MILLER CITY – Dani Ehlers etched her name and her teams name in the OHSAA soccer record books on Thursday night as the Wildcats defeated visiting Crestview 15-0.
Ehlers, a sophomore who dropped in five goals in the team’s first two contests scored seven times against the Knights, good enough for a tie for sixth place in a single game according to OHSAA records and the Miller City school record.
“Dani is a special player. What makes her so special is her determination to always get better. She’s going to score goals but her passing makes her the total package” said Miller City head coach Kurt Rosengarten.
The 15 goal output fell two short of the 17 scored in a 2005 contest but moved the Wildcats into a tie for 10th place all-time in one outing on the team records.
Miller City outshot Crestview 27-1 on the night and featured goals from six different players in the victory. “I thought we came out ready to play and scored within the first three minutes of the game. It was nice to have three goals off of set pieces tonight, this was a complete team effort that we need consistently as we move on” said Rosengarten.
Anna Niese opened the floodgates for the blue and gold with 37:21 showing on the scoreboard off a pass from Ehlers for the first goal. In addition to a first half hat trick from Ehlers the Wildcats got goals from Scarlett King, Maddie Erford on a header off of a corner kick, and a second hat trick from senior Ava Ruck.
Leading 9-0 to open the second half the hosts utilized four goals from Ehlers and a pair from senior Chelsea Wilhelm that included a near 40 yard effort over top of the Knight keeper to solidify their 15-0 victory to remain undefeated all-time against Crestview.
Crestview head coach Cindy Lamb said “Our girls played hard but we are super young and were missing starters. Miller City is a seasoned team that plays very well together. Overall I am proud of my girls for playing their hardest for a full 80 minutes”.
Next up for the Knights (0-3) is a Tuesday night NWC clash in Bluffton while the Wildcats take their 3-0 mark on the road for the first time on Saturday visiting Defiance.
Goals:
Ava Ruck – 3
Dani Ehlers – 7
Scarlett King – 1
Anna Niese – 1
Chelsea Wilhelm – 2
Maddie Erford – 1