By Cort Reynolds
MT. BLANCHARD⎯The Ada High School girls soccer team lost its first match of the season 7-0 at Riverdale Wednesday evening in the North Central Ohio Soccer Association opener.
The Lady Bulldogs fell to 4-1 this season overall and 0-1 in NCOSA play with the loss. The Falcon girls improved to 2-3-1 overall and 1-0 in NCOSA action with the win.
"We were without two junior starters (Kailey Wagner and Elsie Allen), so we had a complicated situation going into this game," said first-year Ada head coach Doug Dewese.
"That put us into a situation where we had girls in positions they weren't used to," he explained. "Elsie gives us 80 minutes of solid center-back play and Kailey is a go anywhere, do anything type player, so missing them was a pretty big hit.
"It also made us lean heavily on freshmen to step up into prominent roles, and when you play a team that is as solid in their skills as Riverdale, that is a lot to ask of them," he continued.
"We had problems gaining any traction for an offensive attack, which then turned it into a defensively set game for us⎯and that isn't a strongsuit for this group of girls," he added.
Ada junior Katie Sizemore was credited with 32 saves in goal.
"Riverdale was also coming off a loss to Kenton Saturday, so they had their teeth out for a win after that," noted Dewese.
Ada (0-0 NWC) hosts Crestview (2-4, 0-1 NWC) Monday, Sept. 12 in Northwest Conference action. The Bulldogs (1-0 home) entertain Liberty-Benton (2-2-1) Wednesday, September 14.
"We have Crestview next Monday and we can definitely bounce back there, and that is the focus now," Dewese added.
