By Nicholas Huenefeld
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
GENOA — The Otsego girls soccer team, which is struggling to overcome a slew of injuries, was unable to contain Genoa’s offensive onslaught Wednesday in a 10-0 loss at Genoa Soccer Stadium.
“We’re just so injured right now,” Otsego head coach Isaac Puffer said. “We have zero subs and five starters on the bench. We just can’t produce with the numbers we got right now. They’re worn out. They’re playing 80 minutes a game.”
The Knights (3-5, 0-2 NBC), who played with 10 players on Saturday, had three shots against Genoa, highlighted by a dart from Cailyn Lorenz just less than eight minutes into the match that was their lone shot on goal.
“Until we get some people back from injury, that’s the story,” Puffer said.
Genoa’s Adrianna Williams delivered in a big way for the Comets, producing four goals and two assists. She scored in the game’s third and sixth minutes before adding two more in the 48th and 51st.
After the initial goal from Williams got Genoa on the board, Ava Houghtaling made it a two-goal lead, and she added the fifth and ninth goals for the Comets in the ninth and 56th minutes.
“Adrianna has been an awesome player for us all year as our leading scorer,” Genoa head coach Josiah Hanson said. “Ava is really good in the middle. She’s a really hard worker. She’s relentless, very unselfish and willing to pass it, so it was cool to see her get a couple goalstonight. She did a nice job.”
In addition to her hat trick, Houghtaling also recorded a pair of assists.
Other helpers came from Tatum Szych (2), Megan Hoeft, Izzy West, Lyla Edens and Malani Smith, who scored in the seventh minute and produced the game’s final goal in the 57th.
Genoa’s other goal came with exactly two minutes left in the first half when Stella Rethman headed in a corner from Edens.
In total, Genoa (7-1-1, 3-1 NBC) peppered Otsego with 37 shots, including 20 on goal. While Addi Moritz had one save in goal for the Comets, Grace Pierce stopped 10 shots for the Knights.
Genoa has won six straight by a combined 37-3 score, while tallying four shutouts over that stretch.
“We’ve really been playing together,” Hanson said. “They’ve been really good teammates, passing and communicating, finding possession and working hard no matter who we’re playing.
“We’re focusing on the little things, and it’s paying off. Something we’ve been working towards is trying to score more goals, and they’ve been doing a good job. We’re just trying to stay healthy right now.”
