Late chances unfinished

The offense was there. The shots were just a bit off frame.

Jay County High School’s girls soccer team wasn’t able to capitalize on late chances to net the equalizer and fell 3-2 to the visiting Richmond Red Devils in the season opener Monday.

“It’s always disappointing to lose,” said JCHS coach Renae Laux. “We want to win. The girls want to win. We always want that to happen.

“We have some work to do in practice. We have some conditioning to work on. Ultimately, that’s what these games are for.”

After Richmond (1-0) went ahead 3-2 on a Kinsey Bosell goal just inside the 64th minute, Jay County upped its pressure in hopes of doing what the Red Devils had done twice –– even the score.

Mara Bader, who had scored the Patriots’ first goal of the season less than five minutes into the game, tried for her second in the 67th minute, but it missed wide.

Two minutes later, freshman Morgan DeHoff was deep in Richmond’s defensive third but had her shot stopped by goalkeeper Molly O’Brien.

Gabi Bilbrey, who broke the 1-1 halftime tie less than six minutes after intermission, had two more opportunities to score but they were off frame. DeHoff had another chance as well, but it too missed.

“I think ultimately (it’s) just getting reps and touches in practice,” said Laux, whose team travels to Monroeville on Thursday to meet Allen County Athletic Conference rival Heritage. “We have to be efficient with our practice time, working on the things we need to work on, continuing to use that time wisely and that will translate into the game.

”Bader’s opening goal came on a through pass from Bilbrey. Once Bader slipped past a pair of Richmond defenders and got to the ball, it put her in a one-on-one with O’Brien. The Patriot junior dribbled to her left as O’Brien slid for the ball and put a right-footed shot into the net for a 1-0 JCHS advantage.

Richmond (1-0) pulled even for the first time in the 19th minute when Paighton Morken buried a shot on pass from Khalidah Hickson.

In the 46th minute, Jay County (0-1) took the lead again on Bilbrey’s goal. Bader had the ball near the center of the field and passed over to Bilbrey on the right. Bilbrey’s low shot went into the left corner of the goal.

“One thing I noticed now, especially with this group, is we’re doing a better job of knowing our positioning as far as that’s concerned,” Laux said. “Our passes are effective as we get close to the goal. We just need to continue to work on effective passing when we’re in the midfield.

“I felt like the girls were sharing the ball well, trying to hit the open areas and the open person as we got closer to the goal.”

Richmond pulled even with Jay County in the 56th minute when it converted a set play on a corner kick.

Morken sent a right-footed cross toward the net that went over the head of JCHS keeper Tricia Ison. It cleared Richmond’s Hickson, too, and Nevaeh Wool took the cross off her stomach and deflected it into the goal.

DeHoff had two shot attempts stopped by O’Brien — she ended with 10 saves — and the Patriots had two more scoring chances before the Red Devils took the lead.

“It’s the beginning of the season,” Laux said. “(There are) things to learn. Plenty of good, plenty of things to work on. That’s what we’ll use practice time to do.”

In junior varsity action, the Patriots and Red Devils played to a scoreless tie in one half of play. Grace Shimp ended with five saves.