McClain rallies for one-goal win over Hillsboro; finish undefeated in FAC
Members of McClain and Hillsboro battles in FAC competition on Thursday at McClain Field. (HCP Photos/Jim Jones)
GREENFIELD — It’s official now. The McClain varsity girls soccer team finished the 2025 Frontier Athletic Conference schedule with an undefeated record, coming from behind to defeat county rival Hillsboro 4-3 on Thursday night at McClain Field.
McClain finishes the FAC schedule with an 8-0-2 record with the two ties coming at Miami Trace and at Jackson. The Lady Tigers’ overall record sits at 12-1-2 with their only loss coming to Unioto on the road in the opening match of the season.
McClain was scheduled to play a non-conference game at Eastern Brown on Saturday and finish the regular season slate with a home game Monday, Oct. 6 when they host a very good Fairfield team on senior night.
The game Thursday night against Hillsboro didn’t start well for the Lady Tigers when the Lady Indians jumped out to an early 3-0 lead from goals by Kobie Miles (31:56), Taylor Thoroman (29:03) and Kamryn Asbury (16:23).
But the Lady Tigers showed why they are the FAC champions by scoring two late first half goals from Paisley Pryor at the 5:07 mark and 2:18 mark, going to the intermission trailing, 3-2.
McClain continued to trail by the same 3-2 score over the first 20 minutes of the second half until Mylie Lovett scored in traffic — off a deflection — at the 26:04 mark tying the game at 3-3.
It looked like the game might end in a third tie for the Lady Tigers as both teams battled up-and-down the field missing several scoring opportunities until MHS senior Addison Olaker gave McClain their first lead of the match with 10 minutes remaining from a great assist by Larah Henson.
Neither team, despite playing their hearts out and giving everything they had over that last 10 minutes scored and the Lady Tigers and goalie Leah Lovett held on for the exciting and hard-fought 4-3 victory.
“We got down 3-0 tonight, but came back and scored two goals right at the end of the first half and I told our girls to dig deep, we’ve got to score two more in the second half, and hold them scoreless, and that’s what happened. That’s what championship teams do,” McClain head coach Blain Bergstrom said. “When you’re not playing your best, you have to find ways to win, and that’s what these girls did tonight.”
