By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The Ada High School girls soccer team blanked visiting Hardin County rival Kenton 3-0 in a non-league match on Thursday, Oct. 8 at War Memorial Stadium.

Sophomore Shay Smith scored two goals to pace the victors.

Ada improved to 12-1-2 with the home clean sheet win.

The Wildcats dropped to 3-11 after the road loss.

“We celebrated our seniors tonight and pulled out a dominating win for Kenley Poling, Reese Jordan and Chloe Hunsicker,” said Ada head coach Doug Dewese. “From whistle start to end I felt like we played some of our best technical soccer all season. We possessed, moved and flowed well, and just were spot on with passing.  

“If not for a stingy Kenton defense and keeper, the score would have been a lot worse,” he noted. “Glad we gave Kenley, Reese and Chloe the win. Kenton is an extremely physical team and we were out-matched in size at pretty much every position, but never let it bother us.

“I am super proud of the work the forwards and mids put together in possession,” he added.

Junior Rose Baxter netted the first goal with 24:35 left in the first half off an assist by senior Kenley Poling. It was her 17th goal of the season.

Ada earned a penalty kick after a Kenton handball in the box with just over seven minutes left in the half. Sophomore Shay Smith nailed the penalty kick to double the Bulldog lead to 2-0.

The Bulldog lead stayed 2-0 into halftime.

A Poling shot ricocheted off the goalpost with 34 minutes left in the half.

Baxter then blasted a shot off the fingertips of the solid Wildcat keeper, and it then hit the post before going out of bounds for a corner kick.

Three minutes later, Baxter ripped a left-footed shot that went just wide.

Sophomore Maycie Dewese then booted a fine corner kick that Smith headed nicely into the net for a 3-0 lead.

“Shay Smith was on point, and her header goal was a thing of beauty off Maycie’s corner,” Dewese enthused. “She scored an absolutely rocket of a header. Big shout out to Shay, she was challenged earlier this week and she stepped up big time and answered that challenge soundly.”

Ada earned another penalty kick, but this time busy Wildcat keeper Jadynn Byers was able to guess right and stop the shot.

Bulldog keeper Emily Gibson made six saves in goal. “One of those was an absolute beauty on a 1 v. 1 opportunity for Kenton,” Dewese recalled.

Ada outshot Kenton, 34-6.  

“We have two tough games to close out the season and then tournaments, and if we play like we did vs. Kenton I think we are headed to a good post-season,” Dewese predicted.  

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs host Woodmore on Tuesday, Oct. 13. They visit Miller City (12-0-1, 1-0-1 NCOSA) in the North Central Ohio Soccer Association finale Oct. 17.