Blank’s roller into the left corner off a breakaway sealed Fenwick’s 3-2 double overtime win over Ontario in the Division III state championship girls soccer game at Columbus Crew Stadium on Friday afternoon. Fenwick twice came back from one-goal deficits to celebrate its second state title in five seasons.
“It was just a relief. I knew we could come here and win today,” said Blank, who scored two goals and had one assist. “It came down to double overtime, unfortunately, but scoring that goal was the biggest sigh of relief.”
Freshman Leandra Hess pushed a beautiful pass through the middle of the Warriors’ defense to Blank near the top of the box. Blank dribbled to just outside the keeper’s box and almost casually passed the ball into the left corner to beat the Ontario keeper one-on-one with 8:44 left in the second overtime. Until then, the Falcons had missed their first four shots on goal and six overall in OT. The Warriors didn’t get off a shot.
“She loves her left. All year I’ve been saying why don’t you use your right, why don’t you use your right?” Gallo said. “She turned to me in line and said, ‘Hey Kate, I finished that one with my right.’ … As soon as that ball went off her foot and it looked like a pass to the corner I knew it was going in.”
Fenwick forced overtime with 4:58 left in the second half when Blank’s cross pass found junior Sezcezney Lytle in open space. The junior defender ripped her shot to the far corner past the diving keeper for the 2-2 tie. Ontario had taken the 2-1 lead with 22:21 left in the game when a corner kick took and unlucky bounce off the hands of Fenwick keeper Jenni Rossi.
Ontario (18-4-1) scored first with 11:33 left in the first half when Taylor Elliott split a pair of Fenwick defenders and challenged Rossi. It was the first goal Fenwick (19-1-3) surrendered in the postseason.
Blank answered four minutes later with a flurry of action in front of the Warriors’ net. Fenwick senior Katie Downing’s cross went off the hands of Ontario’s keeper, Fenwick sophomore Katie McCarthy headed the deflection off the post and then junior Ashley Bremer sent a pass to the charging Blank, who put it away.
The championship came a season later than anticipated for Fenwick. The Falcons felt 2011 was their year but lost in the state semifinals. Despite the graduation of 12 seniors off that team, the Falcons earned the No. 1 spot in the final state poll on the strength of 16 shutouts. They outscored opponents 27-2 in the postseason and 70-10 overall.
“When we sat down as coaches and said what’s the future look like for the next two years, we said we’d have our growing pains,” Fenwick co-coach Tom McEwan said. “As successful as these girls have been this year, there are no words to describe it.”
Fenwick’s defense held Ontario to six shots overall (all on goal) and just two in the second half and overtime. Fenwick peppered Ontario with 24 shots (12 on goal).
“The defenders are part of the heart and soul of this team,” Rossi said of Lytle, Downing, Amy Gilmore, Carrie Mathes and Jess Wolski. “They don’t always get the credit (the keeper does). Really it’s the defense because they don’t let the ball get to me.”
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