BEAVERCREEK—The Beavercreek Beavers continued to look dominant as they advanced to 12-1-0 on Senior Recognition Night. They defeated the Fairborn Skyhawks 9-0 and maintained their hold on the top of the Greater Western Ohio Conference’s National East division, just above Centerville, as the Beavers look to defend their Division I state championship.
“We face Centerville here Tuesday [Oct 9] and that will probably come down to be the GWOC Championship game,” Beavercreek coach John Guiliano said.
Beavercreek took a few minutes to recognize its 13 seniors before the game, and this seemed to have the team energized early. The Beavers jumped out to a six-goal lead by halftime. The seniors in particular performed well for the Beavers, accounting for seven of Beavercreek’s nine goals.
“The seniors have worked a long time and it’s paying off,” Guiliano said. “It was a good night for them.”
Beavercreek senior Phillip Wynn led the way for the Beavers with a goal and two assists.
Senior Tanner Eberle scored two goals and four other seniors each ended their night with a goal.
The team was regularly in the offensive zone as they maintained consistent possession of the ball.
“We focused on ball possession and short passes,” Guiliano said. “We tried to play up tempo to help us get ready for Centerville.”
The defense helped maintain possession by pinching in and collecting any loose balls headed across half field. Fairborn’s offense never got a chance to get going as they were never able to take a shot in the first half. The Skyhawks’ first of two total shots came with just under 20 minutes remaining.
“If we lose the ball, we need to recover,” Guiliano said. “We call it the 5-Second Rule. You lose the ball, you’ve got five seconds to go win it back.”
Beavercreek looks to end the season with a GWOC conference win and a successful defense of their state title.
Both teams have non-league matches set for Saturday. The Beaver’s next game is at 7 p.m., Oct. 6 in Cincinnati against Elder. The next game for Fairborn (6-5-1 overall) is a 2 p.m. Oct. 6 contest at home against Yellow Springs.