Lady Redskins rally to tie Elida
The dogs got out, but they were eventually tied up.
Wapakoneta battled back from an early deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with visiting Elida in Western Buckeye League girls soccer action on Tuesday night.
The game was the first at Ryan Field for the Lady Redskins this season. They had played their previous home games at Harmon Stadium in order to allow fans to attend in light of the state guidelines for COVID prevention.
Elida scored twice in the game’s first 20 minutes. But Wapakoneta was able to cut the deficit in half with a score by Erika Lisi with just under four minutes to play.
They came out stronger in the second half, and controlled the flow for most of the second 40 minutes. The tying goal came with just under nine minutes to go on a shot by Taylor Jenkins.
“It was a tale of two halves,” said Wapakoneta coach Mike Foor. “We came out flat in the first half against a good Elida team.”
He said the team talked about being more aggressive during the intermission.
“We came out fired up,” he said.
Wapakoneta is now 3-1-1 in the WBL and 4-3-3 overall. Bath (4-0 entering Tuesday) and
St. Marys (3-0-1) are ahead of the Lady Redskins currently.
“We’re still in the running,” said Foor. “We’ll just have to see.
We may get some breaks.”
Elida controlled the action in the early going, with senior Morgan Klett scoring the Bulldogs’ first goal with eight minutes gone by.
Brooke Reese of Elida increased the advantage with a score at the midpoint of the first half.
With 12 minutes to go, Wapakoneta had a shot that went wide right of the net. Lisi had a shot that was deflected a couple minutes later.
With 8 1/2 minutes to play. Elida’s Marley Savill put a shot toward the Redskins goal, but keeper Allie Wilson kept it out.
As the clock wound under four minutes, the Redskins took the ball down the field, sending it back and forth. They drew the Elida keeper out on the left edge.
Marisa Raney then passed the ball over to Lisi, who knocked into the open net to make it 2-1.
Early in the second half, Elida’s Jojo Knight had a shot that sailed just wide left of the net.
Each side had direct kicks as the midpoint of the second half approached, with neither resulting in anything too close.
Raney had a shot from 18 feet out with 16:50 to go. The ball went wide of the net as Elida stayed in front.
The Redskins stayed on the attack over the next several minutes. Finally, with 8:52 to go, Taylor Jenkins took the ball out to the right side. She sent a high, arcing shot that found the top left corner of the net, well out of the keeper’s reach.
Lisi had a crossing shot with seven minutes to go, but it was scooped up by the Bulldogs goalie.
With 2 1/2 minutes to play, Raney sent a shot that bounced off the crossbar. Lisi was there for the rebound, but her header had a little too much oomph, as it went over top of the net.
Wapakoneta will travel to Bellefontaine on Thursday for its next match.