NORTH OLMSTED — Senior Elise Bluell scored in the third minute Monday night. Erika Wilhelm, her North Olmsted teammate, added another goal 65 minutes later and the Eagles posted a 2-0 non-conference soccer victory over Bay.
The teams have been feisty soccer rivals almost since the dawn of time — at least since the days when both were members of the Southwestern Conference. It was a match the Rockets would like to have won after losing twice to North Olmsted last year, once in a season-ending tournament match.
But Bluell’s goal seemed to take some pressure off the Eagles and apply it to the Rockets.
“I got the rebound off a bad clear after a throw-in,” Bluell said. “I just made sure I kept my knee over the ball to keep it low and nailed it in the corner. It came early and that’s what we like.”
Bay (8-5-2) turned up the heat in the second half and got off 10 of its 11 total shots.
Rachel Ritzenthaler nearly scored in the 42nd minute, but blooped a shot over the Eagles net off a corner kick by Kate Ludwig. Ludwig launched two more corners in the 44th minute and another eight minutes later, but the Rockets couldn’t convert.  
“We have to find a way to convert,” said Jack Griffiths, the Rockets’ first-year head coach. “We’re having all these corner kicks and we haven’t put one in in I can’t tell you how many games. We had 11 corners last week with no conversions and seven today. You don’t win at soccer if you don’t convert.
“They came out and got that quick goal before we had a chance to settle down. But I thought we settled down and played them pretty even until they got that second goal.”
The Eagles (8-5-1) picked up the intensity in the final 18 minutes. Senior Kelsi Fisher fired a shot over the Bay crossbar on Alyssa Foldesy’s restart in the 62nd minute. Then, four minutes later, the Eagles’ Wilhelm connected on a near-perfect restart by Foldesy after a Bay foul.
“On all our restarts, I try to get them to the back of the 6,” said Foldesy, a senior midfielder. “That’s the general area where the goalie can’t get the ball and the offense can run in before the defenders get there. It’s a dangerous spot. This kick went a little farther than it should have, but Erika made the run.”
Wilhelm is familiar with the restart strategy.
“I know when Alyssa takes her kicks they usually go to the back part of the 6,” she said. “I knew it was coming, watched the ball in and got a foot on it. It was about knee high and I didn’t want to shank it off my knee. I just wanted to get a foot on it and I guess I got lucky.”
Meantime, the Eagles defense turned in another strong performance. It permitted just 11 total shots by the Rockets, four of which were on goal, and helped goalkeeper Vasi Collnader post her fourth shutout of the season.
“Kelsi Fisher, Lauren Ware, Erika Wilhelm and Cat Hohmann — they’ve got my back,” Collander said of the players who patrol the turf in front of her. “Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without them. I rely on them so much.”
The Eagles’ fast start was part of their game plan.
“We focus a lot on the first five minutes each game trying to get a goal, not giving up a goal and playing hard,” said coach Erika Kleinholz. “In the second half we told them to put the ball down and play. They seemed to have a little more flow and put some passes together.”  

North Olmsted 2, Bay 0

GOALS: (NO) Elise Bluell (3rd minute), Erika Wilhelm (68th minute).
ASSISTS: (NO) Alyssa Foldesy.
SHOTS: Bay 11, North Olmsted 16.
SHOTS ON GOAL: Bay 4, North Olmsted 6.
SAVES: (B) Megan Altieri 4, (NO) Vasi Collander 5.
CORNER KICKS: Bay 7, North Olmsted 2.
GOAL KICKS: Bay 8, North Olmsted 7.
OFFSIDE: North Olmsted 1.
HAND BALLS: North Olmsted 2.
FOULS: Bay 9, North Olmsted 12.
CARDS: None.
HALFTIME: North Olmsted, 1-0.

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