Sunbury — The Golden Bears have been in this position before: a talented roster, a motivated team, and high tournament hopes. Yet, a regional championship has long been their Achilles’ heel.
Upper Arlington hasn’t reached the Final Four since 2008, accomplishing the feat just once in program history.
On Tuesday, the Golden Bears took down a familiar rival, earning themselves another shot at history. They’ll face Olentangy Liberty on Saturday with a chance to claim their second regional title.
Upper Arlington took out Dublin Coffman 1–0 on Tuesday night at Big Walnut High School in Sunbury. Senior Lillian Schilling delivered the game’s lone goal in the 50th minute, lifting the Golden Bears to the regional championship game.
“Our team has been putting in the work all season, and we’re finally being rewarded for it,” Schilling said after the win over Coffman.
It was a game plan executed to perfection by Upper Arlington — the result of a focused effort, according to head coach Jared Dombrowski. He said the Golden Bears made it a priority to refine their approach after their first meeting with Coffman.
“We focused on limiting mistakes defensively because they know how to counter,” Dombrowski said. “Staying focused and staying organized for 80 minutes is what we needed.”
Upper Arlington controlled possession throughout the match, leaving Dublin Coffman with few chances to generate offense. The Shamrocks’ best opportunity came in the 47th minute on a counterattack, but goalkeeper Alina Montero shut it down with a key stop.
Just three minutes later, Schilling broke the deadlock, giving the Golden Bears the lead and putting all the pressure on Coffman to respond. The Shamrocks never found an answer.
Though she may have been the hero on the stat sheet, Schilling was quick to credit Upper Arlington’s defense in the win, praising the unit’s ability to shut down Coffman’s attack and limit their chances.
“Abbie Kessinger and Anaya Jones are absolute brick walls,” Schilling said. “We wanted no counterattacks. As you could see, our defense was on lock the entire time.”
With a regional championship looming on Saturday, the Golden Bears will face Olentangy Liberty. Upper Arlington defeated the Patriots 3-1 earlier this season. For this group, a Final Four appearance would mean the world.
“Our team has gotten unlucky in the past and it would amazing,” Schilling said. “We’ve been a one seed and not quite gotten there yet. It would mean everything to us seniors who have been here all four years.”
Upper Arlington plays Olentangy Liberty at Olentangy High School on Saturday, with a scheduled kickoff at 7 PM. Winner advances to the state semifinals on Tuesday, November 4th.
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