La Grande keeper Lyndie Isaacson goes high to block an Ontario corner kick on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in La Grande’s 1-0 victory over Ontario.

ONTARIO — On the road again, the La Grande girls soccer team waited until the 71st minute to score the one and only goal of the match, downing Ontario 1-0 in a 4A Greater Oregon League contest on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

“This was a game that felt like a playoff,” La Grande head coach Chris Gianandrea said. “Ontario has a team that can score making us be on our game the whole time.”

Both squads had chances to place the ball in the goal in the first half with both coming up short.

“I talked to the team at the half about limiting Ontario’s corner kicks,” Gianandrea said. “Ontario took no corner kicks in the second half.”

In the 71st minute of the match with the board still reading zeroes for both teams, Paige Allen’s shot at goal was mishandled by the Ontario goalie, allowing Renee Hutchinson to swoop in with the clean-up shot and the lone score of the game.

Preaching defense since the first practice of the year, Gianandrea had high praise for the team’s captains and defensive specialists.

“Kaitlin Brock, Maezie Wilcox and Lyndie Isaacson came through for us today,” he said.

La Grande (7-1 overall, 2-0 4A Greater Oregon League) will now not see a bus until Oct. 24. The string of home games starts Oct. 3 as the Tigers host Lewiston, Idaho, in nonleague action. The two teams meet starting at 4 p.m.