Wednesday's Wolverine Conference tilt at Dowagiac was to be a shortened affair, and the visiting Bulldogs had control of the match from minute one. A clash of teams resting at the top and bottom of the standings, respectively, always give a coach some pause. After our first loss of the season to a tough Allegan squad two days prior, would this be a trap game or would the ladies come out with something to prove? That question would be quickly answered, and despite the best efforts of the Dowagiac Chieftains... The girls would begin their team meal and bus ride home early Wednesday evening.

The coin toss before the match was telling of how the evening would go. Otsego's Captains returned from their meeting at midfield confounded, and a bit amused, as they had lost the toss yet somehow won at the same time. Dowagiac had won the coin toss and elected to play AGAINST the wind, which was gusting end to end at a good 25mph clip. From the initial kick, the Bulldog attackers pressured the goal, and forced the goalkeeper into a number of tough saves in the first few minutes of the match. When Gracie VerHage drove into the box and connected a beautiful wall pass with fellow Captain Erica Drobny to put her side up 1-0 in the 8th minute, the floodgates opened up and it was time for an offensive fireworks show. The 12th minute saw VerHage tally another one off a ball in from the right wing from Senior Kaylynn Nelson (her first assist of the season) that she hammered past the goalkeeper. The Otsego dominance on the right flank once again paid off as Senior Kara Jubenville got out of the back for a bit of fun and provided a cross to the back post which was at the perfect height for Freshman Cassidy Engels to chest down to a waiting Caitlin Kitchen. 3-0 Otsego after 18 minutes, and the ball had been in the Dowagiac half almost the entirety of those 18.

On the 20 minute mark, Gracie sealed her first half hat trick with a direct kick blast from nearly 40 yards out into the upper 90 to the goalkeeper's right. Erica Drobny continued to dominate the match in terms of possession, spraying the ball all over the pitch to teammates. Lauren Nieboer tallied Otsego's fifth goal of the night off such a connection with Drobny in the 23rd minute. Three minutes later, Sophomore attacking duo Kitchen and McKenzie Milton combined to send Milton in behind the Chieftain back line for a no doubter putting the visitors up 6-0. At this point in a season, with what these girls have on the line Monday with their meeting at Plainwell, it is important to gain as much experience as you can and learn as much as possible from every situation. For coaches, these are the times when you can do a bit of tinkering and find out things about your team. Many players were playing out of their normal positions by this juncture in the match, and the team had some tasks which they were required to complete in order to open their eyes to some new tactics. In these situations, coaches are usually keen to reward some of their unsung heroes and younger players with opportunities. This was evident when Senior Captain Colleen Waters, a defensive midfielder by trade, was playing target forward. It energizes the girls a bit to know that a player that works as hard as Colleen can get an opportunity to have a bit of fun and to step outside her comfort zone. This paid off in the 36th minute as Drobny slid a ball through the back line to Waters, who held off a defender and put the ball home for her first career high school goal! 

The second half began just the way the first had, and the Bulldogs were dominant. Colleen Waters had gotten her goal, and threw the gloves on and relieved Ambreanna Powell IN goal. Ambre is a brilliant attacker when on the field, and she got an opportunity to help her team end the night early. After a bit of forced possession work from the Dawgs, and some great switches of play by the mids and backs, Ambre got in behind and slotted a picture perfect ball into the middle of the box which was put in with a crack from Junior Hannah Gagneur. This would signal the end of the match at 8-0 as the mercy rule was invoked, and the referee blew three whistles.

Shots on goal favored the Bulldogs 25-1. 

Colleen Waters made 1 save, and Ambre Powell 0 to hold the shutout in goal, the 6th of the season for the Dawgs.

Goals: VerHage(3), Nieboer, Milton, Waters, Kitchen, Gagneur

?Assists: Drobny(3), Powell, Nelson, Kitchen, Nieboer

?Player of the Game honors went to Colleen Waters with her stellar passing efficiency, direction on the field, and first high school tally.

The Dawgs close out Wolverine Conference play on Monday at home against rival Plainwell with a share of the Conference Championship on the line. Come out and support the girls as they finish up regular season play. JV kicks at 5pm, with Varsity at 6:45pm.