ASHLAND — Evidently the Colts don’t like to be kept waiting. For the second straight game, Clear Fork’s soccer tournament opponent showed up a half hour late and for the second straight game, the Colts were simply overwhelming.
Clear Fork scored less than two minutes into the match and rumbled to a resounding 8-0 win over Tiffin Columbian in the opening game of a Division II district doubleheader at Community Stadium on a stormy Tuesday night. Ontario topped Norwalk 1-0 in the nightcap, setting up an all-Richland County district championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday in Ashland.
Tuesday’s lid-lifter was scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m., but didn’t get started until 5:30. By 5:40, it was all but over as Clear Fork’s Camryn Crill and Meshia Curry each scored a goal before the handful of hearty fans who braved the elements had found their seats.
Clear Fork (14-2-2) led 7-0 at halftime before coach Brittany Bechtel called off the dogs.
“We came in at halftime and I said, ‘The scoring is done,’ ” Bechtel said. “The only thing we could do to score was on a header or a cross or corner kick.”
Clear Fork’s tournament opener against Edison was delayed by a half hour when the Chargers’ team bus got lost on its way to Bellville. Clear Fork scored six first half goals en route to a 10-0 win.
In two tournament games, the Colts have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 18-0.
“It’s not hard for us to stay focused,” said senior All-Ohioan Deijah Swihart, who scored a pair of first-half goals during a two-minute stretch Tuesday. “We’re going to be back here Saturday, so it was good for us to get our touches on this field and get our feet wet.”
Rematch: Clear Fork and Ontario played to a weather-shortened scoreless tie in mid-August. The match was called off midway through the second half when a thunderstorm rumbled through the Clear Fork valley.
The Colts and Warriors met in the district title game in Ashland last fall. Ontario won that match 3-0.
“It’s an exciting rematch to have them back here on this field again,” Bechtel said. “With the year we’ve both had it will probably be a blood bath.”
Swihart is looking forward to the grudge match.
“It’s going to be very tough. Ontario is a very good team,” she said. “We just have to come out focused like we did today and move the ball and keep our heads up.”
Full Arsenal: The Colts were without junior All-Ohioan Jordyne Helinski in last year’s district title game against Ontario. Helinski, who scored two goals Tuesday and has five in two postseason games, suffered a should injury in last year’s regular season finale and was limited in the tournament.
“It’s a good feeling to know that you have everybody walking into (Saturday’s) game,” Bechtel said. “Last year we had only a couple of games to get it sorted out and not knowing if she was going to be back. We’re going to feel a little bit more prepared and a little bit more confident.”
“It’s going to be very tough. Ontario is a very good team,” she said. “We just have to come out focused like we did today and move the ball and keep our heads up,” said Deijah Swihart.
