UPDATE The sectional game at Liberty-Benton will now be played at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 21.
By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School boys soccer team scored two second-half goals, including the tiebreaker in the final minutes, to rally past upset-minded Pemberville Eastwood and win their intense sectional semifinal match 2-1 Wednesday evening, October 18, at War Memorial Stadium.
Bulldog junior Nathan Williams calmly buried a penalty kick goal into the upper right part of the net with 2:51 remaining to provide the final margin of victory.
Ada had earned the PK try on an accidental Eastwood hand ball in the box off a Williams right corner kick.
The Bulldog record improved to 4-7-6 after the exciting comeback win. Ada has won two in a row after a 12-match winless streak.
Ninth seed Ada now visits top-seeded Liberty-Benton (10-4-3) Saturday, October 21 at 10:00 a.m. in the sectional finals (new time).
The Eastwood Eagles end their season 4-13-1 after the tough defeat.
Ada trailed 1-0 at intermission despite controlling the ball for most of the first half. But the Bulldogs came out strong to start half two., and Ada tied it with 32:52 remaining.
Junior Logan Jolliff fired a direct kick from about 21 yards out on the right side, and the Eagle keeper blocked the hard shot but was unable to control the ball.
The loose ball caromed out toward Ada senior Carson Gossard, who knocked in the rebound shot to tie the game 7:08 into the second half.
Ada earned a penalty kick just 45 seconds later in an attempt to take the lead, but the shot sailed just high and to the right over the goal.
Eastwood whiffed on a one-timer try off a direct kick almost two minutes later. Ada put a shot on goal that was saved with 26:32 left.
Bulldog keeper Jacob Rush then came up with a nice save on a one vs. one Eagle foray from about 11 yards out on the left side with 23:30 to go to preserve the tie.
Gossard’s left wing shot with 22:45 to play was saved. A 35-yard shot by Eastwood was handled easily by Rush shortly thereafter. A Bulldog shot went wide left at the 19:34 mark.
Another good Bulldog chance to score hit the crossbar at the 18:07 point. A Gossard shot just over three minutes later narrowly passed over the goal.
A shot by Williams was on goal but saved with 14:33 left. The Eagle keeper then made a nice one-handed punch save on a penetrating Bulldog direct kick at the 9:28 juncture.
A right side crosser by Andrew Allen with 8:20 to play went through the box, but Ada missed the header.
Bulldog senior Clayton McClain booted a rolling shot that was saved with 7:55 to go. McClain then fed Allen nicely for a close shot on goal that was saved with 6:22 remaining.
Jolliff played a nice ball to Gabe Blankenship for a one-on-one shot from the left side, but the cramping Bulldog’s shot went into the side of the net with 5:45 to go.
Jolliff then blasted a shot over the goal 40 seconds later. An Ada header try was also saved with 3:45 to play.
The relentless Ada pressure finally paid off with a corner kick that Williams parlayed into the hand ball penalty, and the winning goal.
Eastwood played with an empty net in the last minute as the keeper joined the offense for a last-ditch right corner kick.
Rush made a diving save of an Eastwood shot with 30 seconds left. The Eagles kept the pressure on and got off one last right-side shot in the final seconds from 10 yards out.
But Rush smothered the shot and laid on the ball as the last three seconds ticked off to preserve the hard-fought win.
Bulldog freshman keeper Rush made five key saves in goal.
Ada dominated much of the first half play, but couldn’t dent the net despite peppering the Eagle goalkeeper repeatedly with good shots.
Allen had a good opportunity to score on a one-timer with 18:25 left in the half, but couldn’t quite finish.
A hard Ada left side missile was deflected away by the Eagle keeper 30 seconds later.
Eastwood then countered with a breakaway. From straight on about 13 yards out the Eagle player lifted a touch shot just over the outstretched arm of Rush into the netting.
The well-placed shot gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with 16:45 left in the first half.
Allen’s long right side shot was saved at the 13:57 mark. The quick Allen then made a good run, but his shot went just wide at the 12:16 juncture.
A Bulldog free kick sailed wide of the net with 11:11 to go.
Blankenship’s right side shot was saved at the 9:24 mark. A Jolliff shot bent wide almost two minutes later.
Allen authored a nifty bit of footwork to get off another shot, but again it skittered just wide of the goal at the 6:24 point.
Jolliff’s left-footed shot was saved with five minutes to go in the opening half.
Gossard played a nice right side ball to Blankenship, but his shot sailed into the side of the net with 3:13 left.
A Williams shot on goal was saved by the busy Eagle keeper with 1:05 left. One last shot by Ada five seconds before intermission was stopped again to keep the visitors ahead 1-0 at the break.
If the Bulldogs upset Liberty and advance, the district semis and finals will be hosted by Tiffin Columbian at Frost-Kalnow Stadium Oct.25/28.
Ada tied L-B 1-1 in Findlay September 14. It was the only league non-win NCOSA champion L-B (4-0-1) suffered.
