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The stage was set perfectly for Columbia and Firelands on Sept. 16 as the two teams faced off under the lights.
Both sides entered with perfect records, but only the Raiders came away with theirs intact after a dramatic 4-3 win.
“We knew this was going to be an uphill battle,” said Columbia coach Blaze Pratt. “Last year we left a lot on this field. We told them this year that it takes all 11 of us to win the game tonight, and all 11 of them did their job, and it was really fun to watch them come together in that way.”
The Falcons scored first when Peyton West slipped an inch-perfect pass through to Reagan Sutorius, who slotted home neatly to give West her 22nd assist of the season and her team a 1-0 lead.
[PHOTOS: Columbia vs. Firelands soccer doubleheader, Sept. 16, 2026]
“That was honestly the best motivation,” said Columbia senior Allison Boardman. “We knew we could come out and beat this team, so that just gave us more motivation to work even harder, go for every single ball, and just have more intensity.”
“These girls work so hard, and they take winning so seriously,” Pratt said. “They just crave it, so it was never a question of whether or not the...