Elaina Lahmers (5) of Fairbanks sends the ball past West Liberty-Salem opponents during the 2021 season. The Lady Panthers finished as Division III regional runners-up.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
—
It was a season unlike any other in program history.
The Fairbanks High School girls soccer team brought home the Division III regional runner-up trophy Saturday evening from Teays Valley High School.
The Lady Panthers (14-7) finished as the runner-up after dropping a 3-2 verdict to Winchester Eastern Brown High School.
Randy Spain, who has been the team’s only head coach in its 15-year history, reflected back on his team a couple of days after the tournament concluded.
“This was a very competitive, focused and unified team,” said Spain.
The coach said the Lady Panthers had very good chemistry and remained focused on the task at hand with each match.
Going into the regional final contest, FHS had posted five consecutive shutouts, including four in tourney action.
The Lady Panthers outscored their opponents, 65-23, and finished with 10 shutouts over the course of the campaign.
“The strongest part of our team was our possession game,” said Spain. “The great job we did of possessing the ball allowed us to play both solid defense and offense.”
Addie Thrush and Elaina Lahmers respectively led the Lady Panthers in double-digit goals with 14 and 13.
Thrush led the team with 31 points.
Each goal counts as two points for statistical purposes. She garnered 28 points on her 14 goals and then added three points on a trio of assists.
Lahmers finished with 28 points when her two assists were factored into the equation.
Ellie Carter led with five of the team’s 25 assists.
Keeper Madi Cook tallied 100 saves, while Avery Groves added six.
“This team accomplished a great deal and they’ve set the bar and standard high for upcoming seasons,” said Spain.
The Lady Panthers will be losing two seniors out of the starting lineup.
Kate Ruff and Anna Poling were four-year starters.
Gracie Pyers, another senior, was a starter until she went down around midseason with an ACL injury.
Groves and Liliana Jeronimo were also seniors.
Spain said the team is losing good fourth-year athletes, but there is a solid nucleus returning for the 2022 campaign.
“Most of our juniors (including Thrush, Lahmers, Carter and Rebecca and Lily Dean) were starters this season,” he said.
Cook (a sophomore) and Lexi Cushman (a freshman) were also in the lineup throughout the season.
“Our incoming freshmen for next year number approximately nine,” said Spain. “I’ve also heard there may be a couple girls who didn’t play this season who might come back next year.”
Spain knows exactly what he wants from his squad next fall.
“We want to pick up where we left off this season,” he said. “We want to win the conference and make a long post-season run.”
FHS finished tied with Greeneview (6-2) as the Ohio Heritage Conference runner-up to Greenon (8-0) this past season.
“We’re not satisfied with how we finished this year,” said Spain. “We’re going to remain hungry.”