Springfield High School’s girls soccer players glanced up at the scoreboard as they kept getting closer to their keeper, Rebecca Catlos. The scoreboard, about 90 yards away, finally hit all zeroes as the Tigers captured their second district title in three years, beating Akron Manchester, 3-1, to win the Division III Canton District title.

Junior Kylee Kosek, who had two goals, was part of the school’s two district titles — the other one coming her freshman season in 2017.

“It’s a great feeling to be part of both of those,” she said.

This is the Tigers’ third district title game this decade as the Tigers lost to Lake Center Christian in 2011.

Staff photo / John Vargo Springfield’s Kylee Kosek dribbles past a Manchester defender.

There are six seniors on this current 22-person Tigers roster.

“It’s a good future,” Springfield coach Justin Kosek said.

Springfield (18-1) faces Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (11-7-1) in a Region 11 semifinal Tuesday at 7 p.m., at a site to be determined.

The top-seeded Tigers ran roughshod over their last four opponents after suffering their only loss of the season on Oct. 3 to Beaver Local, 3-2. The Beavers lost in a district semifinal to Dover. As for Springfield, it had a 29-4 goals advantage in its last four games.

Thursday wouldn’t be so easy.

Staff photo / John Vargo Kylee Kosek (8) celebrates with Springfield teammates Kaila LaMorticella and Macy Centofanti (4) after Kosek scored the Tigers’ first goal on Thursday.

Emma King of third-seeded Akron Manchester (11-6-2) found the back of the net with 27:27 remaining in the first half. Justin Kosek knew King adjusted to the way the Tigers defended.

“All I heard is she’s lightning,” Kosek said of King. “She’s legit. She’s fast. It kind of changed the whole format we play on defense.”

His daughter, Kylee, drew things even at 1 as she beat the Panthers goalkeeper to the right side about 2 minutes later.

Things stayed that way until halftime. Catlos kept things that way about a minute before intermission as she beat a hard-charging Ashley Fraley to the ball on the left wing. Catlos deflected it away toward the sideline and then booted it out of bounds. It wasn’t a save, but she had five on the night.

Kylee Kosek did slide, punching the ball with the bottom of her foot with 30 minutes left. It barely went wide right as the game remained tied at 1.

Staff photo / John Vargo Springfield's Gracie Venturella, right, dribbles as a Manchester defender pursues.

She changed that with 23:47 remaining as she buried the ball in the left corner for a 2-1 advantage.

Getting through the stingy Akron Manchester defense wasn’t easy as Kylee Kosek was hipchecked, pushed and bumped as the Panthers tried to disrupt the Tigers’ leading scorer.

An inadvertent kick which connected with her left eye temporarily brought Kosek to one knee on the Arrowhead Stadium turf. The lead referee came up to Kosek, after she gathered herself, near midfield. He asked numerous times if she was fine to continue — no headache or anything.

“It’s good,” Kosek said. “I couldn’t see for a little bit. It’s OK now.”

Springfield’s Kaila LaMorticella began to dribble past midfield. Not much was getting in her way except Manchester keeper Shannon Saikaly, who tried to punch the ball out with a slide tackle in the box. LaMorticella held possession and dribbled around Saikaly, tapping the ball in with 17:12 remaining for a 3-1 Springfield lead.

“That was definitely one for comfort,” coach Kosek said. “It really helped us feel like we were winning the game. It wasn’t a back-and-forth battle.”

In 2017, Springfield lost to Elyria Catholic in a regional semifinal, 6-0. Justin Kosek doesn’t think it’s a one-and-done in regional play this time around.

“We’re so strong front to back and our outside is playing so well right now,” Justin Kosek said. “There are four games left and we’re going to be a hard out. I think we’ve got a little more sticking around to do.”