It was a night to stuff the stat sheet Monday as a young Hastings Saxons squad visited Bulldog Stadium. Losing 11 Seniors from the team that took the Dawgs down by a score of 2-1 last spring is always difficult. Every program goes through cycles, and Hastings is clearly going to have a bit of a re-tooling process to undertake over the next year or two. Otsego, on the flip side, is on the upswing with a great group of players that features 8 Seniors and a balanced 3 players from each class below grade 12.

Goals were a bit difficult to come by in the first half, with Otsego missing a few clearcut opportunities in the first 20 minutes, and Hastings' goalkeeper making some crucial saves. In the 22nd minute Rylie Henckel pounced on a short goal kick right at the top of the Hastings 18 yard box and buried it for her second goal of the season. Just three minutes later McKenzie Milton played a gorgeous slotted pass to the back post where an onrushing Madalen Farmer slammed it home with her left foot for her first Varsity goal! The Dawgs extended their lead with three minutes left in the first half when Rylie Henckel played a gorgeous diagonal ball our of the back right to the feet of Senior Alison Diller. She made quick work of a defender and bulged the back of the net from 15 yards out. 

With a 3-0 lead at the break, and pinning Hastings into their own half for the vast majority of the first frame, Otsego came out strong in the second looking to extend their lead. Seven minutes in McKenzie Milton was hauled down in the box and earned her side a penalty kick, which Diller fired into the net for her second of the night. Another Diller goal in the 54th minute, slipped in around the left side by Cait Kitchen, capped her hat trick and started a barrage from Otsego. Over the next four minutes the Dawgs finished everything and ended the match early. Cait made it 6-0 finishing a slotted ball from Rylie. One minute later Rylie assisted again on Diller's 4th of the night. The scoring was closed out on a combination between two of our deeper-lying midfielders. Lauren Nieboer fed Lexus Putt who turned and drilled a ball into the bottom left corner from just outside the 18.

Though the back line and goalkeeper didn't have much to do in this one defensively, they all got involved in the possession and did an excellent job winning balls and distributing. Matti Rayman didn't even have to make a save in earning her fourth shutout of the season.