Freshman Ava Borg’s goal midway through the second half lifted Badin to a 1-0 victory over top-ranked Akron Hoban in a Division III state semifinal Tuesday night at Olentangy.
Badin (15-3-5) — unbeaten in its last 19 matches — will play Bay Village for a state title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.
“This group has been locked in since June 1,” Rams senior goalkeeper Blake Sakach said. “We said from the start that this was the goal — to get to state. And we knew we could do it. Our seniors, our underclassmen, everyone bought in. We’re just so proud, but we also know we’ve got one more left.”
The match was scoreless deep into the second half when Badin earned a corner kick.
Sophomore Audrey Rhodis sent in a high, bending ball that sailed just over Hoban’s goalkeeper. Borg was waiting on the back post.
“I knew right when she hit it that it was coming straight toward me,” Borg said. “After the keeper just barely tipped it with her finger, and I knew I could just bang it in.”
The goal, coming with 21:59 left, gave the Rams a 1-0 lead and all the momentum they needed to put away a Hoban team powered by senior Reese Gallagher — who entered with 44 goals and 15 assists this season.
“It was amazing,” Borg said. “I just wanted to do it for our seniors, and I was so proud.”
Sakach didn’t have to make many highlight saves thanks to a disciplined back line that stifled the Knights’ attack.
“I trust my back line completely,” Sakach said. “I’ve got to stay on my toes, but I know they’re going to handle their jobs. We’ve just built that confidence all year — and it showed.”
Badin coach Chris Slusher credited his team’s tactical adjustments and composure for flipping the game after a tight first half.
“I thought the first half was a real seesaw battle,” Slusher said. “They’re number one in the state, and we’re number two — you expect that. But in the second half, I thought we were clearly the better team. The girls just took it to another level.”
Slusher said the Rams made changes to counter Hoban’s attack and specifically focused on neutralizing Gallagher. It was junior Bella Heile who applied the defense on Gallagher, a University of Dayton commit.
“We watched film and built a plan around not letting her beat us,” Slusher said. “Bella did most of the work for us.”
The Rams are no strangers to this stage.
Badin has made its 10th state tournament appearance, with previous championships coming in 2005 (Division II) and 2013 and 2014 (Division III). The program also finished runner-up in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2006, and 2007.
Slusher said this year’s run feels connected to that storied past.
“It’s like we’re writing another chapter in a book,” Slusher said. “There are so many little things happening that make you think of past teams — the dates, the moments, the players. We’ve got three coaches who have all won state titles before, and it just feels special. The tradition is alive."
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