By Cort Reynolds

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

Ada finished its season 12-5-2 after the tough defeat. The Bulldogs set a program season record for most wins in a single season, shattering the previous mark of 10.

Bluffton improved to 10-8-1 with the victory. Playing a rugged non-league schedule made the Pirate girls better than their record indicates.

“When we click we are a great team, and the first 20 minutes we were clicking,“ said Ada head coach Doug Dewese. “On a good day, we don’t lose 5-0 to Bluffton. It just wasn’t a good day.”

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute when sophomore Phoebe Edwards-Leeper took a good quick pass from Aubrey Burkholder after a corner kick and converted it into a goal. 

Then, in the 24th minute, a good Bluffton corner kick by Carly Wise ricocheted and was booted into the goal netting by Pirate senior Keyrsten Kleman to build a 2-0 lead with 16 minutes left in the half.

“Even the first goal by Bluffton didn’t bring us down, but the second goal kind of broke our back,” said Dewese. “We got out of sorts, and started reacting instead of dictating play.”

Pirate keeper Kynzie Ewing 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, but Ada did not convert.

A few minutes later, Ada kicked a ball back to the keeper, yet Pirate senior Aubrey Burkholder intercepted the ensuing attempt at a clearing kick. The Pirate scoring ace then capitalized by placing her 16th goal of the season narrowly past a 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 blasted a shot that Gibson saved nicely moments later.

A Pirate shot 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 from a Willow Derstine assist 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. 

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. 

“In the second half when we stepped up our play, a lot of calls against us took the wind out of our sails,” Dewese observed.

Ada put six of its eight shots on goal, while Bluffton fired off 22 shots.

Gibson stopped 14 Pirate shots, while Ewing was credited with six saves in goal. 

“I said at the beginning of the season we would get at least 12 wins, which we did,” summed up fourth-year mentor Dewese. “I think we gave away a few games we should have won (Van Buren, Upper Sandusky), but we continued to see steady growth in the program.

“I think next year we should be a much stronger team,” he continued. “Some underclassmen got some valuable experience this year that will pay dividends next year.

“I can’t help but feel for my seniors,” he noted. “This was my inaugural group that I have had since they were freshmen, and they are a key part of a good season. I will miss Jordyn (Smith), Alex (Gibson), Emma (Lambdin) and Alyssa (Nau) a ton. 

“I can’t wait to see what the future brings for all four of those ladies,” he added. “We start prepping for next year, and goals are already being discussed – stronger showing in NCOSA, deeper tournament run, better record, etc.”

Ada ended up 0-3-1 in the tough North Central Ohio Soccer Association this fall. The Bulldogs were a sparkling 12-2-1 in non-league play.

“We had flashes of a great team this year,” Dewese offered. “Next year I think these ladies put it together and it becomes more than flashes. We will be a much more steady and consistent team all around. 

“And that will come off the shoulders of the success we saw this year,” he added.