District preview? Granville, Bloom-Carroll scrap in girls soccer scrimmage
GRANVILLE ― With a regular season win against a Division I opponent already under its belt, you might have thought Granville's girls soccer team would dial things down a bit for Tuesday's final tuneup scrimmage against visiting Bloom-Carroll.
You would have thought wrong.
The Blue Aces have most of the team back from a disappointing 2021 that saw two titles wrested away from them: the Licking County League-Buckeye Division (by Watkins Memorial) and the Division II district (by Bexley). That, and the fact the Bulldogs regularly challenge for that same district championship, had Granville plenty focused, and it showed. It exploded out to a 5-1 halftime and cruised to a 6-1 win that should help both teams down the road.
"We have a big chip on our shoulders, even in the pre-season, and our chemistry is much better this year," said senior midfielder Ella Schneider, who scored a pair of goals Tuesday and also had an assist. "We have big motivation."
Schneider missed a month, recovering from a car accident, and classmate Alysha Wallace was out six or seven months after undergoing knee surgery. But they are getting healthy and return as team captains along with senior midfielder Ella Hoover, who announced Tuesday that she will continue her career at Appalachian State. The Blue Aces have seven seniors after graduating only three.
"Those two games (Watkins and Bexley) are the ones we're looking forward to the most," said Wallace, who leads Granville's stifling defense from the back row. "We're basically the same team, but we're way more dynamic and our knowledge of the game has improved. We're clicking a lot better. I'm excited," she said. The Blue Aces did not play Bexley during the regular season last year.
On Tuesday, Schneider knocked the ball away from charging senior goalie Jada Hoskins and poked home the first goal less than a minute into the scrimmage. She later scored off a Hoover assist, then delivered a cross in front of the goal to junior midfielder Lyndy Van Horn for a 3-0 lead. B-C sophomore Tessa Brooks looped a long range shot over leaping freshman goalie Sydney Lauffer, making it 3-1. The Bulldogs also had a couple more chances, hitting a post with one shot and Lauffer making a point blank stop on senior Sophia Haughn's blast.
"Their midfield and attack is very good, and they are dangerous," said Granville coach Scott Forster. "Once they get their back row figured out, they're going to be a hard team to beat." Hoskins had several nice saves.
Sophomore midfielder Hope Mahl is a player to watch for the Blue Aces. She battled for possession, split two defenders and booted in a left-footed diagonal shot, making it 4-1. She also worked the ball ahead past Hoskins and scored in the second half. Late in the first half, senior defender Ava Miller drilled a corner kick straight into the net without it being touched, an "Olimpico" goal that you seldom see.
"This group is so balanced. We have our scoring threats, but we have enough firepower to let someone else get in on the scoring," Forster said. "We can score in so many ways this year, and we have a ton of people who can do it. Our older players are influencing the younger kids. Hope ran on a successful relay in track, and she has our fastest 40 time." Miller also runs cross country.
"We have some sophomores and a few freshmen who are going to be key for us," Wallace said. "Sydney Lauffer is definitely a weapon in goal. She comes out of the box to get her stops, doesn't just stay on her line. She's tall, and has the soccer IQ."
Veteran B-C coach Mark Casperson welcomed the scrimmage against someone the caliber of Granville. The Bulldogs open their season Thursday against Columbus Academy and have nine seniors, six who are starting.
"We had good scrimmages against Canal Winchester and Bexley, but we haven't seen the speed and an attack like Granville has," he said. "Just the pace they have, and they're so well coached. Our attack looked good there early on. We were able to score on them and had a couple of other opportunities, and in the second half, we kept their attack under control."
Forster said this might be his deepest team. "We have 20 kids who can all play in a game, and we had 14 freshmen come out," he said. Granville doesn't play again until Tuesday, facing another D-I team in perennial power Dublin Jerome after blanking Westerville North 4-0.
"We have people who can score from anywhere. We have so many pieces, and we're hard to stop," Schneider said. "We have all the pieces. We just have to put them together."
The Blue Aces and Bulldogs could very well see each other again. Only one team comes out of the Central District this year in Division II.
"This was a test we needed," Casperson said. "We hope to see them again in October."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville hosted Bloom-Carroll in a girls soccer scrimmage
