KENTON – Ottawa Glandorf’s last trip to Kenton claimed the 2022 WBL title, this trip opened the 2024 conference season with a 6-0 victory.
Faced early with a stout Kenton defense and a heatwave, the Titans found their groove after the opening 10 minutes as six different players connected on goals in the first half before the game was halted early in the second half.
“We always strive to be a team who can score in a variety of ways from a variety of different people, we saw that tonight” said fourth year Titan boss Michelle Maag.
Varsity goal number one laced the back of the net in the game for the duo of Gabby Steffan and Mylie Bockrath for OG. “It was so great to see Mylie and Gabby get their first goals tonight” exclaimed Maag.
Though the visitors were able to pepper Kenton keeper Ruby Styer to the tune of 17 times, Styer turned away 11 would be goals for the hosts.
Communication, one of the building blocks for a Maag coached team was on display with a myriad of lineups in the game and helped produce four goals from the quartet of Makenna Siefker, Carlie Brinkman, Brea Recker, and Liv Grothause.
Siefker leads the Titan attack with five markers on the season while Brinkman, a senior with two career goals entering 2024 now finds herself with the same number during the first four games of her senior campaign.
“Our centerbacks did a great job of being vocal leaders on the field during the game” said Maag. “We had moments where we lost spacing and got congested in the midfield, but I thought we cleaned it up as the game went on.”
Ottawa Glandorf has won 21 of 23 all-time meetings with the Wildcats and has pitched 16 shutouts. Next up for the Titans (3-1) is a Thursday trip up State Route 224 for a non-league clash against Liberty Benton.
“We now turn our attention to a really good Liberty Benton program on Thursday, but we will need to be more efficient in front of the net both in the run of play, and on set pieces as we move forward” opined Maag. “I felt like we had control of possession in this game, but I’d like to see us be a bit more creative as we attack with pace.”
Kenton drops their second consecutive outing after a 2-0 start and will return to the pitch Saturday afternoon when they welcome Riverdale to town for an afternoon tilt.
Goals:
Makenna Siefker (OG)
Carlie Brinkman (OG)
Brea Recker (OG)
Mylie Bockrath (OG)
Liv Grothause (OG)
Assists:
Carlie Brinkman (OG)
Emma Heringhaus (OG)
Kaelyn Grothause (OG)
Delaney Duling (OG)
Shots on goal:
OG-17
Kenton-1
Saves:
1- Karsyn Erford (OG)
11- Ruby Styer (K)