Roughriders roll

CELINA - Celina girls soccer coach Eric Gerker had positive remarks about the play of his team after Monday's tie with Wapakoneta.

But there weren't a lot of positives for the Bulldogs on Thursday.

That same Celina team that had battled goal-for-goal with Wapakoneta earlier in the week couldn't keep pace with St. Marys in a 5-1 loss at the soccer stadium.

Lilly Ankerman and Emma Wibbler scored a pair of goals each for the Roughriders. Madison Rust added the other as St. Marys improved to 6-3-1 overall and 5-1-1 in Western Buckeye League play.

The Roughriders have now scored five goals in back-to-back victories (they beat Bath 5-1 on Monday). It also marked the fourth time this season they scored at least five goals.

"We're starting to click," St. Marys coach Nick Wilson said.

Early in the game, St. Marys peppered the goal but to no avail. Ankerman got the first goal to go with 21:11 remaining in the first half. Five minutes later, Rust bent a direct kick just over the outstretched hand of Celina goalie Kennedy Henry, the ball deflected downward off the top cross bar and into the goal.

Forty seconds later, Carley Eichler scored to cut Celina's deficit to 2-1, which is where it stood at the intermission.

Henry staved off a St. Marys breakaway with an acrobatic save moments into the second half, but the Riders had the Bulldogs on their heels the rest of the night.

The Roughriders finished with a 14-10 edge in shots on goal.

Wibbler scored both of her goals in the second half and Ankerman added her second, too.

"We work extensively on passing," Wilson said. "That short give-and-go, we do the same drill every practice. They hate it. But this is where we're at. It's really working. I'm blessed as a coach to have interchangeable parts in almost every spot. I've got speed at many, many spots, and when they put it to use and they connect, opportunities present themselves."

Both St. Marys goalie Emma White and Celina's Henry made nine saves.

Gerker declined to comment after the game.

St. Marys travels to meet Anna on Saturday. Celina (5-3-3) visits Van Wert on Tuesday.