By Cort Reynolds

KALIDA __The Bluffton High School boys soccer team lost 3-2 to Elida after overtime and a shootout in the Div. IV Northwest District 2 semifinals on Tuesday, October 21 at Kalida.

The sixth-seeded Pirate boys end their season 6-10-3 after the tough defeat.

Fifth seed Elida improved to 7-8-3 with the hard-fought win.

Each team scored a goal in the first half to head to intermission knotted at 1-1. Both clubs tallied a goal in the second half to force overtime. 

After two scoreless overtime sessions, Elida won the penalty kick shootout 4-3 to win the game.

The Bulldogs advance to the Div. IV district finals on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. in Shelby. Elida will face third seed Belleville Clear Fork (11-6-1), which nipped second seed Kenton 2-1 in overtime Tuesday evening at Shelby. 

Colt A.J. Swendal scored with 12:53 left in the first OT to end the Wildcat season at 10-4-5. 

Powerhouse Liberty-Benton (16-1-2) whipped 3-14-2 Ottawa-Glandorf 4-0 in another district semifinal at Kalida Tuesday. 

The top-seeded Eagles will play third-seeded Pemberville Eastwood (12-5-2) in the northwest district 3 finals Saturday at 3 p.m.

The evenly-matched Pirates and Bulldogs also played to a 1-1 tie at Elida early in the season back on August 23.

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