Story by Cort Reynolds
Photos by Rae Staton
HARROD - The visiting Bluffton boys soccer team blanked rival Allen East 4-0 in Northwest Conference play Monday night at Goodwin Field in Harrod.
The unbeaten Pirates improved to 8-0-1 overall and 2-0 in the NWC with their 27th consecutive conference win. The Mustangs dropped to 4-7 overall and 1-2 in league play with the defeat.
Senior Jonathan Schriner scored two goals, and teammate Jude Spallinger tallied the other two.
Schriner broke the scoreless tie with the game's first goal in the 22nd minute. The score remained 1-0 into halftime.
Spallinger doubled the lead to 2-0 nearly four minutes into the second half. Almost three minutes later, Schriner extended the margin to 3-0.
Spallinger netted the fourth goal in the 73rd minute to provide the final margin of victory.
Tayton Kleman and Kaden Basil each passed out one assist.
Bluffton fired 14 of their 15 shots on goal. AE could muster only two shots, neither of which were on target, against the tough Pirate defense.
Pirate senior keeper Nic Essinger did not have to make a single save, while Blake Clum made eight stops for the losing hosts. Zane Newland added two saves for AE.
Bluffton (5-0 home) hosts perennial state power Ottawa Hills Thursday, September 24 at 7 p.m. in a rematch showdown on the Steinmetz Field pitch.
The Pirates upset OH, which was the top-ranked team in Div. III last year, in the regional finals at Defiance en route to the 2019 state finals. After a scoreless double overtime battle, the Pirates won a shootout (4-2) to knock off the Green Bears.
