By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON - The Bluffton High School girls soccer team dominated visiting non-conference foe Liberty Center 7-1 Tuesday, October 8, at Steinmetz Field.  

The Pirate record improved to 10-4-1 after the convincing win. 

LC dropped to 7-7-1 after the lopsided loss.

Bluffton led 4-0 at halftime, and stretched the lead to 7-0 in the second half before giving up a goal with 13 minutes remaining to play.

Pirate ace Aubrey Burkholder scored three goals and passed out one assist to pace the victors. She scored the game’s first goal three minutes in off a Mya McDougle assist to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Lilly Dagani doubled the lead to 2-0 in the 28th minute from Burkholder.

Audra Snyder stretched the margin to 3-0 with a goal off a good ball from Phoebe Edwards-Leeper six minutes later.

In the 36th minute, junior Blair Utendorf found the back of the net off another Edwards-Leeper assist to make it 4-0 at intermission. 

Burkholder scored in the 43rd minute unassisted, then tallied in the 47th minute off a McDougle dish to extend the lead to 6-0. 

Edwards-Leeper tallied the final Pirate goal in the 54th minute from Utendorf to balloon the advantage to 7-0.

Calleigh Stoner scored in the 67th minute to help LC avoid the shutout.

Edards-Leeper scored a goal and assisted on two others. McDougle passed out two assists. Utendorf netted a goal and added one assist.

Bluffton directed 13 of their 21 shots on goal. 

The Tigers got off nine shots, and seven were on goal.

Pirate goalkeeper Kynzie Ewing made four saves, while Alexis Mummert stopped three shots. The LC keeper was credited with six saves.

The Pirates (5-1 home) play their regular season finale at home vs. undefeated central Ohio power Dublin Jerome (12-0-3) Thursday evening, Oct. 10. 

The Pirate girls were seeded fourth in their tough eight-team Div. V sectional drawing Sunday. Bluffton hosts sixth-seeded local rival Allen East (7-8-1) in the first round of tournament play Tuesday, October 15 at 6 p.m.

The winner advances to face the Riverdale/Cory-Rawson victor Monday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the semifinals at Steinmetz Field. The Falcons (10-2-2) are seeded first and C-R (3-11-1) is eighth. 

The finals at Steinmetz Field are set for Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.