Girls soccer: Emma McTigue continues blazing start with two goals in Medina tie with Walsh Jesuit

CUYAHOGA FALLS — The Medina girls soccer team needed a quick response Wednesday after falling behind defending Division II state runner-up Walsh Jesuit. The Bees got one in the form of freshman Emma McTigue, who continued her blazing hot start with a pair of goals to bring her season total to four after just two games and allow Medina to tie the Warriors 2-2 in non-league play. With Medina trailing 1-0 after a Walsh Jesuit goal 9:49 in, McTigue notched the equalizer 4:12 later when she scored on a beautiful header from defender Caitlyn Taylor following a free kick. "Being down like that, our seniors and upperclassmen were really good with being positive," McTigue said. "This is one of our rivals." The perfectly placed ball from Taylor and the perfectly timed jump by McTigue swung momentum toward Medina (1-0-1). "We play as a team," McTigue said. "We play for the 'M' and we represent Medina, the school and our program. Back at it (today) at school and at practice." McTigue gave the Bees the lead 56 seconds later when she scored again on a solid drive and finish. The Bees' pressure was evident from the start, as Medina pushed the pace of play and often left the Warriors defense scrambling to stop attacks. "We've been in good communication and watching film together," Bees freshman midfielder Naomi Sundermeier said. "We know where to step, where to shift. ... We watched the Walsh tapes, so we knew what to do." Medina kept attacking and maintained the edge for most of the contest, just missing some key opportunities that could have given it a critical two-goal cushion. "I think when we get down we know we can come back if we work as a team," Sundermeier said. "If we work as a team we can win. Never getting inside our heads and bringing each other down always builds us up." Both goals by the Warriors (1-0-1) were of the "How did that just happen?" variety, as Medina maintained control for much of the contest. Mariah Flenoury's second score tied the game with 13:41 to play. The second half was extremely physical and had multiple yellow cards. Walsh Jesuit also had several free kick opportunities coming just outside the Medina box, but Medina and senior keeper Brianna McCashin (4 saves) stood tall to salvage the tie. Contact Chad Grant at sports@medina-gazette.com. Medina 2, Walsh Jesuit 2 MEDINA&emsp;2 0 — 2 WALSH JESUIT&emsp;1 1 — 2 First W — Mariah Flenoury, 30:11. M — Emma McTigue (Caitlyn Taylor), 25:59. M — McTigue, 25:03. Second W — Flenoury, 13:41. Shots on goal — Medina 4, Walsh Jesuit 6. Corner kicks — Medina 4, Walsh Jesuit 3. Saves — Brianna McCashin (M) 4, Zoe Crysler (W) 2. Records — Medina (1-0), Walsh Jesuit (1-0). Junior varsity — Walsh Jesuit 2, Medina 1.