COLUMBUS – Cincinnati Summit Country Day claimed their fifth overall championship and second straight on Friday afternoon as they defeated Ottawa Glandorf 3-0 on the pitch at Historic Crew Stadium.
SCD, the defending Division II champions but moved to DIV this season in the new configuration of the OHSAA’s five division alignment battled the Titans, who themselves moved down from DIII where they made the finals a year ago.
Despite a tough defensive effort from Ottawa Glandorf that saw Ohio State commit Mia Stevens held scoreless, the Silver Knights found goals from other sources.
Sophomore Abigayle Penote, a 17 goal scorer entering play on Friday pushed her squad into the lead just before halftime as her high corner shot bounced behind Titan keeper Libbie Niese with 1:50 remaining in the half.
“The goal just in front of halftime was tough,” said O-G coach Michelle Maag. “It really hurt our momentum going into the break.”
Racing up and down the pitch, the Silver Knights wasted no time in the second half jumping on the board with 35:53 to go as an offering from junior Carolyn Federle tickled the back of the net.
Using what has become a trademark of their opponents Ottawa Glandorf, the Silver Knights utilized a set piece offering from Emma Gibson and watched as their lead grew to 3-0 on a header goal from freshman Alex Gardner with 24:46 to go.
“We played a brilliant first 35 minutes today but Summit has a lot of skilled weapons,” said Maag. “Their three goals today were perfectly placed.”
Summit finishes their year with a mark of 22-1-1 while Ottawa Glandorf sees their 2024 campaign come to an end with a 20-3 record.
“These girls came out and battled all night long and left it on the field,” said Maag. “Savannah and Carlie were fantastic defensively, Kaelyn showed her skill on the ball and created some good opportunities for us, and every single player left it all on the field, that’s all I can ask for.”
O-G made a bit of history on Friday afternoon as they became just the 13th team in OHSAA history to record four straight trips to the state’s final game.
Ottawa Glandorf’s senior class finishes with a mark of 83-9-2 with a trio of WBL championships, four district titles, four regional titles, and four state runner up crowns.
“I owe a major thank you to this senior class, my first year as a head coach was their first year in the program,” said Maag. “Getting to spend four years with this group has been special. They will leave with the most wins for a class in program history.”
Scoring:
1:50 – Abigayle Penote (SCD)
35:53 – Carolyn Federle (SCD)
24:46 – Alex Gardner (SCD)
Assists:
1 – Emma Gibson (SCD)
Saves:
5 – Libbie Niese (OG)
2 – Maddie Mescher (SCD)
Corner Kicks:
7 – SCD
5 – OG