Staff photo / Preston Byers
Howland’s Grace Villwock (17) attempts to get around Canfield’s Larissa Palotsee during Monday’s 2-1 Howland win at Canfield.
CANFIELD — No love could be lost between the Howland and Canfield girls soccer teams, but relations certainly did not improve Monday.
Under the lights and in the rain at Bob Dove Field, the Tigers scored two second-half goals and held off a late Cardinals rally to win 2-1 and secure a second victory over their All-American Conference rival this season.
“We know they would never stop until the final whistle, so we knew it was going to be a challenge,” Howland head coach Greg Mitchell said. “I’m glad to see that the girls were up for it. I’m very proud of them for the way they played today.”
With conference title ramifications at play — first-place Howland entered with a 5-0 AAC record, while Canfield was in second at 4-1 — both teams tried to get off to a hot start.
The Tigers grabbed control of the game early but just not on the scoreboard. Despite an advantage in possession and early chances, the teams stayed locked in a scoreless tie throughout the first half.
Momentum swung into the Cardinals’ favor after withstanding the strong Howland start, though. Canfield largely controlled the pace of the match and generated a few scoring chances as the Tigers struggled to put any pressure on the Canfield defense.
But the Tigers did maintain an edge in one aspect of the game: physicality.
The center official awarded four different Howland players yellow cards for fouls, and another received a yellow for purportedly talking back to the referee.
Canfield head coach Phil Simone said his team, which typically does not use much of its bench, was affected by Howland’s style of play Monday.
“Very physical on their end, borderline cheap on some hits. But if that’s how they’re going to play, that’s how they’re going to play,” Simone said.
Mitchell, as expected, defended his team.
“Those yellow cards are just from our kids just trying to battle back. It’s not like we were initiating the physicality. It’s just our kids not backing down and trying to compete. And unfortunately we end up getting the short end of the stick almost for all the calls,” Mitchell said.
Fifty-four minutes in, Howland broke the scoreless tie with a long run down the left side of the pitch that ended with a cross into the box and a goal by Madison Schmitz, prompting a roar from the Tigers’ players and supporters.
Three minutes later, Howland largely replicated its first goal sequence, only with Ava Boothe finishing off the run to put Howland ahead 2-0 with less than 19 minutes remaining.
From then on, Canfield, as its coach directed, “sent it.”
Needing three goals on its home turf to earn the victory, the Cardinals attacked and attacked some more before being awarded with its first goal.
After Lorieona Jannone’s shot was blocked by Howland goalkeeper Taylor Fairchild, Ava Paris took advantage of Fairchild’s aggressive positioning and struck the ball hard over Fairchild’s head and into the net.
Despite their best efforts, though, the Cardinals could not do it again. Howland fended off Canfield’s late offensive pressure to come out on top 2-1.
The win meant a lot to the Tigers, their coach said.
“We knew it was going to be a really tough battle, especially playing them at their place,” Mitchell said. “It’s always tough to beat Canfield twice in the same season. I don’t think it’s been done for, like, 17 years, so it’s pretty good, especially for the seniors, to finish up like this with them.”
Canfield plays (11-3, 4-2) at Austintown Fitch on Wednesday. For that contest, the Cardinals may be without junior Gianna Marino, who was taken off of the field on a cart in the second half with an ankle injury. Simone said after the match that she would be getting X-rays of her ankle.
Howland (12-2, 6-0) hosts Warren G. Harding on Wednesday. With a two-game lead over Canfield and only two conference matches remaining, the Tigers control their own destiny in regards to clinching the AAC championship.