By MARC TOBIAS
mtobias@dailystandard.com
The Celina girls soccer squad was able to remain undefeated
(5-0-1) as it knocked off Bluffton by a 6-3 score, but despite
the win, Celina coach Dean Liggett said he believes his team
still has things to improve upon.
“It was an ugly game all the way around, it was ugly how
they scored and it was ugly how we scored,” said Celina
coach Dean Liggett. “It wasn’t a finess game, it
wasn’t a tactical game. We had some nice crosses to put
ourselves into position to be there, but it wasn’t our
best game. It was probably our worst game we’ve played
all year.”
Liggett’s displeasure most likely came when Celina almost
let a 4-1 lead slip away.
Leading by three goals, Celina allowed Bluffton to score a pair
of goals with less than 15 minutes left in the match to put
the game in serious jeopardy.
“I wasn’t very happy at 4-3, and someone on the
bench told me we had two more goals in us and it turned out
we did,” Liggett said. “It’s still disappointing,
coming off a game like Elida when we played very well and the
defense did their job. Granted Elida probably didn’t have
as many shots as Bluffton did today, and when you get outside
the WBL the girls appeared to have a little bit of a letdown
because it’s not as big a game for them. But it’s
still a win and I really thought we would have a legitimate
shot at a shutout today. But if you give up three goals, I guess
give it up outside of the WBL and we’ll focus for Bath
on Tuesday.”
The Pirates’ Emily Goldsberry scored her second goal of
the match when she struck a nice shot from 20 yards that went
just over Kelli Williams’ head.
Moments later Bluffton’s Jenna Begg hit an almost identical
shot from 25 yards. Once again it was a lofted shot that just
cleared Williams’ outstretched arms.
“The last two were long balls that just eluded the keeper,
and I think Kelli’s one of the best keepers in the area,
it was just up above her,” Liggett said. “I guess
you have to say nice shot, but those are shots that we tell
some of our players they have the leg to take and we don’t
take them. It proves if you do take them you have a chance for
them to go in.”
Facing some adversity with just the one-goal lead, Celina finished
the game strong.
Beth Braun crossed a ball to the top of the six-yard box to
Brittany Riesen who was able to chest a ball into the net in
the 76th minute.
Celina then closed the game for good on a corner kick two minutes
later. Andrea Bryan served a great ball from the corner that
Jenna Schleucher put away for the Bulldogs’ sixth goal.
Goldsberry scored the games first goal in the fifth minute,
Celina then answered with four straight goals.
Meg Smalley scored Celina’s first goal when Lauren Dammeyer
provided a great service from about 30 yards away.
Riesen scored the first of her two goals in the 26th minute
on an assist from Shay Adams, and Schleucher scored the first
of her two goals on a Braun assist.
Schleucher also picked up an assist when she fed Adams for the
Bulldogs’ fourth goal of the game in the 59th minute.
Bluffton falls to 2-3-2 on the season. Celina returns to action
Tuesday in a WBL match against Bath.
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