By Cort Reynolds

ADA __With all four goals made in the second half, the Ada High School boys soccer team lost 3-1 to tough visiting Fort Jennings in a non-league match on Monday night, Sept. 14.

After a scoreless first half, Ada scored shortly after intermission to take the lead. But FJ responded with two quick goals, then netted another late score to secure the win.

The Bulldogs fell to 4-4 overall with the home defeat. FJ improved to 6-2-1 after the win.

“Overall, there were some good moments in the game,” said Ada head coach Aaron Acheson. “Fort Jennings is having a good season. It was a very competitive first half.

“In possession, we are taking one extra touch at times, and we need to be able to make decisions quicker,” he observed. “We will continue working on this in trainings. I am thankful we have more games ahead of us to continue figuring things out and improving throughout the rest of the season.”

Jacob Rush made a nice diving stop on a shot to the far-right post by Musketeer Hunter Maag with 17:42 left in the first half.

At the 16:07 mark, an FJ header off a throw-in was saved by Rush.

Three minutes later, another header off a good cross was knocked over the goal line by Ada. At the 12:37 mark, a right corner kick was headed just wide by a leaping Maag.

Ada blasted a right-side shot that keeper Adler Pothast made a nice diving save of for FJ.

An Ada shot went wide two minutes later. With two minutes left, a one-bounce Bulldog shot on goal was grabbed easily by Pothast. With 10 seconds left in the half, an FJ right side direct kick from 25 yards out was one-timed in front of the net but missed its target to keep it scoreless at the half.

Ada jumped ahead 2:36 into the second half with the first goal of the night. Andrew Allen fired a shot out front that Pothast deflected right of the goal. Senior Chase Jarrett was there to clean up the ricochet and booted it into the net to give Ada a 1-0 lead with 37:24 remaining. It was his second goal of the campaign.

“We did a great job on our goal of playing a diagonal ball out wide, and then playing the ball across the goal,” Acheson noted. “Chase made a great backside run and finished the play with a goal.”

At the 34:22 juncture, FJ missed from 11 yards out when a shot hit the right upright. 

At the 28:50 mark, Landon Stechschulte tied it 1-1 with a fine goal into the upper right netting from out top off a throw-in. 

With 26:30 left, speedy junior Stechschulte scored his ninth goal of the season with an assist from Maag to put the Musketeers ahead 2-1.

“We had a few mistakes in front of our goal that Fort Jennings was able to capitalize on,” Acheson admitted. “They did a good job of making the most of their chance slate in the game, and scored the last three goals. We need to learn from those mistakes and continue to get better.”

FJ almost tallied a third straight goal, but the shot by Brody Leis just missed.

Ada’s Rhett Ulrey ripped a potential tying blast that sailed just over the goal crossbar with four minutes left.

Musketeer Jeremy Maag knocked in a rebound shot off a good Rush save with 2:54 left to put FJ ahead 3-1. The insurance goal put the hard-fought contest out of reach.

The Musketeers out-shot Ada 23-11, with nine directed on goal compared to four on frame by the Bulldogs. FJ earned five corner kicks to one by Ada.

Rush made six saves and Pothast stopped two Bulldog shots on goal.

The Bulldogs (0-2 NCOSA) play at league rival Riverdale (2-4-1, 0-2 NCOSA) on Wednesday, Sept. 16 to kick off a six-match road swing. Their next home match is Oct. 6 vs. Kalida.

Ada plays at non-league foe Old Fort Saturday morning.