Zizelman delivers game-winner for Celina

The Celina girls' soccer team opened the 2011 season in dramatic fashion by scoring with less than three minutes left in the game to garner a 1-0 win over the Findlay Trojans on Monday at the Soccer Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

The win was especially sweet for the Bulldogs as they were not only able to defeat a long nemesis in the Trojans, but with Celina's move to Division II a win over a Division I program also looks good on the resume going forward.

"Findlay is a great program with great athletes and to beat a program of their caliber, we are very happy," said Celina's coach Calvin Freeman. "We have dropped down to Division II from Division I and for us to beat a program like this gives kudos to the hard work the girls have done the last month and a half."

The lone goal of the game was scored with just 2:50 left in the contest as Celina's senior forward Lexi Mills made a great pass from the left side of the defense to fellow Bulldogs' senior Georgi Zizelman, who made a nice move on Trojans' goalie Olivia Bair before putting the ball in the back of the net.

"I thought the girls gave just a fantastic effort tonight," said Freeman. "I thought the girls played well as a team. We have been struggling because we had to move some people around because we lost some people from last year. We had some holes to fill, but the girls came out and played hard and they played hard the entire game.

"We came out like a house afire, we had several opportunities and we missed. At half time we made some adjustments. We kept telling them to keep doing what they are doing and all we have to do is finish the play. The opportunity happened, the girls made two nice runs off the ball, we got a nice cross and Georgi put the ball back in the net instead of shanking the shot like we did in the first 10 minutes of the game," added Freeman.

The Bulldogs had three legitimate scoring chances in the first nine minutes of action. In the fourth minute, Alex Parker hooked up with Kari Stachler, whose shot was just over the crossbar of the goal.

In the sixth minute, Mills got loose just outside the 25-yard box before turning and firing a shot that again went over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute, a corner kick by the Bulldogs came free into the box but Bair fell to the ground to make the save.