Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — It took just one touch from Kobie Miles to kill a comeback attempt and seal a win on Tuesday night.
Hillsboro’s star forward played a one-on-one chance perfectly, just tapping it over a charging keeper to caress the net.
It came with 18:49 left in the game and halted what looked to be a furious Miami Trace rally at the time.
Miles’ second goal of the night cemented a 3-1 league win over the Panthers and allowed the Indians to bounce back from their first loss this season.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“Kobie is certainly the person we want with the ball, but we also have great players up top that we trust to put the ball in the back of the net,” Hillsboro coach Amanda Miller said. “One thing we’ve stressed is better passing and working more as a team since we didn’t have very many assists at the end of last season. So that’s something we definitely want to change.”
While Miles was busy lighting the scoreboard, her teammate Meredith Dietrick made sure to keep Miami Trace out of the scoring column throughout much of the night.
The senior played as advertised, leading the back line and putting forth several goal-saving plays.
“At any given moment, Meredith is the best defender on the field and she’s such a great leader for our defense,” Miller said. “I know that anything I need, she can do it, whether it’s offensively or defensively. She communicates very well and always makes sure we have the areas covered that are needed.”
Early in the game, Miami Trace held possession well.
Led by the tandem of Karleigh Cooper and Nora Morrison, the Panthers had multiple outstanding looks at the goal. But they were unable to break into the scoring column.
PHOTOS: Images from Hillsboro’s win over Miami Trace
Once Hillsboro (3-1, 1-0 FAC) excorised its jitters, the Indians settled in and Miles went to work.
34 minutes in, she beat a defender and graced the top of the net, making it a 1-0 score.
Just over four minutes later, Hillsboro extended its advantage to 2-0. Ella Jordan sent a perfect cross into freshman Quinn Swope, who simply let it hit her chest and ricochet into the net.
“I’ve told the girls that all you have to do is get a body part on the ball, whether it’s your foot or any other part as long as it’s not your hand,” Miller said, with a laugh. “It was a really cool moment to see Quinn get her first goal and hopefully there’s more to come.”
That 2-0 score stood until the 22:05 mark in the second half.
Miami Trace’s Nora Morrison, who had been threatening to score throughout the match, finally found the net after an assist from Karleigh Cooper to cut the deficit in half.
At that point, it looked as if momentum had shifted. But that’s when Miles took matters into her own hands.
Her score nearly 19 minutes left gave the Indians a lead that Miami Trace (2-1, 0-1 FAC) could never recover from.
“We started the season really strong, winning our first two games before struggling a little against Fairfield, and it definitely wasn’t our best game,” Miller said. “There’s been a lot of work done about building our team chemistry since then, and this was one of the best games I’ve ever seen the girls play in the six years I’ve been coaching.”
Both teams are back in action on Thursday night, continuing in league play. While the Panthers try to rebound at Jackson, Hillsboro travels to Chillicothe.
“You can never underestimate Chillicothe, no matter how many players or how much talent they lost,” Miller said. “The FAC is such a competitive league, so it would definitely mean a lot to get two league wins, especially on the road.”
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