Written By:  Thomas Costello | WPSL Correspondent

Photo By: Ralph Schudel

 

The Lake Erie Conference champions put the icing on the cake against a 10-player Beadling team with an outfield player in goal

With a five-point lead heading into Tuesday night, Ambassadors Cleveland already locked up a conference title, its third in a row. That doesn’t mean the perennial WPSL powerhouse had it easy for the rest of the season as it welcomed a tough Beadling Soccer Club team to Cleveland for the Pennsylvania side’s final match of the season. After a red card and goalkeeper injury for the away team, the Ambassadors fought back from down a goal to win 3-2.

From the whistle, Cleveland brought pressure against the Beadling backline, but goalkeeper Emma Sawich was taking it in stride. In the third minute, Sawich made a tough save to keep the match level.

After sustaining that early pressure, quick passing, and three shots from the home side, Beadling found a crack and forced its way into its offensive third. After winning a corner in the 11^th minute, Cleveland showed why it’s such a dangerous side.

Photo By: Ralph Schudel

On the corner clearance, the Ambassadors made two quick, long passes into the attacking half of the field before the final pass found midfielder Jordan Fusco.

Chasing the wide right pass, Fusco collected it and dribbled forward, getting within 10 yards of the goal, before the Tennessee Volunteer shot across the goal and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

At that point, Beadling didn’t get demoralized or slump in its play. Cleveland kept bringing pressure, but the away side bid its time and waited for an opportunity. The Ambassadors threw in another shot towards goal that clanged off the post. Fusco had another chance to score but Sawich grabbed the shot. Then it was Beadling who turned the tables.

In the 24^th minute, after dribbling between Cleveland midfielders, forward Katelyn Kauffman received a pass on the break with a little luck on the striker’s side.

Chasing down the pass, getting beyond the Ambassadors’ backline, Cleveland goalkeeper Liviya Fain rushed the ball to clear. After making connection with the ball, Fain’s attempted clearance bounced off Kauffman who had the wherewithal to hold the possession and run on an open goal to tie the match.

Cleveland almost went ahead four minutes later – if not for Sawich. This time it was Fusco almost grabbing an assist but a quick reaction save on the final shot with an extended left hand kept the match level.

Before halftime though, as the Ambassadors were once again threatening, defender Joey Skillen picked up a yellow card warning. With Cleveland getting a step on the defender, about to enter the 18-yard-box, Skillen pulled the attacking player back. It earned the yellow, which would come back to hurt Beadling in the second half.

Things stayed level between the two sides into the second half, but as the skies opened up and the rain came down as the match took unexpected turn after unexpected turn.

In the 52^nd minute, Sawich went in for another save. The goalkeeper made the stop, but in the process collided with the right post. Sawich’s impact required medical attention but fortunately, the keeper walked off the field under her own power. That put Beadling in a predicament, traveling without a backup goalkeeper and having four reserves total on the trip.

Stepping up was midfielder Breana Valentovish. The former Carnegie Mellon University athlete put on a goalkeeper kit and gloves and played the last 38 minutes and stoppage time.

“She [Valentovish] played phenomenally and was a team player volunteering herself for net,” Rob Heuler, Beading Soccer Club coach, said –  who took the place of Beadling’s WPSL head coach Matt Fonaghy.

Valentovish stepped in against the top team in the conference in a 1-1 match and made a save in the 59^th minute. The away support cheered loudly for the stand-in keeper and a minute later they raised their voices even higher.

Winning the ball in its defensive half, Beadling took the ball and tip-toed down the right sideline before finding forward Carolina Lucci. The DII goals scored record holder from Chowan University made the most of her best chance of the night. Lucci came into the left corner of the penalty area and sent a confident shot past Fain to put Beadling up 2-1.

“Their [Beadling] counter-attacking was excellent,” Caleb Fortune, Ambassadors head coach, said. “And we weren’t at the tempo we wanted to be at and so lost the ball and triggered a few counter-attacks, which they capitalized on.”

 

Photo By: Ralph Schudel

The away side, looking to end the season on a high, had 30 minutes to defend the lead with a midfielder in goal. It got even more difficult four minutes later.
 

In the 64^th minute, Skillen went up against another Ambassadors’ attack which ended in a foul that was similar to the first – right as the opponent was about to enter the 18-yard-box. Skillen’s second foul received the same treatment as the first – resulting in a second yellow card and a subsequent red card sendoff.
 

“The first yellow card was deserving as she pulled her jersey and her arm right outside of the 18. The second, I thought was a foul, however; I was unsure if it warranted a yellow card,” said Heuler. “She only had 2 fouls all game so the second foul being booked as a yellow was a little harsh, but she was the last defender so I think that factored into the ref’s decision.”
 

Warranted or not, Beadling went down to 10 players for the remaining 26 minutes and Cleveland, with a full bench swapped out five players and forced themselves back into the lead.
 

For the most part, Beadling held strong and forced tough shots. Cleveland, who hit the post frequently in the night, clanged a shot off the crossbar and headed a shot too high. It looked destined that the Ambassadors would level the match at some point, and they did that and then some. Each goal scored in impressive fashion.
 

Midfielder Gabrielle Lopresti was up first in the 76^th minute. After pinballing through the 18-yard-box, Lopresti made a b-line for the loose ball and drilled the ball into the right corner of the net, past a diving Valentovish.
 

Then, in the 85^th minute, midfielder Maria Alagoa earned all three points for Cleveland from 30 yards out. Valentovish won possession for Beadling and passed short to her center back. On the next pass into the midfield, the Ambassadors won possession.
 

Instead of building up a play and trying to outsmart the Beadling defense, who stood strong for much of the match, Alagoa took a chance on the football field’s 20-yard line, getting past Valentovish for the match-winning goal.
 

“The Ambassadors pressed our backline relentlessly looking for net and our defenders held steadfast,” said Heuler. “The two goals she had against her were great strikes and I think our starting goalie would have had trouble saving them.”

 

Photo By: Ralph Schudel

In the end, it was a deserved win for a side that constantly shows the WPSL its might. The win solidified the championship season even further with one match left to go against Erie FC.
 

“Overall, this is an incredible group and our aim to get as many pro as we can,” said Fortune.
 

Cleveland’s already showed that in the past with 2023 World Cup members of the United States Women’s National Team. Forward Sophia Smith and defender Naomi Girma each donned Ambassadors blue in the past and future USWNT first-team candidates like midfielder Korbin Albert.