Upper Arlington — The last time Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy met in field hockey, the matchup went to overtime. On a cold, rainy Tuesday playoff night, the Golden Bears made sure history didn’t repeat itself.
Golden Bears head coach Sara Greaves said the mission was simple: executing more opportunities and playing better.
“The last time we played them, we had more unforced turnovers and errors than this time,” Greaves said. “Tonight, we played crisper and made the most of our scoring opportunities.”
Columbus Academy struggled to maintain possession in the first half, spending much of the time on the defensive as Upper Arlington applied relentless pressure. Evie Ruma broke through just minutes in, giving the Golden Bears an early 1-0 lead.
Upper Arlington used its speed to overwhelm the Vikings, pairing quickness with consistent execution and constant pressure, a formula that proved tough to crack. Caroline Overmyer added goals in the second and third periods to stretch the Golden Bears’ lead to 3-0.
Upper Arlington held strong the rest of the way, defeating Columbus Academy 3-1 to advance to Saturday’s regional championship. The Vikings’ lone goal came in the third period from Katie Neviaser. The Golden Bears will face Bishop Watterson next, after the Eagles defeated Olentangy Liberty 2-0 on Tuesday.
The Eagles won the season series against Upper Arlington with a 1-0-1 record, and Coach Greaves says that just like Tuesday, execution and composure are the keys to success.
“Watterson has a great team and great coaches,” Greaves said. “So, we need to make sure we are executing offensively on set plays, and then defensively limiting their scoring opportunities. It is also going to be physical, so we need to be fresh and ready to run.”
Bishop Watterson and Upper Arlington will face at 3:30 PM on Saturday at Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell. Prior, New Albany clashes with Thomas Worthington at 12:30 PM.
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