By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton girls soccer team shut out Mansfield St. Peter's 3-0 in Div. III sectional final action Thursday evening.
The fifth-seeded Lady Pirates improved to 10-6-1 with the shutout victory. The seventh-seeded Lady Spartans ended their season with an identical 10-6-1 record after the defeat.
Pirate Laykin Garmatter started the scoring with a goal in the 18th minute. Bluffton extended its lead to 2-0 on a costly MSP own goal six minutes before intermission.
Lauren Rhodes tacked on an insurance goal in the 72nd minute to provide the final margin of victory.
Mansfield St. Peterís directed four of its seven shots on goal. Bluffton fired off 29 shots, 19 of which were on target.
MSP keeper Kiyah Wentz made 16 saves. Bluffton goalie Julia Mehaffie stopped four Spartan shots to record the shutout.
Bluffton advances to the district semifinals at Findlay High School Tuesday, October 22 at 5 p.m. The Pirate girls will face state-ranked, number one sectional seed Liberty-Benton.
L-B (15-1-1) whipped visiting eighth seed Cory-Rawson (9-8-1) by a 5-0 count on Thursday evening in their sectional final.
The Bluffton/L-B victor moves on to the district finals at Findlay Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. The winner faces off against either third seed Mansfield Christian, or the Oct. 19 sectional final winner between second seed Ashland Crestview and 11th seed Willard.
