By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON __ The Bluffton High School girls soccer team shut out visiting local Northwest Conference rival Allen East 3-0 Tuesday night, September 17,  in a rematch of their district semifinal battle last October.

The Pirate record improved to 6-2-1 overall and 4-0 in NWC play after the home win. Bluffton also blanked AE 2-0 in the tournament last fall.

The Mustang girls fell to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the NWC with the defeat.

Bluffton is a half-game ahead of Columbus Grove (7-0-1, 3-0 NWC) atop the NWC standings. The Pirates visit Grove Sept. 30 in a game that appears likely to decide the league champion.

Aubrey Burkholder scored an unassisted goal in the sixth minute to give the Pirates an early lead. Neither team scored the rest of the first half and well into the second half.

Bluffton’s Mya McDougle then tallied a pair of goals five minutes apart to put the game out of reach. She scored in the 65th minute on an assist from Blair Utendorf to double the lead to 2-0.

McDougle then found the back of the net in the 70th minute off a Jaicelyn Morris assist to put the game out of reach.

The Pirate defense held AE all-state senior speedster Rilynn Jones without a goal. She netted 44 goals last year and has tallied just over 100 in her career.

Bluffton directed 18 of its 24 shots on goal. The Mustangs put two of their six shots on goal.

Pirate goalkeeper Kynzie Ewing made two saves, while AE keeper Sierra Studer was credited with 15 stops in goal.

Bluffton hosts Botkins (3-4-1) in a non-league varsity match Thursday, Sept. 19. The game will be preceded by a home JV bout vs. former NWC rival Ada at 5 p.m.