Rockets too much for Lancers

There was just too much pressure for the Gilmour Academy Lancers in Tuesday night’s girls soccer game with Bay Village. The two-time defending state champion Rockets took shot after shot, breaking open a close halftime game, to take a 7-2 win in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III state semifinal. “I think they wanted it a little bit more than we did,” Lancer Coach Juliet Tyma said. “We would have liked to make it one more game, but I can’t complain. They had a heck of a season.” It was Gilmour Academy’s second ever state semifinal appearance with the first being in 2016 when the team one it all. The Rockets (21-2) kept the pressure on the entire contest, taking 12 shots on goal compared to 5 for the Lancers. That pressure allowed Bay to break open a 2-1 halftime score into 6-1 lead with just 7:11 left in the contest. But the Lancers never quit. “They put up a great fight the whole game,” Bay’s Issi Bruno said, who scored two second-half goals. “They have an incredible midfield. Playing against them was honestly great competition. I love getting to compete against great players.” Teammate Ally Fetterman agreed. “Going into it, we were really nervous,” the senior said. “They were great competition, just amazing. They never gave up, and they made it hard through the entire game.” For Tyma, she is already looking toward the 2027 season. Gilmour Academy (15-5-2) lose seniors Lily Detzel, Anni Franks, Kelsey Pattison, Madison Stirling and Abbey Steiner, but return a solid nucleus. “We’re a young team,” Tyma said. “So I’m excited about next season. We’ll be back here next year.”