photo by: Kim North

St. Clairsville’s Maxime Lussier (7) prepares to kick the ball as Tuscarawas Valley’s Ellie Teter (5) approaches during Monday night’s Ohio Division VI Eastern District 2 semifinal at chilly Trojan Stadium in Zoar. The Red Devils saw their season end, 2-1.

ZOAR – What had the makings of a really good season came to an end Monday night on the artificial surface at chill-filled Trojan Stadium in Tuscarawas County.

St. Clairsville, which was coming off an appearance in the Ohio Division III regional finals in 2024, had a talented roster loaded with underclassmen and four veteran seniors returning. However, a series of injuries throughout the 2025 campaign sidelined several of the star players, de-railing the season, but the scrappy fifth-seeded Red Devils (10-7-3) battled and battled before falling to No. 3 Tuscarawas Valley, 2-1, in a Division VI Eastern District 2 semifinal.

“The girls played phenomenal. We just couldn’t convert at the times we needed to,” St. Clairsville head coach Wes Stoner said. “They converted the two that they needed and we hit the post twice and the crossbar once. We made our chances and proved that we deserved to be in this game, but we came up a little short.”

The Red Devils held a 1-0 advantage at the half thanks to a bizarre goal in the 26th minute. Elizabeth Morgan sent a beautiful ball through a couple of Trojan (13-5) defenders that Emma Gasber collected on the run.

She pushed the ball ahead before sending a blast towards the net from the right wing. Tuscarawas Valley goalkeeper Audrina Kenosky denied the shot, but when the rebound trickled free, Kenosky picked it up before carrying it across the goal line and into the cage.

The score would remain that way until near the midway point of the second half when the Trojans scored twice in a span of six minutes, both goals coming off the right foot of Lynnix Harding.

Tuscarawas Valley was awarded a free kick from just outside the right of the box, Harding lobbed the ball towards the net and just over top of a leaping St. Clairsville goalkeeper Kiya Kyer to tie things at 1.

Moments later, Harding struck again. This time she placed the ball just out of Kyre’s outstretched arms from point-blank range.

St. Clairsville nearly drew even twice in the final minutes as Gasber’s header off a Morgan corner kick was swallowed up by Kenosky. Gasber then struck the post in the 78th minute.

“The defense as a whole and Kiya played excellent all year,” Stoner said. “It came down to a couple of breaks and a couple of great shots by them.”

Kyre, who was playing with a torn labrum that will require surgery early next month, turned in another splendid performance between the pipes as the junior charted 21 saves, including several highlight reel stops. The Trojans also misfired wide on a penalty kick in the 10th minute.

Tuscarawas Valley will now face No. 2 West Muskingum Wednesday at Stewart Field in Coshocton. St. Clairsville defeated West Muskingum in last year’s regional semifinals before losing to Worthington Christian.