The Streetsboro Rockets girls’ soccer team’s reign against Portage County and Metro Athletic Conference rival Field has officially come to an end. The Rockets fell to Field 2-0 last Thursday evening at Rockets Stadium.
“That was probably the best Field team I have seen in quite a while so Field did well,” said Coach Ryan Willard. “I know Field had more possessions, but I would not say it was a huge differential. Neither team had a ton of scoring opportunities. It was played in the middle of the field, and the second half was more up and back.”
It marked the first time Streetsboro (6-4-1, 5-1-0) was trumped by the Falcons since the 2022 season, as it owned a six-match winning streak against Field, including having bested the Falcons the MAC championship match last season.
Although the Rockets suffered their first MAC loss of the season, they still sit as the second seed for the upcoming MAC tournament in the newly aligned league, which now includes Portage County rivals Kent Roosevelt, Tallmadge and Cuyahoga Falls. Newcomer Kent Roosevelt now holds the top seed with an undefeated league record.
If Streetsboro wins its remaining league games, it will hold a top seed but could drop to as far as the fifth seed if they experience more defeats in their final MAC contests.
“You see the teams in our league are closing those gaps this year and even obviously surpassing us on Thursday night and so I think as a whole, we take those losses now even harder than we would otherwise because I think we have just come to expect it,” said Willard.
On Thursday, the Rockets competed in one of the most physical matches of the season. The 19-year coach acknowledged that the Falcons brought a different type of intensity to the match than Streetsboro was used to.
He added that the Rockets adjusted, but Field’s physical style pushed them to a first-half lead as senior forward/midfielder Molly Murphy fed freshman midfield/forward Keira Schrock with a through ball downfield, and she split two defenders and scored to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead at the 35th minute of regulation.
“It was probably a 30 or 40-yard pass that just split my two defenders perfectly and honestly a foot one way or the other, we probably intercept so you have to give her credit for that accuracy to put that ball through,” noted Willard. “They made a good run behind, and my keeper made a great first touch on it but could not corral it to keep it out of the goal.”
Willard said that Streetsboro had more possessions in the second half but scoring opportunities were few and far between against the Falcons’ defensive third.
Murphy delivered another clutch play, booting a long-distance goal just outside the left top of the box, increasing Field’s lead to 2-0 at the 61st minute of regulation.
According to Willard, the Rockets could not overcome a two-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes against a stout Field defense.
“We just struggled to get that last touch to get a good shot off and honestly we didn’t challenge their keeper much,” noted Willard. “So, you have to give them credit for locking down that backend.”
It was the Rockets’ third loss in their last five matches, but Willard noted that the loss against the Falcons stung more because it was league duel, as Streetsboro’s previous two losses were against formidable non-conference opponents.
As he has done the past, Willard structured the Rockets’ non-conference schedule against quality opponents to better prepare them for league play.
The Rockets remain a defensive-minded team, but Willard conceded that the attacking third is not as dynamic as it has been in the previous years, as senior forward Sara Koyan, sixth all-time leading scorer in program history, is out for the season because of an injury.
Streetsboro has been bolstered by a senior-laden team, as nine seniors have formed the starting 11 this year, with seniors Morgan Vales, Carman Marcini, Lyra Sadowski, and goalkeeper Morgan Novak minding the Rockets’ backline.
Following a road duel against MAC rival Kent Roosevelt on Tuesday night and another road contest against league foe Tallmadge on Thursday evening, Streetsboro will stay on the road and face Louisville at Leopard Stadium in Stark County on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
