Blan falls to Ross in tournament play
The Blanchester Ladycats ended their season on Monday night with a loss to higher seeded Ross by a score of 3-0. Blanchester held an aggressive Ross attack in check throughout the first half with solid team defensive rotations and hustle from all positions to stymie several scoring chances. Last ditch defending on multiple occasions by Olivia Gundler and Savanna Shank combined with another top performance from keeper Regan Ostermeier was enough to weather a fierce first 20 minutes as Blan worked their way into more possession to end the half. The game entered half time tied up at zero apiece, and although Blan continued to hound Ross, Rams senior Sydnie Guenther had a moment of brilliance and was able to split the defense and score to put Ross up 1-0 with 33 minutes to go. Things continued with the same script until Guenther struck again with 17 minutes to go in another skillful attack. Ross rounded out their scoring by putting the game out of reach with a third with 8 minutes to go. Seniors Sierra Drake, Tatum Kirby, and Taylor McQuitty all had strong and gritty performances in their final game for the Cats, and Emily Hinkle and Bri Haun both added good games in the midfield and defense respectively. Ostermeier had 15 saves in goal for Blan, whose record finishes at 5-9-2 on the year.
Ladycats lose heartbreaker to Williamsburg
The Blanchester Ladycats fell to Williamsburg in a high intensity game by a score of 1-0 on Thursday night. Williamsburg was aggressive in attack throughout the first half, but a strong defensive effort by the Blan back line and a commanding game by Regan Ostermeier kept Williamsburg from converting any chances in the half. The teams went into halftime tied, and the game continued to see Williamsburg hold possession in the second half. With 18 minutes remaining, Williamsburg played a dangerous ball across the face of goal, and Blan was unlucky to have the ball carom off their own defender and into the net for an own goal. Blan was unable to answer back in the remaining time, giving the game its 1-0 score line. The Ladycats played a selfless team defense throughout, although Olivia Gundler and Savana Shank stood out and above with repeatedly critical steals and recoveries. Ostermeier had 9 saves, with one being an incredible one on one situation that stonewalled Williamsburg. Blan falls to 5-8-2 with the result.
Ladycats shutout Fayetteville in win, Ostermeier ties School record
The Blanchester Ladycats topped Fayetteville by a score of 6-0 on Tuesday night, and Blan keeper Regan Ostermeier gained a share of the school career record for shutouts, tying Ana Hosler with the 16th of her career. Ostermeier was not just a force between the posts on the night, she also added an assist from a soaring punt and scored the first goal of her career from the penalty spot. Blan dominated the ball on the night, taking 27 shots compared to 3 for the Rockets. Senior Sierra Drake put the Cats on the board first after racing down a long Ostermeier punt that cleared everyone and slotted the ball to the low left corner of the goal. Blan added their second from an Emily Hinkle corner that Fayetteville misplayed into their own net for an own goal. Hinkle continued to torment the Rockets when she chipped the keeper with less than a minute left in the half from a Tatum Kirby assist. In the second half the Ladycats were slowed down a bit by a tighter Rocket defense, but Drake scored her second with 15 minutes left from a deft through ball from Taylor McQuitty, giving Drake 15 goals on the season. Hinkle also added her second just moments later after stealing the ball in the final third and striking the ball low and hard past the keeper for her 11th this season. Ostermeier's penalty after a Rocket handball was the exclamation point on the night for the Cats, and she added 3 saves, pushing her season total to 110. Savanna Shank added a strong defensive game for the Ladycats as well. Blan moves to 5-7-2 on the year with the win.
Kirby leads comeback bid that falls just short
On Senior Night in Blanchester, the Ladycats mounted a valiant comeback bid in the second led by senior Tatum Kirby, but fell short to Bethel-Tate by a score of 3-2 on Tuesday night. Blan got hit hard on a counter with 33 minutes left in the game and Tiger Sofia Rodriguez hit the far post and in to start the scoring. Less than two minutes remaining, Blan fell victim to a counter attack again, this time with Natalie Struve scoring for Bethel. Blan found their footing during the last twenty minutes of the half, but could not cut into the deficit. Bethel opened up the second half scoring right away off a misplay by Blan, and the game looked out of reach. The Ladycats showed a fighting spirit, however, and Tatum Kirby made a hustle play to claw the Cats back into the game. As Bethel played the ball back to their keeper, Kirby raced up to put pressure on the goalie, stole the ball and passed it into the net, just beating back the sprinting defense with 24 minutes left. Kirby was involved in the next goal as well, sending a pass across the box that was met by Sierra Drake who put a shot on goal that was parried and Drake followed up the rebound to make it 3-2 with 15 minutes to go. Blan found several more chances in the waning minutes of an energetic end to the game, but could not find the last goal needed to even the score. Regan Ostermeier had 12 saves in goal for Blan, and defender Olivia Gundler played a gritty second half to help keep Blan in the game. Substitute Becca Kratzer added a spark for the Cats in the second half as well with her strong hustle plays. Fellow seniors Taylor McQuitty, Ashlee Baker, and Rongyu Wu in addition to Kirby and Drake were honored before the game. Blan falls to 4-7-2 with the result.
Blan can't overcome first half troubles, fall to Goshen
The Blanchester Ladycats lost to Goshen 4-2 on Thursday night, digging themselves an early deficit that they could not overcome. Goshen started the game as the aggressor and took advantage of Blan mistakes to take a two goal lead within the first ten minutes. The first goal came after two Wildcat defenders had a miscommunication and both pulled off the ball, allowing Goshen to pounce on the opportunity to score. Next a failed clearance gave Goshen a clean look from the middle of the box and they converted to push it to 2-0. Blan found their style of play in the last 15 minutes of the half and forced 7 corner kicks, but were unable to convert any to goals. Goshen blitzed out of the gate in the second half, scoring within the first minute, and although Blan began to become dangerous in the attack, it was a lead Blan would not be able to recover against. Sierra Drake added two goals in the second half, both coming from Emily Hinkle assists. Drake's first was a header from a Hinkle corner kick, and the second was a tough angled shot that trickled by the keeper at the near post. Sandwiched between Drake's goals was another Goshen goal off a counter attack, giving the final score of 4-2. Regan Ostermeier had seven saves in goal, and defender Savanna Shank played well defensively for the Cats. Blan falls to 4-6-2 with the result.
Ladycats play CNE to a draw
The Ladycats tied CNE with a score of 1-1 on youth night Tuesday in Blanchester. Junior Emily Hinkle quickly put on a show for the youth, blasting another long range bomb from roughly 30 yards out to the top corner to beat the keeper, which has become her trademark on the season and her ninth goal of the campaign. The strike came in the first five minutes, but Blan would not enjoy their lead long as Rocket forward Kayla Nichols scored less than two minutes later after getting free from the defense for just a moment to tie up the game. The scoring may have finished early, but the game still offered plenty of drama and good play. Hinkle and her midfield partner Taylor McQuitty were aggressive throughout the game and were able to win back the ball numerous times on the counter attack for the Cats. Additionally, defender Olivia Gundler patrolled the final third of the field to help limit the number of quality shots CNE could put on goal. Regan Ostermeier had 9 saves in the game, and Blan moves to 4-5-2 on the season.
Drake's hat trick part of Ladycats offensive outburst in win over Felicity
Sierra Drake completed a first half hat trick on Thursday night, and the Blanchester Ladycats had an offensive outburst to defeat Felicity 10-0. Blan started their barrage early, scoring within two minutes as Tatum Kirby steered in a corner kick from close range. The Cats would go on to pour in seven goals in the first half, three from Drake, two from Taylor McQuitty, and another from Emily Hinkle. Drake netted her first by tracking down a throw-in assist from Brianna Haun and powering a shot through the keeper's grasp. Both of Drake's following goals were forceful shots from insude the box as well, as she overpowered the Felicity defenders repeatedly to receive the ball. Hinkle converted a penalty kick, and McQuitty scored both of her goals by receiving a ball running through the midfield and splitting the last defenders to beat the keeper one on one. The second half continued to see Blan dominate the ball, and Hinkle got her second of the game in just over a minute after the restart by hitting a curler past the keeper from the top of the box. Defenders Olivia Gundler and Savanna Shank both hit their first career goals to round out the scoring. Gundler was able to score hers after dribbling past the last two defenders and squeezing the ball past the goalie at the near post from a tight angle. Blan keeper Regan Ostermeier had 2 saves in the shutout, and is now only one shutout away from tying the school career record. Recording assists on the night were Drake with two, Haun, Kirby, McQuitty, Shank, Hinkle and Kelsey Naylor all with one. The Ladycats move to 4-5-1 with the victory.
Hinkle's hat trick paces Cats over Fairfield
Emily Hinkle poured in a hat trick and added an assist Monday night as the Blanchester Ladycats defeated Fairfield Leesburg 6-0. Hinkle and senior Sierra Drake (2 goals and 2 assists in the contest) continued their run of incredible form over the past several games, and were involved in opening goal for the Ladycats. Hinkle put the Cats up 1-0 by converting a penalty kick 6 minutes into the game, slotting it calmly to the corner, after it was awarded when Fairfield fouled Drake in the box. Drake struck next, tracking down a headed pass from Tatum Kirby and firing hard on goal. The Fairfield goalie parried the ball of the top post, but Drake made an acrobatic play and headed the rebound into the net to make it 2-0. Hinkle closed the scoring in the first half push the lead to 3 after dribbling by a defender and taking a long effort that skidded through the keepers grasp. Despite holding the advantage, the Ladycats came out much stronger in the second half and Drake placed heavy pressure on the Fairfield defense throughout the half. Drake turned that pressure into another goal from another throughball from Hinkle and hammered it to the bottom corner. The duo paired up again less than three minutes later, this time with Drake attacking the corner hard and laying off an angled pass back to Hinkle. Hinkle finished off her hat trick in spectacular fashion as her effort from the corner of the box knuckled away from the keeper and hit off the upper corner of the far post before going in. Blan rounded out their scoring when Drake chipped a free kick to the back post and Kirby muscled into the mix to tap it home for the 6-0 score line. Regan Ostermeier had 8 saves in her third shutout of the year, pushing her to 14 in her career, only 2 behind the school career record held by Ana Hosler which stands at 16. Taylor McQuitty played well in midfield as well for the Cats, and the defensive back line of Bri Haun, Savanna Shank, Olivia Gundler, and Sally Schafer has started to come into their own as a unit. Blan moves to 3-5-1 on the year with the win.
Drake powers Ladycats past Georgetown
The Blanchester Ladycats defeated fellow SBAAC member Georgetown 1-0 on Thursday night to break a six game winless streak. Sierra Drake netted the game winner in the second half for the Wildcats from a throughball from Emily Hinkle. Drake muscled past the last defender and received the ball 12 yards out from the goal and finished the ball with plenty of pace to grab the only goal of the game. Blanchester opened the game looking crisp and aggressive, and used that to control the pace of the game. The back line of Olivia Gundler, Savanna Shank, Brianna Haun, and Sally Schafer played well and helped keep the quality chances to a minimum for Georgetown, and the game went into halftime tied at 0. Coming out of the break it became clear that the Cats had found their attacking rhythm, and Drake began to torment Georgetown down the left edge and fired off several great looks. It was only a matter of time before she converted one, and she hit the deciding shot with 26 minutes left to play. Blan continued to attack, but a nervy last five minutes of the game kept things interesting, and keeper Regan Ostermeier was forced into a few great saves to close out the game to earn her 2nd shutout of the season. Ostermeier had 7 saves on the night. Freshmen Lana Roy was a motor in the midfield for the Ladycats and paired well with Hinkle in the second half to hound the Georgetown midfielders and keep possession. The Ladycats improved to 2-5-1 on the season with the win.
Ladycats fall to Williamsburg
An early mistake put the Ladycats in a quick hole on Tuesday night against Williamsburg and they were never able to close the gap, falling short by a score of 3-1. The game started in shocking fashion, as 30 seconds into the game Blan made a series of bad touches and turned the ball over deep in their own territory, leading to Hailey Beesten stealing the ball in the box and finishing her shot to give Williamsburg a 1-0 lead. Williamsburg attacked relentlessly with the wind at their back for the first 6 minutes, but the Ladycats weathered the storm and settled into the game. Throughout the rest of the half, Blan controlled possession despite going against the wind, but could not find an equalizer. Throughout the duration of the second half, Blan continued to dominate time on the ball, but by pressing up the field got caught on the counter twice, going down 3-0. Emily Hinkle pulled one back for the Ladycats with a dazzling strike from 35 yards out on a free kick, placing the ball directly under the top crossbar with 12 minutes left to breath life into the Cats attack. Unfortunately for the Cats they could not convert their possession into quality scoring opportunities and the game ended 3-1. In addition to her wonderstrike, Hinkle had a fantastic game for Blan, playing extremely aggressive in the midlfield to place pressure on Williamsburg and cause turnovers. Tatum Kirby and Lili Morlan's aggressive play also stood out for the Cats, and Regan Ostermeier had 10 saves in goal. Blan falls to 1-5-1 on the season.
Late Penalty Leads to Blan Defeat
A penalty kick awarded in the final minute of play was the deciding factor in a 2-1 loss for the Blanchester Ladycats against county rival Clinton Massie on Thursday night. Massie was awarded the penalty after a collision in the box, causing the ball to jostle loose from Blan keeper Regan Ostermeier. Officials deemed Ostermeier to have obstructed the path to the ball, leading to the decisive conversion. In the first half, the Ladycats took the lead through a Tatum Kirby goal. Taylor McQuitty chipped the ball over the top of a high Massie defensive line and Kirby raced passed the defense to slip the ball past the keeper for a 1-0 lead. The second half was tense as Blan clung to their lead, but Massie was able to bring the game level with 19 minutes remaining off of a broken free kick play. After rebounding to the sideline from a free kick, the ball was played back in and took a deflection before being headed in. Ostermeier finished the game with 6 saves, and Lana Roy and Savanna Shank played aggressive games for the Cats. Blan falls to 1-4-1 on the season with the result.
Blan Draws Against Bethel
The Blanchester Ladycats tied Bethel-Tate in a back and forth game Tuesday night, ending with a 2-2 score. Blanchester started out with a spark and linked up well through the first 15 minutes of the first half. Emily Hinkle made the linkup play pay dividends five minutes into the game as she hit a sublime long range shot from outside the box that hit the top crossbar and in. Freshmen Lana Roy recorded the assist on the play, the first of her career. Bethel began to find their feet in the game, and possession started to open up to both teams. Tiger Natalie Struve evened up the score with a goal midway trough the half, coming off a give and go down the sideline. The game went into half with the same score, and the second half played out similar to the first. Blan jumped in front off of a Sierra Drake goal, who received a long assist ball from Taylor McQuitty. Drake took a deft first touch to blast by the defense and finish the ball strong across the goal for the 2-1 lead. Bethel clawed back again, however, equalizing off a Sofia Rodriguez shot that went low to the corner, which came from a rebounded shot to the edge of the box. Both teams pressed for the game winner, but the game ended in a tense 2-2 tie. Regan Ostermeier had 9 saves in goal for the Cats. Defenders Olivia Gundler and Savanna Shank also stood out for the Ladycats. Blan moves to 1-3-1 on the season and takes on Clinton Massie at home on Thursday.
Ladycats Blanked by Batavia
The Batavia Bulldogs defeated the Blanchester Lady Wildcats 2-0 in cross SBAAC play on Thursday night at Batavia. Batavia struck quickly in the first five minutes, playing a combination pass from a throw-in to get past the Blan defense for a close range shot. Batavia sent Blan reeling after scoring again ten minutes later, and continued to dominate possession and pounded 18 shots in the half. Fortunately for the Cats, keeper Regan Ostermeier continued her strong run of form and played a stellar game in goal despite the loss, commanding the goal box and tallying 8 high quality saves in the first half. Despite their first half struggles, Blan started the second half with a much stronger spirit and held the potent Bulldog attack scoreless in the half. Seniors Sierra Drake and Taylor McQuitty put in a tireless shift in the midfield to slow down the Bulldogs, and Ostermeier finished the game with 18 saves. Blan drops to 1-3 on the year with the result and take on Bethel-Tate on Tuesday.
Blan Comeback Falls Short at CNE
The Blanchester Ladycats suffered a defeat at CNE on Tuesday night by a score of 2-1. CNE came out as the aggressor and controlled the first 20 minutes of the game. With 26 minutes remaining in the first half, CNE found themselves free on goal with a 1v1 against keeper Regan Ostermeier, who made a big save to parry the shot away. Rocket Kylie Cooper was the first to the rebound, however, and slotted it home to open the scoring. Ten minutes later CNE scored again, this time from a corner kick. After falling behind 2-0, Blan settled into the game and began finding more success in the attack. Emily Hinkle intercepted a pass in CNE territory and slipped a smart pass through to Sierra Drake, who went across goal with her shot to cut the deficit to 2-1 with less than 5 minutes to go in the first half. The second half again saw both teams create quality chances, but despite applying more pressure, the Wildcats could not find an equalizer. Ostermeier ended the game with 6 saves in another strong effort. Olivia Gundler played well for the Cats in the midfield, and substitutes Rongyu Wu and Kelsey Naylor added good minutes from the bench, giving a boost to a bench that has been depleted with several injuries. Blan's record falls to 1-2 with the loss and they take on Batavia on Thursday for their third game this week.
Blan fall to Lady G-Men
The Blanchester Lady Wildcats lost to Georgetown in an away SBAAC matchup on Monday night by a score of 2-0. The hosts held better possession throughout the first half, taking advantage of shaky passing from the Wildcats to generate several quality quick scoring opportunities. Blan keeper Regan Ostermeier was up to the task with 6 saves in the first half to keep the Lady G-Men from scoring. The first half ended tied at 0, with Blan taking only two shots, but both hit the top post and deflected away. Coming out of half, Georgetown struck quickly off a through ball and found the back of the net after a 1 v 1 with the goalie. Blan picked up the pace and put together a better offensive half, taking 9 shots with another Emily Hinkle shot deflecting off the top post, but Georgetown struck again off another long through ball to push the score to 2-0. Despite pressing the attack for the final 10 minutes, the Wildcats could not conjure up a goal and dropped to 1-1 on the season. Ostermeier finished her strong game with 10 saves, while Hinkle impressed in the midfield with freshmen Lana Roy adding a great game defensively for the Cats. Blan takes on CNE on Tuesday for their next SBAAC matchup.
Blan Jumpstarts Season with Big Win Over Felicity
The Blanchester Lady Wildcats soccer team opened the season with an 8-0 victory over fellow SBAAC National Division foe Felicity on Thursday night, led by a hat trick (3 goals) and 3 assists from Taylor McQuitty. Emily Hinkle got the season off to a flying start, scoring 30 seconds into the game on a 20 yard shot that slipped just under the crossbar, coming off a back pass from McQuitty. Blan held the major share of possession while executing good team movement and struck again when Tatum Kirby sent a looping header over the keeper from a McQuitty cross with 26 minutes remaining. Sierra Drake was the next to strike as she fired home from close range after Hinkle rolled a well timed pass across the front of the goal. McQuitty finished the first half scoring with a goal from a Sally Schafer long through ball and Blan entered half time with a 4-0 lead. The Wildcats added 4 more after the break, with Drake and Kirby each putting in their second goal, and McQuitty adding two more to complete her hat trick. Kirby's second goal came from another header, showing an aggressive style despite her diminutive stature. Drake and Hinkle ended the game with 2 assists apiece while Olivia Gundler had one. Blan keeper Regan Ostermeier had two saves to earn the shutout, while the Cats played great team defense to keep the Felicity chances few and far between. Blan had 34 shots on the night and move to 1-0 on the season.