Beaumont Wins Neighborhood Battle Over Cleveland Heights in Girls' Soccer

When you’re having a tough day operating the field clock, it’s good to know your daughter’s the high scorer in the game and perhaps more importantly, loyal.

While everybody jumped on Jim Zippert’s case about when he started, or didn’t start, the clock during the Beaumont girls’ soccer team’s 4-0 win over Cleveland Heights on Saturday, Zosia Zippert, or Zoe as she’s often called, didn’t take the bait and follow the crowd.

When asked if she had any running commentary on her father’s clock operating skills, she thought for a second and said with a wry smile: “Ah, no.”

Instead, Zippert, a junior, did all her talking with two first-half goals, the second on a breakaway score that she knocked past Tigers goalkeeper Doleisha Moton for a 3-0 lead. The fast break has become her specialty. After all, not many people can catch her from behind.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just really fast with track,” said Zippert, who runs in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and on the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams for Beaumont.

Zippert’s breezy scores were sandwiched between Alexis Bovell’s game-opening score at 39:10 and Chelsea Day’s game-closer at 32:27 of the second half. Megan Nemecek had five saves.

While family ties were a part of Saturday’s contest, so was personal history. Beaumont coach Scott Dennis and Cleveland Heights coach Robbie Helfgott were teammates at Cleveland Heights. Dennis, 30, graduated in 1999, while Helfgott left in 2001, giving the contest a little extra spice.

“You try to say it’s just a regular game, but it’s a school you used to go to. You want to win it every time. I just like the fact that they’re playing good soccer. I like it better that we still won,” Dennis said. “Overall, though, they’re doing a good job.”

It was the third win this week for the Blue Streaks (6-2) as they downed Chagrin Falls, 5-0, on Monday as Christine Baucco and Zippert had two goals each and Kirsten Boes scored the other. The Blue Streaks also knocked off Lake Catholic, 2-1, on Wednesday. Day and Leah Bruno scored for Beaumont.

Helfgott, who celebrated his 29^th birthday on Saturday, is seeing better signs from his team. Earlier this week, the Tigers (3-6) were on a bit of a roll defeating Berea, 6-0, at home Monday and winning at Madison, 3-0, on Wednesday. Chloe Sudduth has 10 goals in the last five games.

“I thought the (Saturday’s) game was a little closer. We had a few mistakes and they were able to capitalize on them pretty quickly. And sometimes that happens,” Helfgott said.  “We’re getting closer, but we’re not quite there yet.”

Cleveland Heights gets another chance at one of its other top rivals as they host Shaker Heights on Wednesday (5 p.m.) at Denison Park and travel to Brush on Saturday (2 p.m.).

As for Beaumont, it’s a week at home as they host Archbishop Hoban on Wednesday (4:30 p.m.) and Shaker Heights on Saturday (2 p.m.)

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS

Girls’ tennis

Although the Tigers lost to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, 4-1, on Tuesday, the No. 2 doubles team of Sophie Madorsky and Lily Gould got a victory and helped solidify the team’s roster.

The team won, 6-2, 6-1, over Miriam Bennett and Ling Qy.

“We finally have their positions set, so hopefully the doubles teams can get comfortable playing with each other,” Heights coach Kalee Muller said.

The Tigers’ match against Euclid on Wednesday was canceled, and the Tigers were granted a victory raising the team’s record to 6-4-1 on the season.

The Tigers are on the road all next week against Lorain on Wednesday and Laurel School on Thursday. Both matches begin at 4 p.m.

Boys' soccer

The Tigers knocked off Bedford, 5-1, on Wednesday before beginning a stretch of seven games in 14 days.

Desi Pelligree and Lucas Gonzales each had two goals and Zander Perelman had one goal against Bedford. Jonah Meesig had three saves. The Tigers are 4-1-1 overall, 2-0 in the Lake Erie League and 2-1 in the district.

Cleveland Heights will now host Shaker Heights for a doubleheader Wednesday. The girls’ teams will play at 5 p.m. and the boys’ teams at 7 p.m. The games are at Denison Park. The boys’ game was originally scheduled as a home game for Shaker Heights.

"It’s a great way to show some school spirit,” Tigers coach Sean Sullivan said. “We were thankful that Shaker was gracious enough to do that. We look forward to it.”

The Tigers' other games are on the road next week at North Olmsted on Monday (7 p.m.) and Olmsted Falls on Saturday (7 p.m.).

“It’s a pivotal week for us. We’ve been working as a team to become mentally prepared. I believe the conditioning’s there. I really do,” Sullivan said.

Field hockey

The Tigers earned a 0-0 tie against Shaker Heights at home Tuesday, but lost at Stow-Munroe Falls, 6-0, on Thursday, to bring the team’s record to 0-4-1.

While Tigers coach Brittany Ross considers this season a rebuilding year, she’s encouraged by the play of several of her players on the team.

Ross cited junior goalkeeper Raven Porter, who is averaging more than 18 saves a game, as well as junior defender Arielle Stewart, who picked up a stick for the first time recently. Alexa Sollisch hasn’t escaped the coach’s notice, either.

"We’re improving and our numbers are increasing. And we’re having more time teaching people how to play and that had a lot to do with the tie the other day,” Ross said.  

The team’s game against Summit Country Day School was canceled on Saturday.

The Tigers travel to face Hudson on Monday (4:30 p.m.).

Boys' golf

Cleveland Heights split its two matches last week defeating Bedford (150-151) at Shawnee Hills Golf Course on Wednesday and losing to Edgewood (163-115) at Maple Ridge Golf Course on Thursday.

Lorain forfeited its match at Highland Park Golf Course on Monday.

The Tigers host Lakeside on Monday (3 p.m.) at Highland Park, travel to face Lorain on Tuesday (3 p.m.) at Fox Creek Golf and Racquet Club and begin LEL Tournament play on Thursday.   

LUTHERAN EAST

Football

Falcons coach Donald Dawson is beginning to worry a little about his team after a 53-0 loss at Youngstown Christian on Friday. The Falcons fell to 0-4 on the season and have been outscored, 182-20, so far this season.

“I’m getting to the point where I’m getting tired of using the fact that we’re young as an excuse. There are basic things, little things that are killing us. There’s stuff with older players that should not be happening,” Dawson said. “That, in and of itself, is becoming a very frustration situation.”

Dawson had a hard time finding much good in what happened on Friday night, but he did highlight the play of Austin Woodall, Don Rashad, Robert Drake and Brandon Rivers and said, “all of them came to play.”

The Falcons return home and host St. Wendelin on Saturday. The game starts at 1 p.m., and Dawson thinks there’s a chance things will improve Saturday.

“Honestly, we’re evenly matched. My thing of it is which team is going to show up. The coaches and I and the fans see the talent that we have. The problem is the players don’t see the talent that they have, and they’re not putting it together,” Dawson said.

BEAUMONT

Volleyball

Beaumont got the measure of defending Division II state champion Lake Catholic, 3-1, with set scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 25-19 on the Cougars’ home court.

"Lake is well coached, but they’ve had a lot of graduation on that team. They’re still a good team, but they’re a little limited. It was nice to go in there and get a win. It’s still early,” Blue Streaks coach Patrick Royer said. “Rich (Severino, Lake Catholic coach) will figure something out. He always does.”

Beaumont’s Midori Harrison had 15 kills and Amy Pilot had 13 in the North Coast League matchup. Mairen Jerse had 20 digs.

On Thursday, Walsh Jesuit won, 3-2, with set scores of 25-22, 26-28, 25-22, 15-25, 15-13. Jerse had 17 digs in the game.

The Blue Streaks are 2-3 overall and 2-1 in the North Coast League.

The Blue Streaks travel to St. Joseph on Monday (7:30 p.m.), host Archbishop Hoban on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.), travel to Padua on Thursday (7:30 p.m.) and host Willoughby South on Saturday (1 p.m.).

Girls' golf

Beaumont finished third with 198 in a tri-match against Hathaway Brown (183) and Magnificat (156) at Highland Park Golf Club on Monday.

Senior Alexa Brown had a 54, along with Cassandra Heathcote (50), Lizzie Mosier (51), Jennifer Corrado (52) and Katherine Corrado (53).

The Blue Streaks had 420 for last place out of five teams in the North Coast League Championships at Quail Hollow on Wednesday. Walsh Jesuit won with 343 followed by Warren JFK (359), Padua (400) and Lake Catholic (415).

“I am very proud of the team. They have made great improvements throughout the season. As we look to the future with this young team, I believe we have the potential for great seasons yet to come,” Beaumont coach Erin Zubal said.

Beaumont plays in the Laurel Invitational at Canterbury on Monday (12:30 p.m.) and the Independent League Championships on Thursday (2:30 p.m., modified shotgun) at Rosemont Country Club.

Girls' tennis

Caitlin Lawless, who was named one of The Plain Dealer’s Players of the Week, continued her winning ways with a straight-set win in a match against St. Joseph on Monday, but the Blue Streaks lost the overall match, 3-2.

The Blue Streaks travel to St. Joseph on Tuesday (4 p.m.) and play in the NCI Tournament on Wednesday, travel to Massillon on Thursday (4 p.m.) and play in the NCL Tournament on Saturday at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin.

Cross Country

Rachel Slingluff finished third and led Beaumont to a fourth-place finish in the Blue Division of the McDonough Invitational at Forest Hill Park on Saturday.

Beaumont scored 104 points to finish behind Bay (38), Chagrin Falls (79) and Howland (82).

Slingluff, a senior, had a time of 20 minutes and 24.32 seconds followed by Sam Graf in 22^nd (22:17.97), Rachel Graf in 24^th (22:21.18), Jessie Slingluff in 25^th (22:21.92), Allison May in 30^th
(22:30.66), Maura O'Connor in 37^th (22:53.79) and Kerry Drew in 40^th (23:12.24).

Villa Angela-St. Joseph was the host school.