By BRIAN SMITH
Sports Editor

ST. MARYS — Playing keeper can be an isolating experience for the St. Marys girls soccer team.

The Riders moved to 3-0 on the season with a 6-0 win over Lima Bath in the Western Buckeye League opener for both teams at West School on Tuesday night. St. Marys again kept the ball on the offensive side of the pitch almost the entire night.

“We wanted to get that first league victory,” St. Marys coach Paul Dingledine. “We did a great job tonight of stepping to the ball, winning the ball and making our passes and then finishing.”

Katie Burke and Kaysha Dietz each scored two goals for the Roughriders. Sara Wolfe and Alysia Nagel each added a goal apiece.

Dingledine is trying to keep starting junior goalkeeper Macy Davis-Ferrall sharp, bringing her out to play midfield while sophomore Brandi McCollister takes over at the keeper spot in early matches as a result of the attacking style of offense the Riders play.
“Macy is a good field player,” Dingledine said. “She’s also an excellent keeper. That’s why I put her out there, to see how the flow of the game is going. Brandi does a good job at what she does and she’s happy to fill in. It’s great experience for her while she’s not getting a lot of pressure put on her.”

St. Marys took a 4-0 lead to the half with goals by some of its stalwarts.

Kaysha Dietz started the scoring off with a goal from the right wing to make it 1-0 with 30:00 left in the first half.

Just 33 seconds later, Sara Wolfe converted a penalty kick to the right side of the net past a diving Bath keeper.

After two powerful goals, St. Marys’ Alysia Nagel used finesse to pop the ball just over the goalie’s head for a 3-0 lead with 11:42 left in the first half.

“We had some really nice goals tonight,” Dingledine said. “Alysia Nagel had a nice goal where she just lobbed it over the goalie. It’s shots like that that make the difference when you’re not setting up the perfect shot. It’s fun to watch when we play a game like that.”

Katie Burke wrapped up the first period scoring with a another lob over the head of the keeper at the 3:25 mark off a corner kick from Dietz.

Dingledine was pleased with the start, both in the match and the WBL slate.

“If you want to compete for a title, you have to get off to starts like this and win your first game,” he said.
St. Marys has now outscored its opponents 25-1 in three games played, with Ottoville next on the Roughrider hit list.

The Riders outshot the Wildkittens 26-1. Davis-Ferrall had one stop at keeper for the Riders.

St. Marys will take on Celina on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in a game between the top two teams in the WBL a season ago.

Celina beat the Riders 2-1 last season and went on to run the table in the league.

Dietz added a breakaway goal with 39:14 left in the second period to make it 5-0.

The Riders wrapped up the scoring  with another Burke goal, with a powerful kick to the left side of the net to make it 6-0 with 9:14 left in the match.

St. Marys improves to 3-0 on the season, 1-0 in the WBL.

St. Marys hosts Ottoville on Saturday at 11 a.m. Bath fell to 1-1 with the loss.

ST. MARYS  6
BATH     0
Goals
1st Period
30:00 - Kaysha Dietz
29:27 - Sara Wolfe, penalty kick
11:42 - Alysia Nagel
3:25 - Katie Burke, off corner kick
2nd Period
39:14 - Dietz
9:14 - Burke

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