“I’m ecstatic. I couldn’t be happier. I won a big game with my team,” said Lampe, who collected six saves. “I think that we worked together as a team and our communication was up there. There’s always bumps in the road that you can fix, but I think overall, we played pretty well.”
Badin, which improved to 7-6 overall and 2-3 in the GCLC Central, has only given up 10 goals this season.
“Defensively, Shelby Ernst and Marissa Kah in the back really anchored down the middle of the field,” Rams coach Todd Berkely said. “Every time Fenwick would have a through ball in there, they were running it down. They were making a difference to keep something big from happening in the middle of the field.
“Whenever these two teams play, it doesn’t make any difference if one is on top of their game and one is on the bottom. Fenwick and Badin bring out the best in both teams. It makes the game frantic, which you saw. Senior Night made the game hyped up.
“We got back behind the ball and played a little bit more of a defensive game than I would’ve liked, and Fenwick came at us. They always play high-pressure ball. Compliments to them.”
Harper scored off an assist from sophomore Jamie Lehker midway through the first half for Badin, and Lampe made the goal stand up.
The Falcons’ best scoring chance was a drive by Erica Hafer with about 11 minutes remaining in the opening half. Lampe leaped and tipped the ball over the bar.
“All right, I got it,” she said of her reaction. “Then just move on.”
“That was clutch,” Berkely said. “But she’s been doing that all season long. One of the greatest compliments came from the McNicholas coach. He said, ‘She is absolutely spectacular.’ He said she was the best goalkeeper that they’ve faced.”
It was the sixth one-goal loss for Fenwick, which fell to 2-10-2 overall and 0-4-1 in the GCLC North. Rose Schaffer took the defeat in goal.
“We played a very good possession team tonight and, to be honest with you, I think we out-possessed them,” Falcons coach Rich Harknett said.
“Badin played well, but it’s hard not to say that we had long periods of that game where we were putting them under pressure. We’re doing everything we can out there. We just don’t take the few chances that we create and translate all the hard work they’re doing into goals.
“Badin stayed very organized. They didn’t panic, and that’s a typical Badin team. Their goalie made a great save (on Hafer’s shot). I guess it says something about our offense when you can have that much possession on their side of the field and we’re talking about just one shot that we can remember that really was dangerous.”
Badin started all six of its seniors: Lampe, Nicole Visse, Maddie Smith, Laurel Pendergest, Lindsey Brinck and Sabrina Bernardo.
“We did this same thing two years ago and I started with all the seniors, and it was crazy,” Lampe said. “I can say I had the exact same feeling this year, even though I wasn’t an underclassman this time.”
Berkely said the Rams’ continuity was a little off with the different lineup, “but tonight is about the seniors, and the girls are together as a family, the big Badin family. They’re like this before the game, during the game and after the game.”
Harper (Xavier), Lampe (Ashland), Smith (DePauw) and Visse (Indiana East) have all made college commitments for Badin, the No. 3 seed in the Division III North Dayton 4 sectional. The Rams will begin postseason play at home Oct. 22 against the winner between 24th-seeded Twin Valley South and No. 18 Legacy Christian Academy (formerly Xenia Christian).
Can Badin, a three-time state champion, make a serious tournament run?
“Because of the schedule we play, they are battle tested,” Berkely said. “So we’ll see.”
Fenwick is seeded 10th in the Division II Cincinnati 3 sectional and will host No. 15 Talawanda on Oct. 18.
“I’m still looking at this as a glass-half-full team,” Harknett said. “We’ve got a lot of young players out there, and they’re starting to come along. We’ve had a lot of 1-0 losses, but in a tournament where it’s one game and you’re out, it’s a small margin to turn a 1-0 loss into a 1-0 win.”
Both teams will complete GCLC play Wednesday. The Rams travel to Roger Bacon, while the Falcons host Chaminade Julienne for Senior Night.
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