Medina Christian boys soccer makes history with first-ever postseason wins

Medina Christian Academy’s boys soccer team had never won an Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament game before Oct. 13. It took the Knights five days to double that total.

Seniors Daniel Hussey and Nathan Androschuk had what would amount to good seasons for many players during MCA’s romp through its first two postseason games. The pair combined for all 12 of the team’s goals and four assists to send the Knights to their first district semifinal.

The victories improved Medina Christian to 15-3, extended its winning streak to 11 games and advanced the Knights to an Oct. 23 district semifinal against Elyria Open Door Christian in Elyria. The winner will play Saturday, Oct. 25, against either No. 5 Smithville or No. 7 Bristolville Bristol in the district final, which kicks off at 4 p.m. at Salem’s Sebo Stadium.

The 44-team super-district spans much of Northeast Ohio, stretching from the Pennsylvania border to Mentor and Kirtland and as far west as Wellington. Loudonville is the district’s southwesternmost team.

Hussey led the scoring in the opener, netting five goals and two assists in the 18th-seeded Knights’ 8-0 win over No. 41 Brookfield in a Division V Northeast District 3 game Oct. 13. Androschuk added three goals and one assist. Together, the duo accounted for most of MCA’s 22-2 advantage in shots on goal.

Medina Christian followed that win with a 4-1 victory over No. 39 Loudonville on Oct. 18. This time Androschuk scored three goals, while Hussey added one goal and an assist. Jack Myers and Isaiah Dos Santos also contributed assists as the Knights erased an early second-half deficit.

Volleyball

After a strong regular season, Medina Christian’s volleyball team fell victim to a minor upset in its first postseason match. The Knights, seeded 21st, lost 3-1 to Columbia Station Columbia. Two days later, Columbia was swept by No. 5 Independence.

In the loss, freshman Ally Glau led the Knights with 11 digs, nine assists and four aces. Freshman Hailey Mendrea and senior Ava Sems each had 10 digs and four kills, while senior Cara Wolny added 15 digs and four aces.

The Knights finished 14-7 overall and 5-3 in the Lake Effect Conference, placing third among nine teams. Their win total doubled last year’s and came just two seasons after a winless campaign. This was only the Knights’ third year competing in OHSAA tournament play.

Medina High soccer

The Medina Bees ended their final Greater Cleveland Conference season with a pair of championships, securing a win and a tie against Strongsville to claim both titles outright.

The boys capped their GCC run with a 1-0 win over Strongsville on Oct. 14, clinching the league championship. A goal from Chase Wilbur off a Brody Gannon assist in the first 10 minutes held up in a match that featured just six total shots on goal. Medina entered the postseason 11-2-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in conference play. The Bees, who move to the Suburban League National Conference next year, won seven GCC titles in their final eight seasons.

Nearly the same scenario played out a day later for the Medina girls, who tied Strongsville 1-1 to capture the overall GCC championship with a 6-0-1 record. The Mustangs (5-0-2) also tied Mentor, leaving Medina atop the standings.

The Bees, who entered the tournament 13-0-3, got an early goal from Naomi Sundermeier before Strongsville tied it in the second half but failed to score the winner it needed to claim the title.