By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com

MANISTEE — Hart put up a good fight, but just couldn’t get in any solid punches against Manistee in a 3-0 loss in a Division 3 girls’ soccer district quarterfinal Friday in Manistee.

With a young starting lineup, Hart coach Joe Gilbert left the pitch encouraged by the effort he saw from his charges in a game with so much at stake.

The Pirates have just three seniors who have been playing since they were freshmen, but two seniors who came out for the team this season were first-year players.

It took awhile for things to come together.

“We’ve been working in practice on creating chances, and manufacturing those with a defense that can get back quick and stop transition,” he said. “We’re working on things, we’re still finding it. Some of the coaches in the conference (West Michigan) have been telling me that our team has come a very long way and we’re doing the right things.”

Photo/Greg Gielczyk

Despite continuing to show that upward trend, the Pirates were unable to break through a tenacious Manistee defense that refused to give an inch.

Manistee’s first goal came as the result of a penalty kick awarded after the Pirates were called for a hand ball 10 minutes into the first half.

Abby Robinson put the ball in the right corner after getting Hart keeper Mya Chickering to start to her right.

The next Manistee goal came 23 minutes later when Jayna Edmondson pounded in a rebound after Chickering rejected her first shot.

Edmondson scored again late in the second half, on rebound that followed a shot by Emily Raebler.

“It was a heck of a job by Jayna finishing on both of those goals,” Manistee coach Kathy Smith said. “We talked to our forwards a lot, too, about trying to take something away when their defense wins possession (that) we need to take a passing lane away. I thought they really hustled up front and worked to do that. Our defense held strong. We talked at halftime about how Hart needed to score, so they were going to press and we needed to be ready for it.

“They were. The defense did a really nice job of not letting balls through, and just going hard. It was happening all over the field, just giving all they had,” she said.

Manistee, which improved to 10-4-2, moves on to face Montague in the district semifinals at Montague next Wednesday. Game time is 5 p.m.

Hart finished 3-12-4.