BOWLING GREEN — It was two completely different games.
There was with the WIND, where you shot the ball 100 yards.
And there was against the WIND, in which an attempted pass ended up behind you.
Copley best used the 26 mph wind (gusts well over 35) to knock off St. Marys 4-1 in the Division II girls soccer regional championship Saturday at Bowling Green High School.
Copley (20-0-1) advances to the state semifinals Tuesday against Bay Village Bay on a day and at site to be named.
St. Marys ends its season (19-3-1).
“It’s unfortunate that a game of this magnitude has to be played in conditions like this, with boomerang balls,” St. Marys coach Nick Wilson said. “But they (Copley) did a lot more with (the wind).
“Looking back, we should have (taken more shots with the wind).’’
St. Marys took a 1-0 halftime lead, going with the wind. But Copley scored four second-half goals going with the wind.
Ariel Fast scored for St. Marys.
Bowling Green State-bound Emily Stransky scored twice for Copley.
“I played a ball at the 50-yard line and it went out of bounds at the 40,” Stransky said. “I couldn’t even kick it 10 yards (against the wind). But once we had the wind going with us, it made every ball go a lot faster.
“We were down 1-0 because of the wind, then we scored four with the wind. We couldn’t let the wind affect us and we came back to get four on the scoreboard and we’re regional champions.’’
Kate Young and Colleen Bauer also scored for Copley.
Ashley Kerekes had two assists.
Copley outshot St. Marys 21-4 for the match and 17-0 in the second half when it had the wind.
Copley tied the match at 1 with 30:24 left to play on a turnaround shot from 10-yards out by Stransky. It was a low liner after she received a loose ball out of the pack in the box.
“It was a hectic ball in the box and I cut it to the left and slotted it on the ground right past her,” Stransky said.
Bauer gave Copley the lead to stay 2-1 on a penalty kick with 28:05 to play.
The shot went just inside the right post.
Stransky’s one-timer from 12-yards out made it 3-1 Copley with 10:15 to go.
“She’s (Stransky) and All-American and the real deal and is going to BG,” Wilson said. “And they have other girls besides her.’’
Young scored on an individual effort play to make it 4-1. She dribbled in from the top of the box to score from 6-yards out.
St. Marys goalkeeper Ella Jacobs had 14 saves.
Copley goalkeeper Kami Ayoup made three saves.
Copley, ranked No. 1 in the state, entered with 121 goals and had given up only three.
The wind came out of the north at 26 mph, with gusts around 35 to 40.
In the first half, Copley charged right into the wind, while St. Marys, ranked No. 10, had the wind at its back.
That helped St. Marys goalkeeper Jacobs take a free kick shot on goal 80-yards away.
One goal net also moved a few yards when a huge gust of wind came through the end zone.
Time was halted to bring in sand bags to anchor the goal.
Jacobs also routinely pounded goal kicks over 100 yards with the wind.
St. Marys took a 1-0 lead on a 27-yard free kick from the left sideline by Fast. The ball came like a frozen rope to the net and Copley goalkeeper Ayoup barely got a hand on it as it flew by.
The goal came with 18:51 left in the first half.
It marked the first time Copley had trailed in a match this season.
Working with the wind, St. Marys had four shots at the half, while Copley had four.
“To make this run and go this deep, I’m super proud,” Wilson said.
Tom Usher wrote this story for LimaScores.com. Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
