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COLUMBIANA -- It was a new beginning for the Columbiana soccer program on Tuesday at the Ward Athletic Complex.
The Clipper girls soccer team played the first game on the new turf at the renovated stadium as the community gathered before the game to cut the ribbon on what the school district leaders called an investment into the future.
Even though visiting Indian Creek scored the first goal on the new surface, Columbiana found its legs and recorded a 6-4 victory.
The Clippers (2-0-1) got hat tricks from captains Annah Clemmer and Josie Hepler in a game which saw Columbiana lead 6-1 with 7:22 left in the first half.
With Indian Creek finding its grove the Clippers played much of the second half in their own territory under consistent pressure from the Redskins. Senior captain and goalkeeper Kyla Hogan made several key saves to prevent the Redskins from stealing the road win.
“It’s such a fast surface,” Hogan said. “When you’re on the grass it is so slow and there’s holes. Being a goalie it’s hard to predict. This is much more predictable. It makes sliding easier.”
Hogan had 11 saves on the day and maybe the most impressive one was with 11:25 to go in the game when she charged Creek’s best player Kaydence Walker and dove to save the ball as Walker made a move that was successful earlier in the game.
“Those 1 versus 1s are difficult and she knew exactly what to do,” Hogan said. “She knew to go around me and did so in the first half. In the second half I was ready for it.”
Walker scored the game’s first goal with 38:54 left in the first half. She also scored Creek’s second goal and assisted on the final one.
Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Clippers had tied Girard 1-1 on Monday, while Creek lost 10-1 at United.
“We were happy to be here,” Creek coach Brad Long said. “(The facility) is beautiful. They did a nice job here. The heat didn’t help us though and we had a couple clutch players out today that hurt us in the beginning. We tried to rally but I’m proud of them.”
Also for Creek (1-4), Chloe Flesher scored her team’s third goal and Maryn Barcalow headed in the Creek’s final goal off a Walker corner with 11:25 left in the game for the second half’s only goal.
Due to a schedule backlog since the turf wasn’t ready right at the beginning of the season, the Clippers will be playing three straight with a road trip to Newton Falls today.
The wear and tear from a Monday game showed from both teams in the second half. A third game in three days will be a challenge the Clippers admit.
“It will take a lot of sleep and a lot of fruits,” Clemmer said. “There will be some pickles so I don’t cramp, some baths and a massage gun I like.”
Sarah Chamberlain and Aubrie Quetot each assisted on two goals for the winners who did enough in the first 30 minutes of the game to get out with the win.
“We were finally communicating more for a minute there,” Clemmer said. “We got it done when opportunity presented itself.”
Coach Jason Janis, in his eighth season, said he never thought he’d see the day that Columbiana would have turf.
“As soon as I found out we were having turf I was excited for this day to come,” Janis said. “They made a big event out of it and I was glad the community came out to support us.”
Janis said his four captains -- Clemmer, Hepler, Hogan and Camille Jeffries -- were key to gaining the win over Creek.
“They all played a vital role in the game,” Janis said. “Obvious Kyla made some huge saves for us. Annah got the hat trick. Josie got the other hat trick. Camille just ran the middle for us. Without those individual efforts we probably would not be in the spot we are.”
The Clippers had only practiced twice on the new turf before Tuesday’s game. In the preseason, the Clippers practiced on the junior high football practice field.
“It’s really nice compared to what we’ve been practicing on,” Hogan said. “The fields in the back of our school obviously aren’t a great surface to practice on especially playing a schedule where the majority of games are played on turf.”
Both boys and girls soccer teams will play on the new turf. The stadium will also be home to the track and field program and middle school football games. Baseball and softball fields are under construction next to the stadium.
GAME NOTES
• The Clippers boys soccer team was practicing under the lights after the match. The field previously did not have stadium lighting.
• It was Creek’s first game at Columbiana even though they have scrimmaged before. Since the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference collectively joined the OVAC the last school year, more opportunities have opened up for nearby schools like Indian Creek to play games in Columbiana County since the games count in the OVAC standings.
• Long said it took about 55 minutes to get to Columbiana for Creek.
“It took longer to go to United,” Long said.