The Ottawa Hills girls soccer team is headed to the state final four. The Green Bears edged Oak Harbor 1-0 on Saturday, Nov. 7, in the Division V, Region 17 final, according to the statewide regional-final scoreboard published by the Akron Beacon Journal, claiming the regional championship and a berth in the Ohio High School Athletic Association state semifinals.
A single goal decided the match between two of northwest Ohio’s strongest small-school programs. Oak Harbor arrived at the regional final as one of the state’s highest-winning teams this fall, and the Rockets’ season ends one win short of the state semifinals, according to the Beacon Journal’s tournament scoreboard.
Oak Harbor reached the final with its own tournament momentum, including a 2-0 win over Ottoville in its previous outing on Nov. 3, according to the tournament results posted for the Rockets’ bracket. That made Saturday’s final a meeting of two teams in form — and it played out that way, scoreless in every column but one.
For Ottawa Hills, the regional championship sends the Green Bears into the state semifinals as northwest Ohio’s last team standing in Division V. Regional finals across Ohio’s five girls soccer divisions were all played Saturday, with every winner advancing to the state semifinals.
For Oak Harbor, the loss closes a season that carried the Rockets to the final eight of Division V. For Ottawa Hills, the Green Bears now prepare for a state semifinal against another regional champion, with the date, site and opponent set by the OHSAA bracket.
NewsForce247 will update this story with the confirmed semifinal details and scoring summary as the official tournament reports are posted.
Photo: Allen Lubitz, CC BY