What a preseason!  After scrimmaging Roger Bacon and Ursuline, Mariemont's women's soccer team went up to the Ohio High School Cup and let everyone know "where in the world is Mariemont".  Entered in Division I of the tournament, our Lady Warriors tied Division II powerhouse Dayton Oakwood 0-0, tied Division I powerhouse Pickerington 2-2, and knocked off Jackson (3-0), Lexington (1-0), and Miamisburg (1-0) to advance to the finals of Group A, where they defeated North Olmstead 1-0 in double overtime to take the championship.  Mariemont joined Loveland and Ursuline as the top 3 teams in Division I, all winning their respective championship games.  Not bad for a little Division II team!  We continued our preseason with a hard fought battle against Hamilton-Badin (lost 3-2) and an impressive 3-1 win over Ross.  Our season begins August 26th against CCD, the preseason #1 team in the city.  Follow us through an exciting season.

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August 26, 2000
v. Cincinnati Country Day, #1

We figured this was going to be a one goal game.  Unfortunately, CCD got the goal.  

In what turned out to be the expected battle, our Lady Warriors played a fantastic game.  Both teams showed why they are two of the top four teams in the city.  A physically played game, the Warriors held tough through the first twenty-five minutes.  That's when they made their one mistake of the game.  A beautifully struck ball by CCD's freshman defenseman, Brittany Woods found the upper 90 from about 20 yards out.  That was all CCD needed to hold the #1 spot.  

Special mention should be made for Mariemont defender Kim Donovan.  Her job was to shut down Missy Vierling (yes, Vierling).  That is exactly what Kim did.  There is no one we can't stop.  Excellent defensive work led by sweeper Lisa Hammersmith, Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf, marking back Gretchen Perry and keepers Whitney Raeon and Casey Clukey kept Mariemont in the game until the final whistle.

August 30, 2000
v. Madeira, #6

Have we ever not entertained the crowd when we play Madeira?  We know it's going to be a great game - we just don't know what the score will be!   This proved true once again.  

Both teams began this game with fire in their eyes.  Mariemont controlled the majority of the first half, just missing scoring opportunities by Senior striker Sarah Birkett and Sophomore striker Liz Kauffman.  Solid play in the goal by Whitney Raeon and a solid defensive front kept the Amazons at bay.  

The second half was controlled mostly by Madeira.  A couple of key saves by keeper Casey Clukey, again supported by one of the finest defenses in the city kept Madeira from getting but just a few scoring chances.  Our Warriors had a few offensive surges, but we just couldn't put the biscuit in the basket.  Raeon and Clukey shared in the Warrior's first shutout of the season, combining for 9 saves.  We look forward to the possibility of seeing Madeira again in the Madeira Invitational next week, after a rematch with CCD.

September 2, 2000
v. Batavia

Two games gone, and still no goals.  This is not what Coach Haney had in mind.  It would take some serious defense to stop our Lady Warriors from getting that goal monkey off their back.  Batavia didn't know what hit them.

The Warriors had one objective on the opening kickoff - attack quickly and let the Dawgs defense know we were there.  Within about 3 minutes, Liz Kauffman sealed their fate with the first goal of the season.  Junior captain Lauren Potts, who is "money" from the penalty spot, bumped the score to 2-0 with a beautifully placed PK.  Kauffman took the Warriors into half-time with a 3-0 lead, scoring her 2nd goal of the game about 30 minutes in.  

The second half didn't go any better for the Lady Dawgs from Batavia.  Potts scored her 2nd goal and Sophomore Brittney Rahn scored her first career goal on a fantastic second effort finish from about 8 yards out, making the final score 5-0.  

Defensively, our Warriors had one goal in mind the second half - no shots allowed.  That is just what the defense did.  Allowing just one goal in 3 games, the defense only allowed one shot the first half and none the second.  Keepers Whitney Raeon and Casey Clukey each recorded their 2nd shutout of the season.  Led by Senior Chrissie Zepf and Sophomore Lisa Hammersmith, the defense showed once again why they are one of the best around.   

September 6, 2000
v. Cincinnati Country Day, #1
Madeira Invitational

The Lady Warriors looked forward to playing the #1 team in the city again, after losing to them 1-0 in the season opener.  What they didn't realize is how far that loss could motivate them.  

In what was anticipated to be another defensive battle between two of the city's top 4 teams, our Warriors hit on all cylinders to take down #1 CCD 4-1.  Brittney Rahn began the scoring about 20 minutes into the game, taking a ball served in by Sarah Birkett, ripping a shot, then finishing a mishandle by CCD's goalkeeper.  Within minutes, junior midfielder Holly Kapela hit a bending ball into the far post from a corner kick, putting the Warriors up 2-0.  Sarah Birkett nailed her first goal of the season on a beautifully crossed ball by Liz Kauffman to take a 3-0 lead into half-time.  

The Warriors knew the 2nd half would be a sheer battle.  With about 15 minutes left in the game, CCD striker Missy Vierling finished a corner kick  to light a much needed fire for the Indians to have any hope of a comeback.  Birkett extinguished that fire within about 90 seconds, ripping a shot from about 18 yards out on a breakaway service from Kauffman (2 assists).  Final score. . .  4-1.

Special mention should be given to the defensive play of the Lady Warriors - from the front line to our back four, we played a stellar defensive game.  As previously mentioned, Mariemont may have the best defense in the city.  We have shown once again there is no one we can't stop.  No one!   We will face Madeira in the Championship game on Saturday at 5 pm.  

September 9, 2000
v.  Madeira, #6
Madeira Invitational Championship

The Lady Warriors knew they would have their work cut out for them, playing Madeira for the second time in 10 days.  The last time we met, it turned out to be a pure defensive struggle, ending in a 0-0 tie.  We hate ties!

After a sluggish first half, Mariemont decided the last 40 minutes would be their best.  About 12 minutes in, Liz Kauffman took a perfectly served ball from Sarah Birkett and punched it in, giving the Lady Warriors all they needed for a victory.  With 17 minutes left, Kauffman iced the victory with another ball from Birkett, making the final score 2-0 and giving Mariemont their second consecutive Madeira Invitational Championship.  

Mariemont's defense was once again the key to their success.  Keepers Whitney Raeon and Casey Clukey notched their 3rd shutout of the season with a combined 6 saves.  Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf stepped up big, keeping the Amazons from bringing anything down the middle.  Sophomore sweeper Lisa Hammersmith anchored not only the Warriors defense, but also sparked the offense.  Lisa was very deservingly named tournament MVP.  

September 13, 2000
v. Reading

Playing Reading's varsity soccer team is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get.  But whatever the Blue Devils threw at our Lady Warriors, it wasn't enough.

Mariemont, currently ranked #3 in the city, started the game on fire, with Lauren Potts nailing a service by Sarah Birkett three minutes into the game.  Liz Kauffman took an assist from senior stopper Chrissie Zepf to take the score 2-0 into halftime.  The Lady Warriors picked up right where they left off, with Kauffman reloading a cleared ball back into the box for Birkett to finish.  Kauffman scored again on a beautiful ball served up from Holly Kapela and another on a through ball from Zepf (2 assists), giving her the first hat trick performance of the season.  

Once again, Mariemont's defense proved to be impenetrable, with Casey Clukey and Whitney Raeon notching their 4th shutout of the season.  It should also be mentioned that the Warrior defense, led by Zepf, sophomore sweeper Lisa "the Hammer" Hammersmith, and marking back Kim Donovan, has only allowed 2 goals in 6 games, both coming from previously #1 ranked CCD.   Great job, ladies! 

September 16, 2000
v. Mt. Notre Dame, Div. I

We knew this was going to be a tough game.  The score, however, does not reflect just how close the game really was.  

Mt. Notre Dame is a solid team, front to back with one of the best keepers in the city.  That did not stop Mariemont from ripping shots by the minute after the opening whistle.  Mt. Notre Dame scored early on with a toe poke goal past keeper Whitney Raeon, only the second goal allowed by the sophomore this season.

Down 1-0 at half-time, the Lady Warriors came out strong, dominating the second half.  Mt. Notre Dame came through with a breakaway from perhaps the fastest player Mariemont's defense has seen all season, making the score 2-0.  Mariemont striker Liz Kauffman countered minutes later from a head ball assist by Lauren Potts with a solid shot to the far post.  Several other opportunities by the Warriors came up just short, with Mt. Notre Dame getting another breakaway to take the score to 3-1.  Mariemont never gave up, outshooting MND 12-10, and showing a spirit and desire that has not faltered all season.  We will chalk this up as a good experience and focus on our next opponent, Finneytown on Monday night. 

September 18, 2000
v. Finneytown 

The Lady Warriors needed to notch a win in their quest for the CHL championship.  They got that win in fine fashion.

With Lauren Potts and Sarah Birkett coming out of the chute on fire and giving Mariemont an early 2-0 lead, the defense had a slight mental lapse.  Some lackadaisical marking allowed Finneytown to score 2 quick goals, tying the game at 2-2.  That was all the Lady Warriors needed to relight their fire.  Birkett went on a tear with Potts serving her up for 2 quick goals and then Birkett took the server's role and set up Liz Kauffman to take a 5-2 lead into half-time.  

Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf, who anchored the Warrior defense to hold the Wildcats to just 1 shot in the second half, added her first goal of the season.  Kauffman assumed the sweeper role in the second half, allowing Lisa Hammersmith to notch her first goal and third assist of the year.  Junior midfielder Holly Kapela added another goal to make the final score 8-2.  This was the kind of game Mariemont needed to pump them up for what should be the game of the year Wednesday night versus Indian Hill.  

September 20, 2000
v. Indian Hill, #2

The Lady Warriors were counting on this game as a deciding factor in the CHL championship.  With Wyoming as the other CHL powerhouse, the title will be decided through them.  

Both teams came out determined to prove they are the best.  With Indian Hill's long ball threat and Mariemont's control in the midfield and tenacious defense, the game went back and forth the entire first half.  Neither team could find the back of the net, however, taking a 0-0 score into half-time.  With the weather steadily getting worse, lightning finally arrived and the officials wisely called the game.  

Neither team was satisfied with a tie, as both felt the need to beat the other.  As it presently stands, the game is an official 0-0 tie, and the winner of the CHL will be ultimately be decided by the Cowboys of Wyoming.  

September 27, 2000
v. Deer Park

The Lady Warriors set 3 goals before the game - take at least 20 shots, score at least 6 goals, and hold Deer Park to 0 shots. . . two out of three isn't bad.  

After perhaps the slowest start of a Mariemont game in recent memory, senior striker Sarah Birkett began the scoring with a missile past the Wildcat keeper on a ball served up by junior midfielder Lauren Potts.    Birkett capped her second goal with about 5 minutes remaining in the first half with sophomore sweeper Lisa Hammersmith notching the assist.  

Birkett picked up right where she left off in the second half, half-volleying her third goal of the night on a beautifully placed ball by sophomore striker Liz Kauffman.  Potts added a goal on a ball served up by senior midfielder Ashley Seta.  Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf, who played perhaps the finest defensive game the season, ripped her 2nd goal of the season with a nutmeg on the Wildcat keeper.  Kauffman recorded her 2nd assist of the night on the play.  

When all was said and done, Mariemont had 26 shots and 5 goals, one short of their goal.  Most importantly, keepers Whitney Raeon and Casey Clukey recorded the 6th shutout of the season for the Warriors.  As mentioned, spectacular defensive play by Zepf, along with Hammersmith, sophomore Lizzy Anthony, and juniors Gretchen Perry and Jennifer Sarran held the Wildcats from Deer Park not only scoreless, but also allowed no shots.  That is what we will continue to build on, beginning Saturday against Division 1 powerhouse, Walnut Hills.  

September 30, 2000
v. Walnut Hills, Div. I

This was anticipated to be a very fast, physical, and hard fought game.  Walnut Hills, a perennial Division I powerhouse, came out on fire, setting the stage for a great game.  

Mariemont began the game somewhat disorganized defensively, which Walnut Hills capitalized on - twice.  Within about 10 minutes, the Lady Warriors were down 2-0.  Once they settled down, they played the way they are capable of playing - exceptional.  

The second half began right where the first half ended, with Mariemont dominating possession and continuously getting shot opportunities.  Finally, sophomore Liz Kauffman took a pass from senior striker Sarah Birkett and slid it past the Eagle keeper.  With about 15 minutes remaining in the game, however, Walnut Hills executed perhaps the fastest counter-attack of the season (certainly the fastest we've seen) from a Mariemont corner kick, putting the game out of reach at 3-1.  Robin Burlew, one of the finest players in the city, iced the game with a highlight film shot from about 20 yards out - airborn, sideways, upper 90.  All we could do was applaud.  

Though the score does not reflect it, the Lady Warriors played a fantastic game, outshooting Walnut Hills 15-9.  This was the eye-opener we needed going into Wednesday's game against CHL rival Wyoming.   

October 4, 2000
v. Wyoming, #5

Well, we lost.

October 7, 2000
v. McNicholas, #8

I know, I know. . . the last update was not up to my normal standard.  We don't take losing well.  Although the McNick game didn't give us much more to talk about for this summary, defeating our Lady Warriors 4-2, there is a silver lining to this cloudy week.  

Playing without sophomore sweeper Lisa Hammersmith, who is more than likely out for the season with a knee injury suffered against Wyoming, the Lady Warriors seemed a bit rattled.  McNick scored 20 minutes into the first half, and again with about 10 minutes remaining.    Lauren Potts finished a penalty kick 2 minutes before the half to bring the Warriors to within a goal going into half-time.

The second half started in Mariemont's favor, with junior midfielder Holly Kapela crashing the goal to tie the score 2-2.  Unfortunately, McNick iced the win about 25 minutes into the second half.  Another goal with 5 minutes remaining took the wind out of Mariemont's sails, with a final score of 4-2.  

So, where is the silver lining?  Junior defender, midfielder, striker, etc. . . Jennifer Sarran stepped up and played a fantastic game at sweeper.  We are confident we have found a solid replacement for the fallen Hammer, with 3 games remaining to become more comfortable with yet another role for which Jen was called upon.  Now is the time for us to regroup and get focused for the tournament, beginning October 19th.

October 9, 2000
v. New Richmond, #8

After 3 straight losses to quality teams, the Lady Warriors needed a big win over a quality team to regain their confidence.  They did just that.

Mariemont came out at the starting whistle on fire, and within 5 minutes, Lauren Potts iced a PK to take a quick 1-0 lead.  6 minutes later, Sarah Birkett got the goal monkey off her back and rifled a bullet past the Lady Lion keeper.  A minute later, senior midfielder Ashley Seta scored her first goal of the season, to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.  Birkett found the back of the net again 5 minutes later off of a headball assist from Potts (who also assisted on Birkett's first goal).  The Lady Lions crashed the goal to make the score 4-1 with 20 minutes left to play in the first half, but that would be the only time they saw light.  Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf ripped a shot served up by Liz Kauffman to take a 5-1 lead into the half.

The second half resumed with Lauren Potts leading the way, scoring her second goal of the night nine minutes in.  After playing a solid possession game for the majority of the half, Kauffman finally found her opening, blistering a shot past an outstretched New Richmond keeper into the side netting.  Final score. . . 7-1.  

Stellar defensive play by defenders Lizzy Anthony, who did a terriffic job of marking New Richmond's big gun, along with Chrissie Zepf, Gretchen Perry, freshman newcomer Erin Faulk, and new sweeper Jen Sarran kept the Lady Lions at bay the entire game, allowing only 5 shots.  We are also proud to announce that junior midfielder Lauren Potts broke the school record for assists in a season, notching her 11th and 12th of the year.  The previous record was held by Erika Howland, who recorded 11 assists in 1999.  We are sure there will be more to come.  Our next opponent is Taylor on Wednesday night. 

October 11, 2000
v. Taylor, #10

The Lady Warriors expected a good game with the Yellow Jackets from Taylor.  They came out and showed why they are still one of the top teams in the area.  

In perhaps the worst officiated game of the year, Mariemont kept their composure throughout the game to fend off league rival Taylor.  After a dominant first half by the Lady Warriors, the score was still 0-0 at half-time.  We had countless opportunities to score, but the Taylor defense stubbornly kept the ball out of the net.  

Two minutes into the second half, junior midfielder Holly Kapela broke open the game, taking a served ball by senior stopper Chrissie Zepf, and nailing it over the outstretched Taylor keeper.  Sophomore midfielder Chelsea Mitchell scored her first career goal, finishing a cross by junior midfielder Lauren Potts.  6 minutes later, Liz Kauffman ripped her 12th goal of the year, taking the score to 3-0 with 13 minutes left to play.  Taylor put a scare into the Warrior defense when Nicole Gerwin broke free with 40 yards to the goal.  Chrissie Zepf rocketed 50 yards across the field, catching Gerwin, and making a perfect slide tackle to deny the shot.   Sophomore keeper Whitney Raeon, who plays the 2nd half in the midfield, flew past her mark after junior midfielder Ellen Baird perfectly executed a change in our point of attack.  Before her mark knew what hit her, Whitney sent a missile into the lower corner of the far post, recording her first goal of the season.  In the process, Raeon iced the victory as well as combining with sophomore keeper Casey Clukey for the Lady Warriors 7th shutout of the season.  Final score. . . 4-0. 

State Tournament
October 19, 2000
v. CHCA

One thing Coach Haney has said all season about his Lady Warriors is that their greatest threat is you can't just shut down one player and stop them.  The Eagles of CHCA found out there are at least 7 Lady Warriors you have to stop from scoring in order to have a chance.

Senior captain Sarah Birkett began the scoring two minutes into the game.  Less than 3 minutes later, Freshman Erin Faulk recorded her first career goal on a corner kick served up by Birkett.  Junior captain Lauren Potts finished a service by  junior midfielder Holly Kapela.  Sophomore midfielder Brittney Rahn and Junior midfielder Ellen Baird each finished on scoring opportunities to take a 5-0 lead into halftime.  

Kapela picked up where they left off in the first half, ripping a 20 yard shot into the upper 90 off of a served ball by sophomore striker Liz Kauffman (3 assists).  Less than a minute later, CHCA capitalized on the only shot they had in the second half, bringing the score to 6-1.  With every player on the Lady Warriors roster contributing, sophomore midfielder Chelsea Mitchell iced the win with just over a minute remaining, taking the final score to 7-1.  

Seven goals, seven different scorers.  This is the kind of scoring potency the Lady Warriors need for tournament.  With the leadership of Birkett, who ended the game with a goal and 4 assists, and Senior defender Chrissie Zepf, we believe the best is yet to come.  

State Tournament
October 23, 2000
v. Clinton-Massie, #10 seed

We knew nothing about Clinton-Massie.  Coach Haney has told the Lady Warriors all season long that there is not a team out there he feels can't be beat.  The team he worries most about is his own. 

Clinton-Massie jumped out to an early 1-0 lead.  Mass confusion and disorganization kept the Lady Warriors from putting anything together for the entire first half.  After a calming half-time speech, Mariemont responded by dominating the second half.  Clinton-Massie bunkered their defense, knowing that was their only chance to hold on to a 1-0 lead.  After several close attempts, the Warriors just couldn't find the back of the net.  Finally, with about 6 minutes left to play in regulation, junior midfielder Holly Kapela took a back pass from sophomore keeper/midfielder Whitney Raeon and ripped a shot from about 30 yards out, sailing it in over an outstretched Clinton-Massie keeper.  The Lady Warriors found the spark they had been looking for.  They took the 1-1 tie into over-time, and that's when the Mariemont offense took over.

Within one minute of over-time, senior striker Sarah Birkett finished a Kapela corner kick.  Less than a minute later,  sophomore striker Liz Kauffman finished off a cross by Birkett to take the score to 3-1.  That was all the scoring the Lady Warriors needed to regain their confidence, and to secure the win.  

Senior stopper Chrissie Zepf, stepped up big the entire game, shutting down every opportunity for Clinton-Massie to attack.  Sophomore marking back Lizzy Anthony played perhaps the finest 100 minutes of her high school career, with juniors Gretchen Perry and Jennifer Sarran continually making big defensive plays to keep Clinton-Massie at bay.   Next up, Hamilton-Badin, Thursday night at Fairfield.  This should prove to be our toughest challenge, not only physically, but mentally.

State Tournament
October 26, 2000
v. Hamilton-Badin, #4 seed

This was perhaps the biggest game of the year - certainly the biggest game of several of the Lady Warriors careers.  We were as prepared as we could be, both mentally and physically, but it just wasn't enough to hold off the Rams of Hamilton-Badin.

Both teams came out strong, battling for every ball like it could be their last.  Badin opened the scoring about 20 minutes into the game, with Reba Sedlacek blistering a shot past Warrior keeper Whitney Raeon.  Mariemont countered quickly, with senior striker Sarah Birkett taking a sharp pass from sophomore striker Liz Kauffman, and ripping a shot to the near post from about 12 yards out.  The game went back and forth, with neither team giving in.  Badin finished a corner kick with a head ball to the upper 90 to take a 2-1 lead.  With about 3 minutes left in the half, Sedlacek went coast to coast, nailing her 2nd goal of the night to give the Rams a 3-1 lead at the half. 

Mariemont settled in for a tough final 40 minutes and played as well as they ever have, firing 12 shots at Badin's net.  Badin's defense, however, came up big, holding the Lady Warriors scoreless in the second half.  Badin iced the victory with another score about halfway through, giving the Rams a 4-1 victory over Mariemont.  

Special credit should be given to the Lady Warriors - they played for 80 minutes, not letting up in their efforts or desire.  They should be proud of the way they played - after all, District Runner-up isn't too bad.  

Season Wrap-up

The Lady Warriors finished the season with many accomplishments.  With a 10-6-2 record, they equalled the 1999 record of most wins in a season by the girls soccer team.  They began the season with a championship at the Ohio High School Cup, and successfully defended their title as champs at the Madeira Invitational.  After climbing to #3 in the city rankings, the Lady Warriors achieved state recognition as the #6 team in Ohio for Division II.  They recorded 7 shutouts on the season, including a 0-0 tie with league rival Indian Hill, ranked #2 in the state.  With the defense once again being the stronghold for the Warriors success, we outscored opponents 56-26, and allowed only 6.6 shots per game.  With a 7-1 tournament win over CHCA and an overtime victory over Clinton-Massie, the Lady Warriors advanced to the District Championship game for the second time in three years.  What a season! 

It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to work with such an exemplary selection of young women.  I haven't had a more dedicated or inspiring group of student-athletes in my 5 years with Mariemont.  I see more light on the horizon for the Lady Warriors soccer program, but this is one light that will shine in me for quite some time.  I will always have a special place in my heart for this group, as these seniors are among the first of my players at Mariemont.  I will miss each of them, and I give them my very best, as well as my thanks.  My prayers are with each of these girls, as I know they will be looked after in all of their future endeavors. 

Coach Haney   

1999 GAME ARCHIVES

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