The first season for Hathaway Brown soccer coach Carmen Ptacek was a good one even though the sting of losing, 2-1, in double overtime to Canfield in a Division II regional semifinal may still hurt.
"We had a great season," Ptacek said. "This season, we did a lot better than people expected us to. I knew this team was very, very young."
The Cardinals scored with just 3 minutes left until penalty kicks would have been used to decide the outcome of the game.
"We had some difficulty clearing the ball out of the back area," Ptacek said. "They won the ball, crossed it low in front of the net and scored."
HB's season ends at 13-5-2 while Canfield (17-4) reached the regional final and lost, 3-0, to Walsh Jesuit (18-0-2).
Ptacek started five freshmen and only two seniors. There are just three seniors on the team overall. But one of those is midfielder Lysette Roman, a Colgate recruit, who is one of the better players in the state. However, HB will also lose sophomore center back Veronica Guastella, who is moving out of state.
Roman scored the game-winning goal in the final minutes of the state championship game during her freshman year before the OHSAA took the title away from HB for playing an ineligible player. Roman then helped lead the Blazers to the state title game in 2010, where they lost, 2-1, in overtime before being regional tournament qualifiers the past two years.
"She's definitely one of the best players to walk the halls at Hathaway Brown," Ptacek said. "She's seen it all in her four years. She's going to be very hard to replace."
Roman will join HB basketball player Stephanie Poland at Colgate.
"We do have a lot of returning players," Ptacek said. "I urge them to work hard in the offseason. Play outside of HB and be in the weight room."
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