Smith, Stars surge past Patriots

It wasn’t so much a matter of if, but when.

The Starfires had averaged more than four goals a game, and been shutout once.

So they were bound to score.

But down 1-0 at half, there was no pressure at all.

Two Ali Smith goals in the second half propelled the South Adams Starfire girls soccer team past the Jay County Patriots on Wednesday, 2-1.

“Oh, I knew we were going to break through,” said SAHS coach Lori Fonte, whose team is the defending Allen County Athletic Conference champion and denied the Patriots (3-2, 3-1 ACAC) the outright title. “I wasn’t worried one bit.

“This is what they were working for. They knew this game was going to be a big deal because Jay County has already won (the) two conference games they’ve played.

“I told them if they don’t shut them down now they don’t have a chance.”

South Adams is now in the driver’s seat to repeat as champion. The Starfires (5-2, 1-0 ACAC) host remaining conference foes Heritage on Sept. 13 and Woodlan on Sept. 25.

Jay County coach Renae Laux knew her squad would have a tough time with the Starfire speed. Smith, a senior, was a state qualifier in both the 100- and 200-meter dash races during the spring. Midfielder Brooklyn Bixler finished 10th in the state in the 100 hurdles as well.

“South Adams is a good team,” Laux said. “We knew that they had several very fast threats. I feel proud of our girls for what they were able to put forth for almost 80 minutes. It was very close … 

“South Adams has good threats. Our girls did a nice job for an entire game.”

Despite the fact it had a considerable advantage in terms of speed, South Adams wasn’t able to turn that speed into marks on the scoreboard in the first half. The Starfires peppered JCHS goalkeeper Tricia Ison beginning in the second minute of the game.

None of the shots went in, though.

Down 1-0 in the 65th minute, South Adams finally ended the shutout with Smith’s first goal.

Following an Ison goal kick, Smith stole the ball from a Patriot defender on the left side of the field, took two dribbles and then buried a shot into the right side of the net for the equalizer.

“Every game we go to (opponents) know we have one of the fastest girls in the state in the front line,” Fonte said. “I talked to them at halftime, there’s probably five on defense back there. They can’t keep trying to dribble around and firing from so far out without someone crashing. So that was an adjustment we had to make to get past that strong defensive line that they had.”

Smith’s second tally — the 82nd of her career, which is one shy of 2017 graduate Lexi Dellinger for the school record — came with just 108 seconds remaining in the game.

Kristen Wynn sent a through pass to Smith, who darted deep into the right corner before putting a right-footed shot into the left side of the goal for the eventual game-winner.

“They know that you can’t come down here and shut everybody out,” Fonte said. “We’ve had one shutout all year so it’s bound to happen. They keep their heads up, keep firing away and eventually the outcome will be in our favor.”

Although the Starfires dominated the scoring chances — Ison finished with 19 saves — it was an unconventional goal past the midway point of the first half that put Jay County in the lead.

Mara Bader sent a corner kick toward the middle of the field from the right side, and although no initial shot was taken at South Adams goalkeeper Aubri Gerber, Molly Muhlenkamp was in the vicinity of the play.

As the Starfires failed to clear the ball out of the penalty area, Muhlenkamp kicked a slow, bouncing shot that Gerber couldn’t corral as it went through her legs and into the goal.

“What I told Molly is, and what I tell the girls a lot in practice, never give up on a play until they play is totally over,” Laux said. “Molly’s goal is exactly why you just never assume … You don’t make any assumptions. You play until the play is over.

“It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be.”