PERRYSBURG — Ottawa Hills senior attack Skylar Silk scored 10 goals to lead the Green Bears to an 18-6 non-league girls lacrosse win over Perrysburg at Widdell Field at Steinecker Stadium Tuesday in rain and cold temperatures.
For the Green Bears it was their season opener, while Perrysburg is still looking for its first win after three losses.
The difference between the Bears and Yellow Jackets is experience — Ottawa Hills starts and plays mostly upperclassmen while Perrysburg at times had multiple freshmen on the field.
“This is the first time I’ve ever had an all-upperclassmen varsity,” OH coach John DeMilt said. “I’ve always started or played significant time with sophomores and freshmen, and I think for the first time around, having that level of experience really shows.
“They’ve been doing this for four years. Some of them I’ve been coaching for nine (including youth lacrosse). I just think that’s what it is — it is the maturity of having seniors and juniors out on the field really was making the difference for us today.”
Senior attack Sara Yager led Perrysburg with rhree goals and an assist, senior attack Ariyah Ellis scored twice, and senior attack Hannah Muck added one goal.
Ottawa Hills junior attack Caroline Durfee started the scoring, getting a shot into the net just eight seconds after the opening faceoff.
But 50 seconds later, Yager countered with one of her own, tying the game at 1-1 less than a minute into the game.
However, Perrysburg’s defense was unable to contain Silk, who played a part in six first period goals as the Green Bears opened a 9-1 lead after the first quarter.
Perrysburg senior goalie Shaye Ledyard, who has already set school records in saves, was overwhelmed as the Green Bears won 9-of-11 first quarter draws and outshot the Jackets, 12-3.
By game’s end, Ottawa Hills owned a 31-12 advantage in shots, including 24-9 in shots on goal, and the Bears won possession on 24-of-33 draws, mostly thanks to senior midfielder and faceoff specialist Emerson DeMilt.
Perrysburg coach Autumn Stevens hopes her team learns from playing against a veteran team.
“We’re coming off of spring break, but we need to start making those quick connections, making those smarter passes and really communicating on our defense,” Stevens said.
“That is going to be huge moving forward. We have girls in new positions, so helping them to learn that, and then just going back to the playbook and saying, ‘What happened today that we need to move forward with?’
“I think we just have to make smarter passes and working on our transitions would help us next time.”
For Ottawa Hills, Emerson DeMilt scored three goals, senior midfielder Stella Stout had a goal and an assist, Durfee, sophomore attack Evelyn Shimborske, and sophomore midfielder Arianna O’Neill scored one goal apiece, and senior attack Katherine Heldreth dished out two assists.
The two teams will meet again on May 2 in Ottawa Hills, and Stevens hopes her defense can keep a little more pressure off Ledyard.
“We have a goalie who was losing her voice with the defense stepping in there, but we’ll make it work and we’ll see them again later this season,” Stevens said.
