Minford senior Lexi Conkel (11) scored the match’s only goal in the Lady Falcons’ 1-0 Southern Ohio Conference girls soccer win over Wheelersburg on Tuesday night at Minford High School.

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

MINFORD — For those which witnessed Tuesday night’s rockfight for a girls soccer match, they saw once again the Wheelersburg Lady Pirates and Minford Lady Falcons fight all out for the upper hand —and upper foot —of the Southern Ohio Conference championship chase.

But, if they looked away or were at the concession stand for just a few seconds, they missed the only goal scored in this traditional rivalry slugfest.

As the Falcons’ Nest at Minford High School was the site, Minford senior standout forward Lexi Conkel was the scorer, as the senior-circuit Lady Falcons captured the 1-0 hard-fought tussle with Wheelersburg.

Wheelersburg won the four-team conference last season, while Minford took the title two years ago.

For Tuesday night, they entered at 5-0 and 2-0 in the SOC —as Wheelersburg will be the scene of the regular-season finale AND return tilt for the title on Oct. 10.

Yes, in all honesty, the SOC championship was coming down to these two matches —given the lopsided results of the Lady Pirates’ and Lady Falcons’ matches against the remaining league competition.

So any one goal will incredibly impact the championship, and the Lady Falcons found Tuesday night’s lone marker a mere three minutes and 46 seconds in.

Both coaches knew it was going to be a physical, hotly-contested, heels-digging and don’t-give-in affair, and they were right.

Of course, for veteran Minford head coach Shane Tieman and his Lady Falcons, “it feels good to get this win.”

The Lady Falcons, for sure, have high expectations for this season —with eight seniors on the roster, and most of which have played regularly and even started since they were freshmen.

“Really, this game, this win was just grit. You can’t put your feet flat with Wheelersburg. You just can’t. If you do, they run over you. Luckily, we were able to play with them and a little bit ahead of them to get the goal on them,” said Tieman. “Very proud of my team showing that grit, playing lights out defense. That’s a very good team we stopped and shut out tonight. It’s one of those games that really could have gone either way. It was a tough-fought game. It came down to a streetfight as it usually does. I will say I thought we played tough, and we just battled. Very proud of every girl on the field and every girl on our bench to be honest with you.”

Minford had the best player on the pitch, and arguably the best pure athlete and easily the fastest, in Conkel —the Lady Falcons’ school record-holder in career goals scored and single-season goals scored.

Minford senior Lexi Conkel (11)

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

Nearing four minutes into the match, Conkel caught a pass near the midfield from fellow senior Maggie Risner, as Risner’s good vision passed the ball in front of Conkel —who easily did the rest.

A moment of miscommunication caught two Lady Pirate defenders, and Conkel quickly raced upfield —bringing Wheelersburg goalkeeper Emma Smith out of her net and way up in the box.

Conkel one-timed the score, giving her senior season goal number eight —and the 113th of her decorated Lady Falcon career.

“Obviously we needed that goal,” Tieman. “We had an early recognition by Maggie (Risner) from a deep pass and Lexi was in the position to get through the defense. The pass was long enough to get to Lexi’s feet, but not too long to get to the keeper. The keeper came up and Lexi just took it and put it in the back of the net. Thank goodness she did.”

Wheelersburg second-year head coach Kevin Powell provided his perspective from the bench.

“We had two girls in the middle, and both stepped forward where one should have stepped a step or two back. Respecting the speed of Lexi (Conkel). But we got caught with both of them stepping forward at the same time. A player that fast is going to get through and make you pay for it,” said Powell.

Otherwise, both defenses were stout —despite 15 shots including six on goal from Minford, and 10 shots and four on goal from Wheelersburg.

Minford sophomore goalkeeper Addi Lemon was impressive with four saves, but perhaps even more so was Wheelersburg’s first-year goalie —and first-year soccer player amazingly in fact — in the senior Smith.

 

 

Minford sophomore goalkeeper Addi Lemon (19)

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

Lemon landed four saves and Smith five, as the match moved gradually into the Lady Falcons’ offensive third from the midfield.

Wheelersburg senior goalkeeper Emma Smith (00)

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

In the second half, the Lady Falcons found themselves even deeper in the Lady Pirates’ defensive end.

“The first goal was to try and possess the ball, but then we started winning the ball at midfield a little better. I made an adjustment. We went from two attacking mids to one attacking mid and two defensive holding mids in the center,” said Tieman. “That helped us keep the ball on their end a little bit. Really it was just grit tonight and Addi Lemon had a phenomenal field presence.”

Powell wanted his Lady Pirates to get that goal quickly, but instead, the majority of the action ended up in their defensive half.

“We were pressing forward maybe a little too much trying to get the goal back. It opened up the midfield a little more than what we would like,” he said. “Our defense played fantastic though and it was a bend but don’t break situation back there on the back line. Especially with two freshmen and a goalkeeper (Smith) that has been playing soccer for only five weeks in her entire life. It could have easily been four of five goals if she hadn’t made some really solid stops.”

Tieman talked about the Lady Pirates successfully getting the Lady Falcons from “playing our game” —and playing “boomball”.

Minford had four first-half corner kicks, but none in the second.

“Wheelersburg is very good about getting us out of our game,” said the coach. “If you watch us play about every other team this year, we play a possession-style game. Dropping the ball and passing the ball around, swinging it from one side of the field to the other. We just weren’t putting the passes together tonight. That’s a credit to Wheelersburg. They are very good about getting in your head and playing physical.”

But the Lady Falcons pitched a defensive gem as well, as the tension amped up in the second half with the cliffhanger — and pressure-cooker — 1-0 lead.

The Lady Falcons have now scored 33 goals this season, but more important — and perhaps impressive —is that only Lynchburg-Clay in the season opener (2-1 Minford win) and Russell (Ky.) 11 days ago (5-1 Minford win) have cracked the Minford defense.

The Lady Pirates tried, including with three early second-half corner kicks, but to no avail.

“The defense managed to keep a high-octane team out of our goal. It was solid, solid defense,” raved Tieman. “We were really facing a lot of pressure those last 20 minutes. They have some great talent, but we were able to keep them out of the goal. Addi (Lemon) was always in the right places, she anticipated those through-passes and got to the ball before they did. We’ve only given up two goals in six games and we shut Wheelersburg out and they are a good team.”

The rematch is in one month —on a Thursday (Oct. 10) at 5 p.m. at Wheelersburg’s Ed Miller Stadium.

One big difference will be the playing surface, in which Wheelersburg features FieldTurf — compared to the Bermuda grass of Minford’s Falcons’ Nest.

That, and the Lady Pirates will be playing a Senior Night contest —as eight experienced seniors should be honored for The ‘Burg.

“We can definitely do a better job in the middle of the field. I think being on the turf will be a little faster and that plays to our speed and maybe a little bit better,” said Powell. “But overall, we just have to possess the ball and step to the ball better in the middle third of the field.”

Wheelersburg senior Krista Williams (23)

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

The pressure could be more on Minford —now with a leg up on the Lady Pirates.

Minford senior Ava Cronin (2) vs. Wheelersburg sophomore Haley Little (22)

Courtesy of Regina Tipton

“It’s going to be a tough crowd, we’re on the turf, and it’s a 5 p.m. game where you don’t know how cool the weather will be in October. Regardless, I anticipate a hard-fought game again,” said Tieman. “I hope the girls can see we have a game on them, but let’s play our game a little better at ‘Burg this time. If I were a betting man, I would say it will be another streetfight and anybody’s game.”

* * *

Wheelersburg 0 0 —0

Minford 1 0 —1

M — Lexi Conkel (Maggie Risner assist), 36:14, 1st (1-0 M)

SHOTS — Wheelersburg 10, Minford 15

SHOTS ON GOAL — Wheelersburg 4, Minford 6

SAVES — Wheelersburg 5 (Emma Smith), Minford 4 (Addi Lemon)

CORNER KICKS — Wheelersburg 3, Minford 4

YELLOW CARDS — Wheelersburg: none; Minford: Makenna Enz, 17:07, 1st

RED CARDS — none

Reach Paul Boggs by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved