By Cort Reynolds
MILLER CITY - The visiting Bluffton girls soccer team came from behind to defeat Miller City 2-1 in a defensive battle Wednesday evening.

The Lady Pirate kickers improved to 7-2-1 with their sixth consecutive victory. MC fell to 4-4 with the close defeat.

Wildcat Madison Ellerbrock scored the game's first goal in the fourth minute. But then the Bluffton defense buckled down and held the hosts scoreless over the final 76 minutes of play.

Allison Diller tied it 1-1 when she tallied the equalizer shortly thereafter in the eighth minute.

The score was 1-1 at the half and stayed that way until the 58th minute, when Rebekah Hoff scored to put the Pirates on top for good.

Reagan Mittendorf assisted on both Bluffton goals.

The Pirate girls fired 29 shots, 17 of which were on goal. The MC girls got off just four shots, with Pirate keeper Julia Mehaffie making one save.

Wildcat keeper Natalie Koenig was credited with 15 stops.

Bluffton is 6-0-1 in its last seven matches going back to a tie with Van Buren September 3. The first-place Pirate girls (5-0 NWC) visit local league rival Ada (0-3 NWC) Monday, September 28 at 5 p.m.

A win would clinch at least a share of the league crown for the Lady Pirates.