Medina boys soccer stretches OHSAA regional final streak to nine by beating Hudson

Medina’s Owen Alber (left) controls the ball in front of Hudson’s Derek Huminsky during a Division I boys soccer regional semifinal Wednesday in Twinsburg.

TWINSBURG – Hudson High School has built a strong boys soccer program that has stood the test of time. Their trophy case is filled with Suburban League, district, and regional honors. However, when it comes to elite programs, Medina is not to be underestimated. The Bees had made it to eight consecutive regional finals before meeting Hudson in a Division I regional semifinal on Wednesday at Twinsburg’s Tiger Stadium. Hudson proved that they belonged on the big stage, while Medina showed why it finished second in the Division I state coaches poll.

Medina dominated late in the game, scoring three second-half goals to secure a 4-1 victory over Hudson. With the win, the Bees (20-0-1) advanced to their ninth straight regional final, where they will face Walsh Jesuit at 3 p.m. Saturday at Nordonia’s Boliantz Stadium. Both coaches agreed that the score did not accurately reflect the competitiveness of the game.

According to Medina coach Doug Coreno, “Hudson is very creative with their central midfield play. We had to adjust our defense to counter it. Both teams play soccer the right way, focusing on one- and two-touch ball movement. It’s a clash between two quality programs.”

Hudson coach Steve Knapp echoed similar sentiments, expressing his satisfaction with his team’s performance. He said, “Despite the score, I felt that we played a very competitive game. The outcome was determined by a set piece goal. We were dangerous in the run of play and our boys gave their all. The final score does not reflect the character of the game.”

In the first 20 minutes of the game, Medina struggled to keep up with Hudson’s strong pressing and defensive tactics. However, as the game progressed, Medina found its footing and improved its work rate. Captain Cole Turchyn of Medina remarked, “Hudson pressed us hard and defended well, but we just had to figure them out. Our second-half work rate was much better, and we simply wanted the win more than they did.”

Hudson took an early lead in the 19th minute when Gavin Mertes delivered a through ball behind the Medina defense. Will Hallis beat Medina keeper Donny Taylor to the ball and chipped it in from 20 yards out. However, Medina quickly responded with a goal from Evan Kotick four minutes later.

Both teams had opportunities to score throughout the first half, but both goalkeepers made exceptional saves to keep the score level. Braeden Deutsch of Hudson finished the game with seven saves, while Taylor had three.

Medina took control of the game in the second half, thanks to set pieces and midfielder Gael Moreno, who assisted on all three goals. Dylan Gannon scored a head goal from a corner kick delivered by Moreno in the 53rd minute. Hudson had chances to equalize but failed to find the target.

Medina secured the victory in the final 10 minutes of the game. In the 74th minute, Moreno passed the ball to Owen Alber, who made a quick turn and threaded the ball through the defense to extend the lead to 3-1. A minute later, Moreno’s corner kick found Danny McCashin’s head, sealing the win for Medina.

Turchyn praised Moreno’s contribution to the team’s success, stating, “Gael is a great player, especially during set pieces. He played his game tonight, and it benefited our team.”

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal.