By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The host Bluffton girls soccer team broke a 2-2 tie and went on to defeat Ashland Crestview 4-2 in Div. III district semifinal action on a wet and chilly Tuesday night at Steinmetz Field.
The Pirate girls improved to 15-2-1 with their 14th straight victory. The second-seeded Lady Pirates advanced to the district finals where they will take on top seed Liberty-Benton in Bluffton Saturday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m.
The L-B/Bluffton winner will advance to the regional semifinals at a site TBA. State-ranked power L-B (14-2-2) defeated Riverdale 6-0 in the other district semifinal Tuesday evening.
Bluffton's Laykin Garmatter got the scoring started vs. AC with a goal in the 13th minute.
Ashland Crestview's Frankie Dinsmore tied it 1-1 with a goal in the 32nd minute.
Pirate Clara Matthews put Bluffton back on top 2-1 after her score just three minutes later. But Lady Cougar ace Dinsmore tied it once more in the next minute to send the game to halftime tied 2-2.
Pirate Allison Diller tallied a goal in the 46th minute to untie the match and give the hosts the lead for good, 3-2.
Matthews added her second goal five minutes later to extend the margin to 4-2. The Pirate defense held AC scoreless over the final 44 minutes to post the win.
Olivia Matthews and Reagan Mittendorf each passed out one assist to aid the Pirate offense.
Bluffton peppered the Lady Cougar defense for 36 shots, 23 of which were on goal.
All four shots Ashland Crestview was able to muster vs. the stingy Pirate defense were on target.
Bluffton keeper Julia Mehaffie was credited with two saves.
AC goalie Madalyn Aumend made 19 stops.
Against five common opponents they share this season with Bluffton, Liberty-Benton went 4-1. The Eagle girls beat Van Buren 6-1, defeated Riverdale 3-0, crushed Upper Sandusy 8-0 and whipped Ada 9-0, but lost to Bath 2-1.
Bluffton went 3-1-1 against the same five teams. The Pirates also lost to Bath 3-1, tied VB 1-1, defeated Riverdale 2-1, beat Upper Sandusky 4-1 and blanked Ada 5-0.
L-B's only other loss was at Perrysburg 3-0 on Sept 28. Bluffton has not lost since its August 29 defeat to Bath, going 15-0-1 after an 0-2 start.
