WOOSTER — The conversation in Lexington’s postgame huddle got a little heated Tuesday evening, which suited coach Peter Them just fine.
A 3-1 loss to Wooster at Follis Field in what was the de facto Ohio Cardinal Conference championship match wasn’t sitting well with Lex’s five-man senior class. As Them tended to his media obligations, those seniors led a spirited conversation.
“We’ve got five seniors and those guys are pretty vocal right now. They have taken ownership,” Them said. “This is one of those things that maybe we needed.”
A Lex win would have vaulted the Minutemen (7-3-1, 4-2) into a three-way tie atop the OCC standings with Wooster and Ashland. Instead, the Generals (8-3-1, 6-0) all but sealed up the conference crown with one OCC game remaining. Wooster is at Mansfield Senior next week.
“We would have loved to win the conference title, but it’s not the end of the world,” Them said. “We’ve got bigger fish to fry in the (postseason).”
The Generals, who were ranked 15th in Division I in the most recent coaches poll, took a 1-0 lead in the third minute when Luis Canas Jr. scored off a Lexington turnover. The lead was short-lived, however, as Lex’s Luke Roberts scored the equalizer less than 90 seconds later.
“I thought when we tied it up, we were in a good place,” Them said. “We played well in the middle part of the first half after we scored our goal. We had some chances.”
Wooster reclaimed the lead late in the first half on a Nicholas Morse goal. The Generals took a 2-1 lead the halftime and put it away in the opening minute of the second half on a Brody Schultz goal.
The Minutemen gave up a goal in the opening minutes of each half.
“I think we were just a little flat. Maybe we were a little punch-drunk from Saturday ( a 5-2 win over state-ranked Toledo Ottawa Hills),” Them said. “We made mistakes early in each half and we paid for it.”
Barring an upset, Wooster will win the OCC title for the ninth time. Lex captured the crown last fall and has eight all-time OCC championships.
“This exposed some weaknesses that we’ve got to get figured out,” Them said. “But all things considered, I think we’re in a good spot. We’re playing high-level teams and we’re playing well.
“Games like this will help us come tournament time. We’ll refocus and regroup.”
