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Emma Stransky's first-half goal lifts Copley over Waynesville in Division II state final
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- Emma Stransky's first-half goal lifts Copley over Waynesville in Division II state final
It started a decade ago.
It ended with a vision fulfilled.
On Friday, the Copley girls soccer team came to Lower.com Field and did exactly what it set out to do when it was still just a faraway dream.
Copley knocked off Waynesville 1-0 to win the Division II state championship and take home the school's first state title in the sport.
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And Copley (22-0-1) did it the only way it knows how.
As a team.
The Copley girls soccer team celebrates after winning the OHSAA Division II state championship, its first, on Nov. 11, 2022, in Columbus.
"We've talked about team," said Copley coach Wally Senk, who won his 200th game. "We've talked about what it means to play for the person next to you and how much it means to win as a group and to be able to share that memory.
"The last thing we said before we stepped on the field was you have 80 minutes and in those 80 minutes you might feel pain, you might feel tired, but that 80 minutes is temporary and this [state title] is going to be the rest of your life. I think they took that to heart and they gave it everything they had for those 80 minutes."
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Rockets Red Glare: Copley girls soccer takes its game to another level, reaches Division II state final
Copley midfielder Emma Stransky, top, trips over Waynesville goalkeeper Gracyn Armstrong, bottom, during the second half of the OHSAA Division II girls state soccer championship game at Lower.com Field, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.
Copley won title as a team
Copley did that and then some.
The Spartans (22-1) came in as the 2021 Division III state champions. They boasted a 29-game winning streak and they were every bit as good as advertised.
Samantha Erbach will be back next season and the Xavier commit will cause fits again.
She had three of Waynesville's eight shots on frame.
The problem for the Spartans was Gabby Niemczura, Sydney Leach, Megan Brewer, Colleen Bauer and especially Kami Ayoup (8 saves) were just a little bit better.
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"We all play really well together," Niemczura said. "I just feel like going into each game we kind of realize what tasks we need to accomplish, like who we need to watch out for who we need to close down right away, who we need to not let turn.
"I think we do a very good job of realizing how to move together as a team how to cover for one another. There's never really been a moment the whole season where it's kind of one man left standing. We always have each other's backs back."
Copley midfielder Allie Arnold, right, celebrates with Emma Niemczura, left, as time expires during the second half of the OHSAA Division II girls state soccer championship game against Waynesville at Lower.com Field, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.
The goal scorer gets it done
Copley also knows it has a hammer up top in Emma Stransky and the Greater Akron District Player of the Year knows how to carry the load.
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When Waynesville broke down for a split second, the Bowling Green commit collected a pass from Kate Young for the biggest goal of her career.
It came with 16:37 left in the first half and it was all Copley needed to close it out.
"We worked our tails off," Stransky said. "We worked day in and day out. And I think that tonight was an accurate representation of the work every single person has put in. "Whether they're coming onto the field as a sub or starting when the first whistle blows. Tonight, was the perfect representation of how our season has been going and how hard we've been working."
Copley girls soccer coach Wally Senk, center, hugs goalkeeper Kami Ayoup, facing, and midfielder Emma Stransky, left, during the second half of the OHSAA Division II girls state soccer championship game at Lower.com Field, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal)
That work showed in the fact Copley never took a single second off.
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When Waynesville pressed at the end, the team kept its composure.
When that final whistle blew, there was excitement and tears and extreme exhaustion.
There's no doubt the girls slept well on the bus ride home.
There's also no doubt this team won the state title its own way. "This is crazy," Ashley Kerekes said. "I think we were really deserving of it. We've done all the work this whole season, and we had our eyes on it since we were little kids. To see it all coming together. I think it's crazy that this is the group that did it. This is the team that did it and made history."
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After that the, Copley put the clamps down on the Spartans (22-1).
Although Waynesville held an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal, keeper Kami Ayoup was there to stop every one.
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Copley beats Waynedale, wins state title game with collective effort
