High school soccer: Highland girls beat Aurora, set up winner-take-all showdown with Copley

GRANGER TWP. — The Highland girls soccer team set the stage and then went through six successful dress rehearsals. The Hornets will now be seeking an award-winning performance. By beating Aurora 4-0 Wednesday in Suburban League American Conference action, Highland set up a winner-take-all meeting for the league championship next Wednesday at Copley. The Hornets (11-2-1, 6-0) had no trouble with the Greenmen (10-4-1, 4-2), but Copley (13-0, 6-0), the top-ranked team in the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Division II state poll, will be a different story. The Indians have outscored their opponents 84-1 this season. "The girls are fired up and ready for it," Highland coach Colin Curtis said. "We've had that one circled on the schedule since the beginning of the season." In setting up their last SL American matchup of the season, the Hornets got a goal and two assists from Grace Madison, who now has 16 goals and seven assists on the season, a goal and an assist from Mya Gargano and goals from reserves Mira Simic and Anna Rohm. Jillian Miller, a big factor all over the field throughout the game, assisted on Simic's goal to open the scoring as Highland outshot the Greenmen 9-5 and held a whopping 7-1 edge in corner kicks. With help from the back line of freshman Jessica Sherman, sophomores Delaney Miller and Luisa Fragnoli and junior Lauren Wetzel, ninth-grade keeper Hailey Trzaska made five saves to register the shutout. "We have a really good, positive energy," Rohm said. "That really helps people play their best no matter how many minutes they get in the game." Case in point: Highland's first two goals were scored by players who did not start the game. The first came when Jillian Miller made a run of almost 70 yards down the right side before crossing the ball into the box, where Simic knocked it home with 13:22 to play in the first half. "I just saw an opening in front of me and made a quick little move," Jillian Miller said. "When I got near the end line, I cut it in and made a pass into the box. "We practice it a lot, and it paid off in the game." The second came when Rohm scored from 25 yards off a pass from Madison. The sequence again started with Jillian Miller working down the right side. Her initial pass into the box was knocked back, but the Hornets still capitalized to make it 2-0 with 1:15 left in the first half, which seemed to take the life out of Aurora. "(Madison) drove down the line and hit it back to me," Rohm said of her first goal of the season. "I was hoping it would get in goal." Madison made it 3-0 off a Gargano pass with 20:08 remaining in the game, then returned the favor by hitting Gargano, who made it 4-0 just 2:04 later. The first-half goals by Simic and Rohm were the real keys, though, as the first 25 minutes were fairly even and uneventful. That both players came off the bench to make it happen meant a lot to the Hornets. "We're a very deep team, all the way down to our junior varsity team," Curtis said. "All these girls know their role and understand if they don't start, they're still an important part of the team." The Hornets will need everyone at their best against Copley, which is seeking its second straight SL American crown. "It's going to be a challenging game," Rohm said. "We'll bring our all and put up a good fight." "It's going to take working together as a team and complete focus that day," Jillian Miller added. "We have to work as one and not get frustrated." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on Twitter. Highland 4, Aurora 0 AURORA 0 0 — 0 HIGHLAND 2 2 — 4 First H — Mira Simic (Jillian Miller), 13:22. H — Anna Rohm (Grade Madison), 1:15. Second H — Madison (Mya Gargano), 20:08. H — Gargano (Madison), 18:04. Shots on goal — Aurora 5, Highland 9. Corner kicks — Aurora 1, Highland 7. Saves — Elizabeth Pike (A) 5, Hailey Trzaska (H) 5. Records — Aurora (10-4-1, 4-2), Highland (11-2-1, 6-0).