By Cort Reynolds
KENTON - The Bluffton boys soccer team tallied two second half goals to come from behind and defeat Kenton on the road at Chuck Merrill Field Saturday night.
The win over the previously-undefeated Wildcats lifted the Pirate record to 8-1, while Kenton fell to 6-1-2 with the defeat.
Bluffton ran its win streak to six matches with the comeback victory.
The Pirates trailed 1-0 at halftime after Wildcat sophomore Riley Risner scored in the 27th minute on an assist from senior Reed Cook.
But Bluffton came back to tie it nine minutes into the second half on a goal by Jonathan Schriner from a Simon Derstine feed.
Derstine then tallied the eventual game-winner unassisted five minutes later.
Kenton had a chance to tie it on a penalty kick try, but the Pirate keeper guessed right and made the crucial save.
Wildcat keeper Brent Rader made a fine outstretched save with about 10 minutes left to keep the score at 2-1. Rader also made a sliding stop with 3:50 to go, but Bluffton was able to run out the clock and preserve the win.
"Bluffton is one of the premier teams in northwest Ohio in Div. III," said Kenton head coach Jamie Bartlett. "We could have had two or three goals in the first half, but we left some on the table.
"We hit a conditioning wall in the second half with some guys playing new, different positions," he added.
Bluffton put nine of its 14 shots on goal. Kenton got off nine shots, five on goal. The Pirates made three saves, while Rader made five stops.
Bluffton plays at Riverdale Tuesday, September 17.
