KALIDA – The saying goes “it’s not how you start but how you finish” and it was on full display Tuesday night in Kalida as the visiting Big Green from Ottoville utilized a late foul call and a goal from Alexis Sanders with under a minute to go to force a 2-2 tie with their Putnam County rivals.
“Despite how this turned out I’m ecstatic given the events of the last 72 hours” said Kalida coach David Kehres after the contest that saw his squad down a trio of starters to COVID-19 precautions.
Nearing the end of the game the Ottoville intensity turned up on the offensive end as they trailed 2-1 and were attempting to make a run to get even. With :58 before the final horn a foul just outside the corner of the box was called against the host Wildcats that sent reigning PCL Player of the Year Nicole Knippen to the grass.
Knippen lofted a ball over the top of the Wildcat wall and watched as it was ultimately redirected into the goal by teammate Alexis Sanders in a mad rush by both teams to control the ball and the games outcome.
“My goal was to place it backside knowing that one of my teammates would be there to score” said Knippen on setting up the tying goal.
Kalida kicked in the first goal of the contest with 35:48 remaining in the opening half to take a 1-0 lead on the second goal of the year for senior Morgan Ridinger that raced past Ottoville keeper Skylar Turnwald.
The Big Green tied up the score at 1-1 just moments later at 34:55 off of a corner kick from Knippen that wrapped into the back of the net just in front of freshman keeper Kassidy Hipsher. The score represents the first Ottoville goal in the series since October 1st, 2012, a span of 2,927 days and ten games between the two schools.
Though each team controlled segments of the contest with their speed it was the Wildcats who dented the scoreboard next thanks to a blast from nearly 40 yards away off the foot of Melanie Meyers second goal of the season with 17:42 remaining in the half.
Kalida led the shots on goal by a slim margin 13-12 overall but Ottoville attempted five corner kicks to just three for the Wildcats.
Tonight’s tie stops a 14 match win streak for the Wildcats in the series and represents just the second tie in 19 meetings between the two schools. Ottoville’s last win in the series came in the 2007 tournament, 4,754 days ago.
Thursday evening the Big Green (6-3-1, 1-1-1) will be back in action at home as they welcome Continental to Ottoville while Kalida (6-6-1, 1-1-1) is off until Saturday morning when they host Ottawa Glandorf at 11 A.M.