Ho Hoffman
The Chronicle-Telegram
YORK TWP. — Believe it. Rachael Melendez is for real.
Led by Melendez’s 59th and 60th goals of the year — plus assist No. 21 thrown in for good measure — Firelands eliminated Buckeye 3-1 in a Rocky River Division II district semifinal girls soccer game Monday at Edwin Steingass Field.
“Melendez is definitely the real deal,” Buckeye coach Lisa Woo said. “I was hoping we wouldn’t let her get loose in our end too many times, because I was afraid she would do exactly what she did.”
What the first-team All-Ohio forward did was have three scoring chances against Buckeye (13-5-1) and convert twice. 
Melendez missed her first opportunity on a breakaway at 17:50 of the first half, sending the shot wide left.
She made up for it on her next two chances.
Goal No. 59 came on a beautiful tic-tack-toe play initiated on a throw-in by Becca Kozlowski. The ball went to her sister, Elizabeth, who sent a toe ball to Melendez, who easily beat Buckeye goalie Alyson Joyce.
“Those were two very nice plays to set me up,” said the senior forward, whose team raised its record to 15-3-1. “We work hard on our plays and try to take advantage of every opportunity we have. We get very few chances against good teams like Buckeye, so we have to score when the opportunity is there.”
The goal at 4:20 was a dagger to Buckeye’s heart. The Bucks had been controlling the game the entire first half and were ahead 1-0 on an early goal by Emily Giesen but all they had to show for it was a 1-1 tie.
“That was very important coming when it did,” Firelands coach Andy Marshsaid , who notched his 150th career win in guiding the Falcons to their first district final. “It broke the momentum Buckeye had established and let us get back in the game.”
At 34:00 of the second half, Melendez showed her versatility by setting up fellow senior Elizabeth Koslowski, who finished it off just inside the left post for her 30th goal. She also has 30 assists this season.
“That was a huge goal at the time,” Woo said. “Instead of being tied, we’re now down a goal and it changes the whole complexion of the game.”
The Bucks did step up their pressure trying to get the equalizer with Kelsey Knoll, Alaina Geisen and Emily Geisen firing a barrage of shots toward the Falcons’ net.
The problem was only five second-half shots got through to Erika Beursken, who handled all of them cleanly.
Melendez crushed any hopes Buckeye had with the prettiest goal of the night at 19:57.
Breaking in all alone on the left side, she cut to the right while leaving two defenders behind. Melendez then put one more in the goal area before finishing the play off with No. 60 on a hard shot past Joyce.
“The way Buckeye dominated us in the early going, I wasn’t sure if we could come back and win this game,” Melendez said. “But our team never gives up and even though we only have a 12-player roster, we play hard throughout. I may have got the goals, but it was the entire 12-person roster who got us the victory.”
Contact Ho Hoffman at sports@ohio.net.

Firelands 3, Buckeye 1

GOALS: (F) Rachael Melendez 2, Elizabeth Kozlowski. (B) Emily Giesen.
ASSISTS: (F) Kozlowski, Melendez.
SHOTS ON GOIAL: Firelands 6, Buckeye 10.
CORNER KICKS: Firelands 0, Buckeye 4.
SAVES: (F) Erika Beursken 11. (B) Alyson Joyce 4.
 

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