Madeira boys soccer team shut out for 1st time in state semi loss to Grandview Heights

CARROLL, Ohio – The Madeira Mustangs boys soccer team had trouble finding a defense this season that they couldn’t crack.

The Mustangs came in averaging more than four goals on offense per game and had not been shut out all season. Madeira had only been limited to one goal once this season, against Cincinnati Hills League foe Wyoming, who won its Division II state semifinal game tonight.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they couldn’t find the net against the Grandview Heights Bobcats as they fell 2-0 in a Division III state semifinal Wednesday night at Bloom-Carroll’s Carl Fell Stadium.

MORE: Madeira boys soccer wins regional title. 

Madeira, ranked No. 1 in Division III by the state coaches association, finished 18-3-1. Grandview Heights, ranked third, improves to 15-4-2 and advances to Saturday’s state final against Columbiana Crestview.

“I’m pretty gutted,” Madeira head coach Tony Ripberger said. “We were knocking on the door. We just couldn’t get anything to fall. We were pushing hard. We had a lot more shots than they did. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Grandview scored the first goal of the game with 28 minutes to go in regulation after Gunnar Szynal collected a perfect centering pass at the top of the 18 and lived up to his name by gunning it inside the post from 18 yards.

The play came four minutes after the Mustangs missed a great chance to take the lead.

A Madeira player was knocked down just outside the penalty box, but the Mustangs earned a free kick from 18 yards out.

Senior Will Breit, the newly crowned Cincinnati Hills League player of the year, hit a low line drive that just missed the near post wide right.

With 20 minutes left to go in the game, senior Bridger Blackwelder just missed a laser over the crossbar from inside the 18. The Bobcats got the ensuing goal kick in quickly and scored at the other end within 20 seconds to take a 2-0 lead.

That was a gut-wrencher for a Madeira team that earned itself plenty of opportunities with crossing passes but couldn’t test GH keeper Luke Clark Moody enough.

“Just frustrations,” Ripberger said. “We haven’t had a game all year where we didn’t score a goal. We felt it was coming. It was a matter of time, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Neither keeper was sternly tested until the final four minutes of the first half.

Madeira sophomore Jake Isgrig fired a hard shot that forced Moody to make a diving save. Moody deflected another hard shot on goal out of bounds in the final seconds, forcing a corner kick that was offline.

Each team had one shot on goal for the vast majority of the first half.

Madeira got opportunities from two free kicks from midfield by senior James Dunn that he launched to the net only to be saved. And five long throw-ins into the 18 by Blackwelder that forced the Bobcats defense to clear them.

MORE: Madeira state tournament preview. 

With seven minutes left in the first half, Madeira had a free kick from 25 yards out that resulted in two Mustangs shots that were cleared by defenders.

The shutout continued a stretch of strong defense by Grandview Heights, who has allowed only one goal in the postseason.

“They’ve got some big, strong guys who were knocking us around a bit,” Ripberger said. “The boys were having a tough time getting the ball through. We had some nice balls that should have been great chances, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Five Madeira players were named first-team all-league: Besides Breit, they are seniors Bridger Blackweider, Matt Cummins and James Dunn; and junior Riley Hemler.

Madeira loses eight seniors in Owen Farrell, Josh Jordan, Matthew Cummins, Francisco Caceres, James Dunn, Bridger Blackwelder, Will Breit and Garrett Smith. Seven of them started.

Madeira was the Cincinnati Hills League champion and was in the state semifinals for the first time since 2011.

“It’s been a fun year,” Ripberger said. “The boys have worked really hard. We knew they would be good; we just didn’t know they would be this good. To not get through tonight is heart-wrenching. There are a lot of solid players on this team in all ages, so we’ll be good again.”