Bethel-Tate’s Michelle Cornelius attempts to get a shot on goal off as Clermont Northeastern defenders converge around her during a regular season game. The Lady Tigers made it to a sectional final.

Bethel-Tate’s Michelle Cornelius attempts to get a shot on goal off as Clermont Northeastern defenders converge around her during a regular season game. The Lady Tigers made it to a sectional final.
By Chris Chaney
Sun staff

All 10 Clermont County girls’ soccer teams saw their seasons come to an end during the first week of the postseason with Milford and Bethel-Tate acting as the lone representatives for the county in the sectional finals.

The Lady Eagles, who finished the regular season 6-3-7, advanced to the sectional final on the strength of a 2-1 victory over Girls Greater Catholic League member Mount Notre Dame.

Goals by junior Shannon Brueck and senior Kiley Buchanan lifted the Lady Eagles over the Cougars and earned them a date with No. 2-seed Mason. The Comets, who ended the season ranked second in the city and No. 9 in the state, edged the Lady Eagles in a hard-fought, one-goal game on Monday, Oct. 21, 1-0.

Mason had knocked off fellow Clermont County resident Amelia earlier in the tournament. Amelia (13-5) defeated Princeton 2-0 in the first round of the sectional and were looking to earn some overdue respect from the rest of the Division I teams across the area.

“I think if we had played better against Mason that would have helped (our reputation) a lot more,” Amelia head coach Amy Kemmer said following the Lady Barons 4-0 loss to the Lady Comets. “We gave up two goals off of corner kicks that we shouldn’t have even given up corner kicks (towards the end of the half). They scored again with a minute and a half left in the (first) half. Then they scored their other two goals within the first 10 minutes of the second half, so if you take away that 12-minute span, we were in the game.

“It was unfortunate that we didn’t have a better showing. We didn’t play our best soccer against Mason. If we had and if the score had been closer, I think we would have definitely gotten some of that respect we’ve been searching for.”

The other Division I school in the area, Glen Este, dropped out of the tournament following a first-round loss to Ursuline, 3-0.

In Division II, Southern Buckeye Conference National Division champions Batavia were unable to go on a postseason run, falling in the sectional semifinal in a slight upset to No. 9 seed Wilmington. The Lady Bulldogs finished the season with a 12-4-1 record.

Wilmington advanced to play Batavia by virtue of their 4-1 win over Goshen in the opening round of sectional tournament play. The Lady Warriors were 2-13-2.

In another Division II sectional, sixth seeded New Richmond was upset by No. 10 Wyoming 3-0, ending the Lady Lions season with an 11-4-2 record.

Fifth-seeded Taylor bounced the final Division II team, Clermont Northeastern, in the first round, 7-1. The Lady Rockets ended on a 7-9-1 mark.

In Division III, the other Clermont County school to make it to the sectional finals, Bethel-Tate, fell to powerhouse and No. 1 seed, Summit Country Day, 10-1. The Lady Tigers ended the year with a 5-13 record.

Summit also accounted for Felicity-Franklin, knocking the Lady Cards out of the tournament in the first round by virtue of an 8-0 final tally. Felicity ended up 0-11-2 on the season.

Finally, Williamsburg was a victim of a one-and-done tournament run by Fayetteville. The Lady Wildcats fell to the Lady Rockets 1-0 on Oct. 14. Burg finished the season 4-9-3.