Girls soccer: Avon Lake takes early lead in 2-0 victory over Westlake in D-III playoff opener

AVON LAKE — It's all about playing your best soccer at the right time of year. Avon Lake only scored more than one goal in one of its last 10 regular-season matches but the the Shoregals offense was on full display Thursday in the opening round of the Division III district tournament as they scored twice in the opening 22 minutes en route to a 2-0 win over Westlake. Seniors Kate Murray and Camryn Koski shared the team lead in scoring for No. 18-seeded Avon Lake in the regular season and they each found the back of the net against the Demons as the Shoregals advanced to Tuesday's district semifinal where it will face No. 11 seed Kenston, which was an 8-0 winner as it opened up postseason play against Field. "It was what we needed," Avon Lake coach Doug Buczak said. "We needed to get the offense started. It made us feel good at halftime, spirits were high, we wanted to come out and let them know we were ready to play." Murray scored off a Koski assist in the 10th minute for the first goal of the game. "Getting this win tonight was amazing and we'll be in high spirits moving forward," Murray said. "We played a very difficult schedule and we held our own with everyone. Our defense has been locked down, we just needed to get the offense going." The win was just the second for the Shoregals (5-8-5) since Sept. 10. Earlier in the season they played Westlake to a 1-1 draw. "We play tough teams that get us ready for the playoffs," Buczak said. "Although the regular season fell a bit short of what we wanted, when you play better teams you become a better team." The Demons (5-8-4) were were held to three shots on goal. "It's difficult when you get down early, but we've been in that position before and we've been able to come back," Westlake coach Kate Shank said. "Today just wasn't our day." Koski gave the Shoregals a two-goal lead in the 22nd minute off of an assist from junior Mia Brunetti. "Usually we don't score that early, so scoring two goals in the first half was really big," Koski said. "It really brought our mood up and gave us the opportunity to keep fighting." Sophomore Ella Luczak started in goal for Avon Lake and made three saves. Catherine Fazio, who played in goal most of the season for the Shoregals, spent most of the night playing center forward. "The difference between tonight and the first matchup was the attacking unit and how we attacked the back line," Buczak said. "I don't wanna give away too much information, but it was a different style of play and different personnel. We've done some growing over the course of the season." The one constant for Avon Lake this season has been its defense. The shutout was the Shoregals' sixth of the year. They've also had five games where they held their opponent to one goal. "Our four backs are very strong. They were all able to man mark tonight," Koski said. "We had pressure on their backs so they weren't able to turn and get a clear shot on goal." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Avon Lake 2, Westlake 0 GOALS: (AL) Kate Murray (10th minute), Camryn Koski (22nd minute) ASSISTS: (AL) Koski, Mia Brunetti SAVES: (W) Kylie Colacarro 6, Sofia Avelar 0; (AL) Ella Luczak 3 FOULS: Westlake 4; Avon Lake 6 CORNER KICKS: Westlake 2; Avon Lake 5 OFFSIDES: Avon Lake 5 YELLOW CARD: (W) Colacarro (16th minute) HALFTIME: Avon Lake, 2-0