Girls Soccer: Olentangy Liberty advances to regional final on Lexie Mitchem penalty kick in OT
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Lexie Mitchem and teammates celebrate Olentangy Liberty’s game-winning goal against Olentangy Berlin in a Division I regional semifinal Oct. 31 at DeSales. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Something clicked when the Olentangy Liberty girls soccer team went down a goal to Olentangy Berlin late in the second half in a Division I regional semifinal on Oct. 31 at DeSales.
Ultimately, the Patriots found their footing, sending the game to overtime. Lexie Mitchem scored on a penalty kick just 56 seconds into overtime and Liberty defeated the Bears 2-1.
The Patriots face Upper Arlington for a regional championship on Nov. at Big Walnut. The Golden Bears defeated Dublin Jerome 1-0 at Marysville in the other regional semifinal.
“It feels really good to be there for your team,” Mitchem said. “I think once they scored a goal, something clicked. We were playing kind of crazy. When they scored, we started playing like we usually do – passing on the ground, calm and collected and not kicking it everywhere.”
Liberty reaches the regional final having defeated a pair of school district rivals in Olentangy and Berlin in the last two rounds.
Olentangy Liberty’s Jacie Wilson (right) moves with the ball while Olentangy Berlin’s Gracie Dusenberry defends during the Patriots’ win in a Division I regional semifinal Oct. 31 at DeSales. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Next, it plays a league rival in UA. Liberty (17-2-1) and UA played to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 19, ultimately sharing the OCC-Central Division championship at 4-0-1. The Patriots defeated UA 1-0 in a district semifinal last season where Mitchem scored the game’s only goal.
Fina Davy buried a shot high on her right off an Erin Hudson assist to give Berlin (15-4-3) a 1-0 lead with 16:08 remaining in regulation.
But Liberty snatched momentum back when Chloe Brecht sent a pass from the right side that bounced over Bears goalie Claire Walden’s head where Maria Stack touched it in goal as she went crashing into the net. The equalizer came with 10:54 left in regulation.
“I think we were all more motivated after they scored that goal,” Stack said. “With that extra motivation, it makes you have a little more energy to get up and follow those crosses. Chloe had a really good cross and I just had to be back there to finish it and I was.”
Liberty coach Chris Allen said the Patriots took a gamble on the play.
Olentangy Liberty’s Ameilia Sigmund (left) and Olentangy Berlin’s Addison Lambert battle during the Patriots’ win in a Division I regional semifinal Oct. 31. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“I feel like we gambled a little bit and a little bit of luck went our favor too,” he said. “We’ll take it as this moment of the tournament. Sometimes whatever you get, you take. An off-balance cross that kind of goes and we get onto the end of it – just kind of one of those things that worked out in our favor. A little bit of luck in our favor and I’ll take it.”
Stack set up Mitchem’s game-winner when she was fouled in the box.
Liberty controlled much of the first half. But the Bears took over in the second with five corner kick opportunities in the 20 minutes leading up to Davy’s goal.
Walden finished with six saves and Liberty goalie Hailey Myers had four stops.
Berlin has won back-to-back district championships while going 33-5-2 over the last two seasons and won the program’s first league championship when it shared the OCC-Cardinal with Olentangy and Dublin Jerome at 4-1.
“We had more of an attacking mindset in the second half, which allowed us to go forward,” Berlin coach Tara Zimmer said. “It’s a good game and anything can happen. We were up 1-0, they scored and the game changed.”