Girls soccer: Late goal from Caroline Schork lets Medina salvage tie against Bay

MEDINA — A former Medina girls soccer coach and boys assistant was seeking his 200th career win Thursday against his former team. Scott Simpson will have to wait, as the Bees got a late goal from Caroline Schork to come away with a 1-1 tie with Bay in non-league play. Simpson coached the Medina girls from 1994-2007 and amassed a 196-54-27 record. He still serves as an intervention specialist at the high school and until this season had helped with the always talented Medina boys team. "It was very strange being on the other sideline," Simpson said. "I feel comfortable here, but it was very strange to be on the other side today." During his tenure at Medina, he guided the Bees to the first of their two state championships, winning it all in 1997. That team was paced by Medina County Sports Hall of Famers Michelle Anderson and Kase McCoy. The Rockets struck first with reigning Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year Tessa Knapp using some slick footwork in front of the goal before turning and firing a laser into the right side of the net to give Bay (3-0-1) a 1-0 lead. "She is fantastic technically," Simpson said of his star forward. "I think she is one of the best players I've ever seen. She does so much and works so hard. Not everyone sees all the work she puts in and how she practices. We are lucky to have that." Things could have gone downhill for Medina (5-0-1), but with Audrey Johnson marking Knapp and blanketing her most of the night, the scoring chances did not come easy. Johnson was up to the task and more than held her own against one of the best offensive talents in the area. Knapp entered the game with 10 goals in three games and has scored in her career. "All of our games this season, our defense has been the backbone of the team," Johnson said. "We had all shutouts so far this season and to hold Bay to one goal, I am really proud of our defense and our team as a whole. We held each other accountable. Communication is always good back there." The Knapp goal was the first the Bees allowed all season and, in this game, it was also the last. "It's just having a next play mentality," Johnson said. "Even though we let up a goal and it sucks letting up a goal, we know we are good on offense and in the back. We have players up front who can score. It's just trusting them and trusting the rest of our teammates." With the Bees chasing the lead and Knapp all over the field, Schork had chances throughout the first half and into the second but couldn't get the finishing touch. She had four of the Bees' seven shots on goal and had three other shots that sailed over the top post. The high shots and mishits left the talented forward covering her face with her hands on multiple occasions. With Medina's hopes of staying unbeaten on the young season looking very much in doubt, Schork gathered a nice pass in the box from Sofia Brito and didn't miss this one. "I just kind of let loose," Schork said. "I just focused and let all the stress and pressure go. I just knew that my team was behind me." The game-tying goal came with just 5:00 left in the game and salvaged the tie for the Bees. It was the beginning of a grueling four-game stretch for Medina, which plays Highland on Saturday, Magnificat on Wednesday and Upper Arlington on Sept. 14. "From the start of the game we knew we wanted to come out hard and do our best to start off this run of really hard games well," Schork said. "Getting that goal meant everything." Contact Chad Grant at sports@medina-gazette.com. Medina 1, Bay 1 BAY 1 0 — 1 MEDINA 0 1 — 1 First B – Tessa Knapp, 25:42 Second M – Caroline Schork (Sofia Brito), 5:00 Shots on goal — Bay 3, Medina 7. Corner kicks — Bay 3, Medina 3. Saves — Olivia Rum (B) 2, Brianna McCashin (M) 6. Records — Bay (3-0-1), Medina (5-0-1).