The dance is over for Loveland girls soccer

Lady Tigers eliminated from postseason play in District Semi-final 1-0 loss to Oak Hills  

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (October 28, 2020)  – It was a tough-to-take finish for the Loveland Lady Tigers losing 1-0 to Oak Hills in the District Semi-final Tuesday night at Kings High School Knights Stadium ending their postseason run and hopes for another State Championship title for Loveland girls soccer.

The Oak Hills Highlanders scored the first and only goal of the game with 19:24 remaining in the first half of play. Tiger keeper Eva Dudeck made an outstanding diving save on a shot from the left side. It appeared Dudeck was unable to stretch out far enough to secure the ball with a catch. Instead she could only punch it away with both hands. The rebound was ultimately controlled by an Oak Hills player who was able to push the ball into the goal with no chance for Dudeck to make the stop. The goal gave Oak Hills a 1-0 lead they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

The final result brought a sad end to a sensational undefeated league championship season for the Loveland Girls Soccer Team. The Lady Tigers brought a record of 14-0-3 into the contest demonstrating an incredible winning tenacity throughout the fall 2020 season. Their 7-0-1 record in ECC play earned them the conference championship and a #2 seed for postseason play. More importantly, their skills, athletic ability, and teamwork earned them respect throughout the high school soccer community.

All of that carried over into the game on Tuesday night. Despite allowing the early score by Oak Hills, the Lady Tigers never let up creating multiple attacks, shots and scoring opportunities. The Highlander keeper recorded 7 saves in the match. Shots sailing high, wide, or sometimes blocked by a stacked Oak Hills defense late kept the Tigers off the scoreboard. Consistent heavy pressure from the Loveland offense made it look like the field was tilted in their favor. At the same time, it seemed like an uphill battle against some questionable foul calls that went against Loveland during a physically hard-fought contest.  

The season may be over, but for these Loveland Lady Tiger Soccer players, there will be a lifetime of great memories of a season very well played. Congratulations Tigers on a great 2020. Thanks for the thrills of victory!

Loveland Boys Soccer: their postseason run continues in the District Championship Final as they take on Centerville Thursday, October 29, at Lakota East High School. Game time is 7 p.m.

Check http://www.lovelandtigers.org for more about Loveland High School Athletics

Check http://www.eccsports.com for results, standings, and more.