Bears outlast Braves in OCC showdown

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Olivia Heskett scored a pair of first-half goals to keep Olentangy close, but Cameron Susey scored twice in the second half and assisted on another tally as the host Olentangy Berlin girls soccer team picked up its signature win of the season — a 5-4 OCC-Cardinal Division thriller Tuesday night in Delaware.

The game featured a little of everything … everything but a lead change.

The Bears bullied their way on top off the opening kickoff as Fina Davy found the back of the net less than 30 seconds into the action.

Things stayed that way until Susey scored the first of her three goals off a throw-in. She collected the ball, dribbled toward the middle of the field and ripped a high liner over Olentangy keeper Macy Boysel to double Berlin’s lead with 26 minutes left in the first half.

The Braves, who haven’t trailed much this season, never blinked. They got right back into things when Heskett was awarded a penalty kick after being tripped in the box by Berlin keeper Claire Walden, who clipped Heskett while making a sliding save. Heskett handled things from there, slipped a low liner into the corner of the net to make it a 2-1 game with a little more than 14 minutes left in the half.

She scored again a few minutes later to even things, 2-2, by the break.

Olentangy was aggressive to start the second half as Heskett was able to launch a pair of crosses into the box, but both were cleared away. About a minute later, Susey collected the ball in transition, dribbled into striking range and, well, did just that. Her strike was on target, too. Boysel got a finger on it, but it tipped off her hand into the corner of the goal to make it a 3-2 game.

Reagan Ross scored the equalizer for the Braves, but the back-and-fourth battle continued as Addison Lambert scored off a feed from Susey before Susey collected her third goal of the game to make it 5-3 with 12:34 left.

The Braves mounted one last comeback, getting closer when a direct kick was punched into a crowd of players in front of the goal, only to pinball in for a score, but Berlin held on from there.

Also: Olentangy Orange 5, Hilliard Davidson 0.

GIRLS GOLF

Olentangy won its first league title since 2007, claiming the fourth and final league event of the season with a combined 312 Tuesday afternoon at Blacklick Woods.

Meadow Tian, Navisha Soni and Kimmy Archer all finished in the top five among individuals. Tian led the Braves with a 71 — a mark second only to Olentangy Orange’s Skylar Dean, who earned medalist honors with a 66 — while Soni and Archer finished with respective rounds of 78 and 80.

Elizabeth Wang also chipped in, smoothing out the team’s top four with an 83.

Olentangy Liberty closed second with a 322 while Olentangy Orange was third with a 360.

Dakota Riley led the Patriots with a 73. Olivia Aronhalt (80), Mia Chanthasene (82) and Chuling Wang also contributed.

Lauren Powell backed Dean’s 66 with an 87 for the Pioneers. Other Orange scorers included Adeline Ricker (97) and Keira Kwak (110).

BOYS SOCCER

Olentangy Liberty 2, Dublin Coffman 0; Big Walnut 5, Franklin Heights 1.

GIRLS TENNIS

Big Walnut 3, Buckeye Valley 2; Olentangy Berlin 5, Hilliard Davidson 0.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Olentangy Liberty 3, Hilliard Bradley 0; Dublin Jerome 3, Olentangy Berlin 1.

Olentangy Berlin players celebrate after Fina Davy scored less than a minute into the action Tuesday night against visiting Olentangy.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2022/09/web1_berlincelevrate.jpgOlentangy Berlin players celebrate after Fina Davy scored less than a minute into the action Tuesday night against visiting Olentangy. Ben Stroup | The Gazette

By Ben Stroup

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