GREENE COUNTY — Both Medina and Beavercreek came up one match shy of playing in the Division I boys high school soccer state championship game just a season ago.
This time, the two will face each other at Columbus’s MAPFRE Stadium to try to claim a state title for themselves.
HOW MEDINA GOT TO COLUMBUS
The Medina Battling Bees (16-1-5) lost to eventual state champ Cleveland St. Ignatius in the 2016 state semis, and the Beavercreek Battlin’ Beavers (21-0-2) fell to eventual state runner-up Columbus St. Charles on that same night.
Medina rolled through the Elyria district tournament as a No. 2 seed. After a first-round bye, they defeated Akron Firestone 2-1, and then third-seeded Brunswick by the same 2-1 margin. They took out fourth-seeded Copley 2-0, after Copley had upset top-seeded Wadsworth in the previous round, to win the Medina district title.
The Bees then upset No. 7-ranked and once beaten Olmstead Falls 3-0 in the regional semis, before nipping Sylvania Northview (who upset No. 10 Anthony Wayne in the semis) 1-0 in Sandusky for the Region 2 crown.
Medina then avenged its 2016 state semifinal loss to No. 9 ranked and three-time defending state champion St. Ignatius with a 3-0 shutout Nov. 8 in Macedonia, Ohio.
Medina is coached by third-year coach Simon Spelling.
HOW BEAVERCREEK GOT TO COLUMBUS
As the top seed out of the Southwest 3 district, Beavercreek bashed Sidney 9-0 in its district first round match, then rolled Stebbins 10-0 in the second round.
The Beavers blanked Miamisburg, 7-0 to win the district semifinal match, then shutout Lakota West by a 3-0 tally to win the district crown.
The first goal to be scored against Beavercreek came in the regional semifinal, where the Beavers claimed a 4-1 win over Greater Western Ohio Conference rival Centerville. Beavercreek then nipped No. 8-ranked Anderson, 3-2, to win the regional title.
Beavercreek then defeated No. 3-ranked Dublin Coffman in double overtime, 1-0, on Nov. 8 at London High School’s Bowlus Field. St. Charles, which Beavercreek had played to a tied during the regular season, was upset by Hilliard Darby in the Central District semifinals.
Beavercreek coach John Guiliano has coached the Beavers for 29 years and has a 410-107-85 career record. The Beavers were state runners up in 1990 and 2008, and they’ve been in the state final four eight times (1986, 1990, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016 and now 2017).