TIFFIN, Ohio -- The Lake Erie women's soccer team competed against the Tiffin Dragons on Wednesday afternoon in a hugely important game for G-MAC playoff standings and came away with a 3-1 victory. Senior Arielle Fink found the back of the net twice in the first half off passes from Leonie Witt, and then Alyvia Sanom poured gas on the fire, extending the Storm's lead to 3-1 early in the second half—where it would remain for the rest of the match.
With the win, the Storm officially advanced to the G-MAC playoffs for the first time since 2017. Where they'll finish is still up in the air, as it's anyone's race. They now move into fourth place, jumping Northwood and trailing only Ashland, Findlay, and Cedarville. Northwood will almost certainly make the field, needing just a tie over its final three games to secure a spot, while the final berth will be contested between Thomas More, Malone, and Walsh.
Game Recap
The first shot of the game came just five minutes in from an unexpected source: Abby Piks. In over 1,300 minutes entering the contest, it marked her first shot of the season. Ten minutes later, Leonie Witt found Arielle Fink for a quick goal to put the Storm up 1-0. Despite nine shots in the first 26 minutes, that remained the only score—until the Dragons capitalized on just their second attempt to tie the game at 1-1.
Lake Erie responded almost immediately, as Witt and Fink connected again for their second goal of the night, giving the Storm a 2-1 advantage heading into halftime.
Alyvia Sanom and the Storm wasted no time in the second half, pushing the lead to 3-1—a margin that held firm thanks to an exceptional defensive performance that secured Lake Erie's long-awaited playoff berth.
After the match, senior Leonie Witt reflected on her team's journey and what it meant to clinch the postseason spot:
"This group is very unique in how dedicated we are. Our love for our team and school is the only thing that kept us together. There was a minute over the years where our culture felt broken, but our perseverance and hard work kept us together. It's crazy how far we've come from where we were my freshman year, and this feels like the point where all of our hard work has paid off."
The Matchup
Less than a week ago, the Storm also defeated this same Tiffin team in a 2-1 contest, with goals from Makenna Sanom and Leonie Witt. The win marked Lake Erie's seventh victory in the past 12 meetings against the Dragons, though Tiffin still holds an 11-7-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Looking Ahead
Quite possibly the most important game of the season awaits next for the Storm, as they travel for a 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday, November 1st, against the 5-1-5 Northwood Timberwolves. Northwood is the only G-MAC opponent the Storm haven't yet faced this season and sits just a spot apart from Lake Erie in the conference standings.
In what could easily be a playoff preview, the Storm's game plan will focus on containing Mari Jackson, a junior forward responsible for a team-high five goals this season. Lake Erie will also look to create offensive opportunities against a stout Northwood defense that has allowed just nine goals in 15 games—tied for the third-fewest in the G-MAC.
