More Oct 29 coverage: Boys soccer final report
By Cort Reynolds
The top-seeded Bluffton High School girls soccer team dominated play and led for 60 minutes, but ended up losing a 2-1 double overtime battle to visiting nemesis Riverdale in the Div. III district final match at Steinmetz Field on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The Pirate girls end their season 16-3 with the defeat on the cloudless, 66-degree day. The stunning finish ended their 10-match win streak, which started ironically after a 1-0 loss to the Lady Falcons September 10.
Third seed Riverdale improved to 12-5-2 after the unlikely comeback win.
"It came down to we didn't capitalize on opportunities we had early on to give us a little cushion," said head coach Jamie Mehaffie.
The Pirates repeatedly threatened to score throughout the first half but were unable to consolidate their early lead.
Bluffton had two good scoring chances early that were turned back at the 35:33 mark. Another shot went just wide at the 33-minute mark.
Senior Sami Scoles then scored at the 30:40 mark off a Karson Hauenstein assist from seven yards out straight on. Her shot beat keeper Anjelina Sierra to give the Pirates a 1-0 edge.
Senior Kendal Giesge made a good clear with 30 minutes left in the half to thwart one of the few early opportunities for the Falcons. Giesige made several good throw-ins in the long match.
Pirate senior keeper Julia Mehaffie saved a Falcon direct kick from 30 yards out at the 21-minute juncture.
Senior Olivia Matthews put a shot on goal at 19:22 which was saved by Sierra. At 14:51, Sierra made another good save. A shot by senior Riley Eachus sailed over the goal at 12:43.
Junior Ella Armstrong had her shot blocked at 9:28. Mehaffie's long kick led to a near breakaway for speedy senior Allison Diller just 15 seconds later, but Sierra saved her shot on goal.
Bluffton's last good shot attempt of the half sailed wide with 40 seconds left.
A direct kick by Matthews at 38:15 of half two was blocked by the Falcon wall. The Pirates had a good opportunity go awry when a partially deflected shot off the foot of Scoles was saved by Sierra at 35:56.
A left-footed shot by Eachus was caught by Sierra at 35:33. Mehaffie gobbled up a long through ball at 32:27. Armstrong then made a nice run up the right side, but her shot from 10 yards out was stopped by Sierra.
A right corner kick by Scoles was headed away by Riverdale with 23:28 left to play. Eachus had a free kick from straight on, just a yard outside the box.
It was deflected and freshman Blair Utendorf earned a good chance to knock in the rebound shot, but her try hit a Falcon and then went off the right post to keep the score 1-0.
Pirate freshman Aubrey Burkholder hit a good one-timer shot off a Scoles corner, but it went just wide with 18:10 remaining in regulation.
The heady Scoles served a good left corner kick into the center to an open cutter, but the Pirates could not convert at the 16:48 mark.
Falcon Harlee Gonzales got off a shot from 15 yards out that Mehaffie saved with 15:02 to go.
Utendorf had a chance to score off yet another Scoles corner kick, but Sierra made the save to keep Riverdale alive.
Sierra then made a sliding save off freshman Mya McDougle's rolling shot attempt at the 11:40 juncture.
A long Falcon free ball was cleared out well by Diller with 10:30 to go.
The Lady Falcons then tied it on a goal by physical sophomore Mariah Bonham at the 9:30 mark.
"I thought Riverdale played with more energy after they scored," Mehaffie noted.
Scoles got off two corner kicks in a two-minute span, but the somewhat deflated Pirates came up dry to force overtime.
Giesege's long left side shot was saved at the 10:11 mark of the first OT. Mehaffie made a sliding save at the 9:03 juncture.
Scoles then went down near the Riverdale goal line with a calf injury at the 5:44 mark, and had to be removed for the rest of the game.
"It was a big loss, but any of our players going down would be big," said Mehaffie of the injury to the NWC Player of the Year.
A Matthews shot was saved at the 3:30 mark. Junior Makayla Schweingruber hustled back to prevent a one-on-one for Riverdale 23 seconds later.
Diller just missed a potential winner at 2:22. Mehaffie made a save at the 1:55 mark to send it into a second OT session.
Senior Jasi Crawfis nearly got to a cross in the box 19 seconds into the second extra period. A good left corner kick by Diller was almost headed in.
Falcon Eden Barnes then launched a lethal 50-yard pass down the right side past the Pirate defense.
Sophomore Brooke Durenberger ran up on the ball and rifled a 20-yard shot just to the right of the diving Mehaffie into the far side of the net.
The "sudden victory" goal shocked Bluffton and capped an improbable late Riverdale rally.
After controlling play for most of the game, many of the stunned Pirate girls were moved to tears by the sudden, shocking loss.
"Overall, it was a very successful season," summed up Mehaffie. "The girls accomplished a lot of the goals we set. We had good effort."
Ten Lady Pirate seniors played their final game and home match.
The Pirates put 15 of their 20 shots on goal. Riverdale directed its mere four shots on goal. "We had at least eight or nine corner kicks," Mehaffie noted.
Bluffton keeper Mehaffie was credited with two saves. Busy Falcon keeper Sierra made 14 stops.
Riverdale advanced to the regional semifinals vs. Ottawa-Glandorf at Wapakoneta with the upset win.
