Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
LOGAN — Chillicothe’s school colors are blue and white. But if you’ve noticed, the Cavaliers have added a hint of green to their wardrobe over the past couple of weeks.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Green pre-wrap, green tape and green headbands have started to make regular appearances on the field. But why? The answer is simple, yet effective.
When the Cavaliers see green, they know it means ‘Go for it.’
“Their whole ‘Go Green’ thing is working,” Wickham said, smiling. “Whenever we see green, that means go. All the girls have embraced the idea. We got scored on tonight and we had some girls point to the headbands. That just means we’re going for it. Thirty-three seconds later, we got a ball in the back of the net. And then another one, and another one. They’ve embraced it.”
In Thursday’s Division II district semifinal at Logan, Chillicothe had plenty of green to work with in a 5-1 win over Warren. The Cavaliers (15-2-2) scored five unanswered goals to earn the win.
PHOTOS: Images from Chillicothe’s 5-1 win over Warren
After Warren (12-4-3) got on the board first with a goal from Taylor Sloan at the 18:31 mark in the first half, Chillicothe’s Addie Erslan scored 33 seconds later to tie the game.
That’s the only momentum Chillicothe needed to push forward.
Erslan scored again with 8:24 left, putting the Cavaliers ahead 2-1, just before freshman Gemma Maimone made it a 3-1 game — the eventual halftime score — with 1:56 left.
In the second half, Erslan scored her third goal of the evening with 25:56 left. Senior Caroline Ford rounded out the night’s final tally with a goal at the 17:38 mark.
The hat trick for Erslan is her third in as many tournament games this season. The junior also scored three times against Washington and Hillsboro before Thursday’s win. To stick with the “green” theme, Erslan has been straight money all season long.
“Whenever Addie is on the field, she’s a dangerous player,” Wickham said. “Tonight, before the game, she just had a look in her eye. I told her, ‘When you step on the field, go be the best player on the field.’ She did it. Two of the goals, she picked the ball up and, basically, took on the whole team scored. It’s just what she can do when she’s on the ball.”
The Cavaliers advance to a Division II district final against Fairfield Union at 7 p.m. Saturday at Logan. The Falcons were 1-0 winners over Unioto on Thursday and will now be making their fourth appearance in a district championship match in the last five years.
The last time the pair met in postseason play was on Oct. 31, 2015 — a game the Cavaliers won by a 3-1 final in shootout fashion.
“[Fairfield Union] is one of the staple programs in the district. They’ve been in four of the last five finals,” Wickham said. “They have a great track record and it’s going to be a battle. Just watching our girls play tonight, it looks like we’re up for it and it looks like we’re conditioned properly.”