason games, Copley has outscored opponents 23-1.
“We’ll see what Tuesday brings,” Lexington coach Buck Morton said after Saturday’s 2-1 overtime victory over top-seeded Ontario in the Lexington district championship match. “I don’t know a lot about them, other than they are the No. 1-ranked team in the state and they’ve probably got all club players.
“We’ll figure it out.”
Lexington isn’t an especially high-scoring side. Lady Lex scored two or fewer goals 16 times and were shut out five times. Makenna Arnholt and Josalynn Patterson are tied for the team lead with seven goals apiece.
“It’s scary to play the No. 1 team in the state,” said Patterson, who scored the game-winner in overtime off an Arnholt assist in the district final. “We’re just going to give everything we got and do what we do.”
Lady Lex relies on a suffocating defense that has allowed one or fewer goals 13 times this fall. In addition to limiting Ontario’s high-octane offense, senior defender Aubrey Coleman scored the equalizer with 3:46 remaining in regulation.
“We’re not going to score a ton of goals,” Morton said. “We’re going to have to grind out wins. We’re going to have to play great defense and keep people in front of us.
“There’s not one single person who gave us a shot to win this (district championship) trophy except for the girls who come to practice every day. It’s just this no-quit attitude these girls have.”
