Despite controlling the first half of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V Northeast 4 district championship to take a 2-0 lead, Berkshire Badgers girls’ soccer Coach Ian Patterson said his team was far from satisfied. The Badgers used an offensive flurry in the second half to decisively defeat Champion 7-0 to win the district banner last Saturday evening at Austintown-Fitch’s Greenwood Chevrolet Falcon Stadium in Youngstown.
“Every class that comes in has high expectations,” said the seventh-year coach. “We don’t put expectations on them but they seem to put higher expectations on themselves to be better than the class that was there before them. They have really wanted to get back there and it is great for them to finally achieve that.”
If the Badgers defeat Warren John F. Kennedy in the regional semifinal on Tuesday evening, they will advance to the Elite Eight and compete in the regional championship against either Cardinal Mooney or Chippewa on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Boardman’s Spartan Stadium in Youngstown.
For Berkshire (11-5-4, 4-0-0), it marked the fourth district championship appearance since Patterson became the head coach. Before Patterson’s first year with the program as an assistant coach in 2017, the Badgers had never qualified for a district final. Since Patterson’s arrival, Berkshire has competed in five district championships over the last eight seasons.
The Badgers also earned some payback, as the last time they faced Champion in the playoffs was when the Flashes ousted them in the 2018 district semifinal in a double-overtime road loss during Patterson’s first year at the helm.
After Patterson became the head coach, Berkshire captured its first district championship in the 2020 season and defended their district title in the 2021 season. Although it had only been two years since Berkshire last won a district banner, Patterson acknowledged that it had been a long wait for the current seniors and juniors who were members of the 2021 district championship squad.
On Saturday evening, Berkshire quickly went ahead when leading scorer and junior forward Kelly McCandless scored on a penalty kick inside the third minute of regulation, pushing the Badgers ahead 1-0.
Freshman midfielder Emma Ruchinski delivered another goal by lofting a high arching shot over the goalkeeper’s head into the left corner from inside the box off an assist from McCandless at the 25th minute of regulation, doubling Berkshire’s advantage to 2-0.
According to Patterson, the Badgers quickly took a more aggressive approach to the ball and it allowed them to dominate possession.
“Our midfield owned every loose ball,” he said. “Our backline only allowed five shots on target and our senior goalkeeper, Liv Masink, had her third straight shutout so it was just an all-around solid performance. They absolutely executed the game plan great.”
Berkshire struck quickly at the beginning of the second half when junior forward Cailtyn Ruchinksi collected a rebound off a deflected shot and bodied the ball into the net inside the 43rd minute of play, pushing the Badgers’ lead to 3-0. The Badgers carried that offensive spark for the next 22 minutes of play, adding four more goals to create a comfortable cushion and earn a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
While McCandless paced the Badgers by recording a hat trick, she also fulfilled her duties as a distributor, tallying four assists in the match.
Patterson acknowledged that while McCandless has been Berkshire’s lifeline on offense throughout most of the season, it has been easy to forget that she is still proficient as a passer, which was her primary role in her first two seasons.
With several other underclassmen on Berkshire’s attack blossoming this year, it has made the Badgers an all-around diverse offensive juggernaut.
“Every other person in our offensive attack was a back-up last year so we have Kelly who is a junior and Caitlyn, and two other freshman who are in the attack so the fact we are getting all of them going this year in the playoffs and just building that confidence, it is even more exciting for them in the future as well,” Patterson said.
Berkshire’s return to the Sweet Sixteen was accomplished with a dominating showing in their region, recording three straight shutout victories and outscoring its opposition by a 23-0 margin.
“It is exactly what we have been building for,” Patterson said. “We put a tough schedule together and made the girls work for it and come postseason, it was going to pay off for us and that is exactly what is happening. We have only allowed six shots on goal in the last three games and have scored 23 goals so those are good numbers for us.”
