Gahanna Lincoln boys soccer hosts district title game Oct. 28

Gahanna Lincoln boys soccer is one win from a regional tournament berth.

The Golden Lions beat Westerville Central 2-1 in a shootout in the OHSAA Division I district semifinal Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Gahanna Lincoln High School, according to the school's athletics account on X.

The win sets up a home district championship game against Pickerington North at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Under OHSAA tournament rules, district finals are played at the higher-seeded team's home field. Gahanna Lincoln entered the Central 5 bracket as the No. 6 seed. Pickerington North is seeded No. 7.

Head coach Jaden Lunger's squad carries an 9-5-3 overall record into the title game, according to the Gahanna Lincoln athletics website. The Lions went 4-3 at home and 4-2 on the road during the regular season, outscoring opponents in several lopsided wins while absorbing a handful of tough losses along the way through a competitive Ohio Capital Conference (OCC) schedule.

Gahanna Lincoln already owns a result against its district final opponent. The Lions beat Pickerington North 1-0 on Oct. 6 in Pickerington during OCC play.

The regular season told a story of streaks. Gahanna Lincoln opened with wins over Delaware Hayes (5-0) and Dublin Coffman (3-1) in August before a 5-0 loss to Olentangy Orange, the Central 5 district's No. 2 seed. The Lions bounced back with a 2-0 win at Reynoldsburg, then split results through September, including a 2-0 home win over New Albany on Sept. 15 and a 4-3 victory over Big Walnut on Sept. 26. A 4-0 loss at Dublin Jerome on Oct. 1 and a 4-1 home loss to Olentangy Berlin on Oct. 13 preceded the postseason push.

Westerville Central, the No. 11 seed, was Gahanna Lincoln's district semifinal opponent. The two teams played to a 1-1 tie during the regular season on Sept. 22 in Westerville.

The district championship winner advances to the OHSAA Region 1 semifinal Wednesday, Nov. 4, at a neutral site. The Central 5 district champion would face the Central 5 district winner.

Kickoff Oct. 28 is set for 7 p.m. at Gahanna Lincoln.