By Cort Reynolds

ADA - The host Ada girls soccer team played well but lost a squeaker to defending league champion Bluffton Saturday, 3-2.

The Lady Bulldogs fell to 3-7 overall and 1-2 in the Northwest Conference with the home defeat. Bluffton improved to 3-1-5 and 2-0-2 in NWC play with the win.

Ada scored first on a through ball from Timber Blankenship to Julia Kamatali, which she put into the net less than five minutes into the fray.

Bluffton's Reagan Mittendorf tied it 1-1 on a chip shot from 25 yards out that went in just under the crossbar.

The Pirates nosed in front 2-1 with another chip shot goal from outside the 18-yard box by Mittendorf just before intermission.

But about 15 minutes into the second half, Ada knotted it 2-2 as Kamatali found Katie Butterfield on another through ball for the tying goal.

Yet Mittendorf was able to tally the winning goal late in the game on another chip shot to earn a hat trick.

Bluffton got 15 shots off on goal to eight by Ada. Bulldog keeper Ella Poling made a dozen saves.

"We played well against the defending NWC champs," said Ada head coach Doug Poling.

"We were able to limit their scoring opportunities and got some quality runs down the field," he added.

The Bulldogs play at Riverdale Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.