By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School girls soccer team dominated local rival Ada 5-0 in the Div. V Northwest 2 District semifinals at Steinmetz Field on a cool Monday night, October 20.

The fourth-seeded Pirate girls improved to 10-8-1 with the decisive victory. Playing a rugged non-league schedule made the Bluffton squad better than their record might indicate.

Fifth seed Ada ended its season with a 12-5-2 record.

In the 17th minute of the first half, the Pirates took a 1-0 lead when sophomore Phoebe Edwards-Leeper converted a goal off a good quick pass from Aubrey Burkholder after a corner kick. 

Later in the 24th minute, a good Bluffton corner kick by Carly Wise ricocheted in front of the goal netting, and Pirate Keyrsten Kleman booted it in to go ahead 2-0 with 16 minutes left in the half.

Pirate keeper Kynzie Ewing then made a nice lunging save, knocking a good Ada shot over the crossbar. Bulldog sophomore Avary Acheson’s ensuing corner kick was played into a throw-in and no shot on goal.

In the 35th minute, Ada kicked a ball backward to the keeper, but Pirate senior scoring ace Aubrey Burkholder picked off the ensuing attempt at a clearing kick. 

Burkholder then capitalized by placing her 16th goal of the season narrowly over diving sophomore Emily Gibson to advance the lead to 3-0.

Early in the second half Burkholder made a good run, but her shot sailed just wide past the diving Gibson.

Pirate senior Mya McDougle booted a shot that Gibson saved nicely moments later.

A Bluffton blast then banged off the goal crossbar, followed by two more shots that the Ada defense thwarted.

Acheson’s rolling shot bounced off a defender into the hands of Pirate keeper Ewing.

Gibson made a good save on a Burkholder blast. Ada sophomore Rose Baxter got off a shot that was saved.

Pirate senior Blair Utendorf then scored off a Bulldog turnover with an assist by Willow Derstine to stretch the lead to 4-0 with just over 12 minutes remaining.

A Baxter blast seconds later flew over the goal.

Kleman then took a Burkholder lead pass and scored her second goal on a breakaway to extend the margin to 5-0 with 7:27 left to play. Burkholder was credited with her second assist. 

Baxter’s shot was saved by Ewing 90 seconds later.

Gibson made a good save with 4:10 to go, then added another high-point save with three minutes left. 

Bluffton directed 13 of its 21 shots on target, while Ada put six of its eight shots on goal. 

Ewing was credited with six saves in goal, while Gibson stopped eight Pirate shots.

UPCOMING MATCHES

The Pirates play top seed Elmore Woodmore (17-1-1) in the Div. V NW district 2 finals on Thursday, Oct. 23 in Clyde at 6 p.m. The powerhouse Wildcats whipped Ashland Crestview 7-0 Monday.

Woodmore senior Kelsey Kaylor has scored a whopping 44 goals this season.

Columbus Grove beat an 11-5-3 Continental squad 3-1 in the first district semifinal at Bluffton Monday evening. Grove improved to 14-2-2 and will play Delphos Jefferson.

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