With Ariel in their hearts

AMITY – The Warriors had more then the usual dose of motivation for their Class 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 match against the Taft Tigers on Thursday afternoon, and it showed.

Amity put on a dominating show in a 2-0 victory on Play For Ariel Night, an event to honor 2013 Amity High School graduate Ariel Dawn Dumler. Dumler, 19, died in a single-car accident east of Amity on July 17.

Lime green, a favorite color of Dumler, mixed with Warrior blue all along the sidelines at Amity High as the Warriors commanded possession from the first whistle to the last, firing freely at the Taft back end. Gabby Alba pounded in a pair of goals in the second half, one shortly after the half opened and another midway through the period.

After the soccer game, a capacity crowd decked out in lime green "Play for Ariel" shirts further celebrated and memorialized the occasion in the Amity High School gymnasium. The Warriors debuted black uniforms with lime-green numbers and "Play for Ariel" written on the back. Senior Caitlan Dumler, Ariel's younger sister, changed to uniform number 4 for the game, different from her usual 15.

The emotion from the pregame carried over into the match against Westside Christian, to the Warriors' detriment. The Eagles won the first 14 points of the match, took the first game easily and held on to win the match, 25-8, 25-22, 25-14.

Amity (7-8, 3-6 WVL) had a chance to get back into the match with a strong second game, attempting to surmount an 18-14 deficit. Westside Christian (8-4, 6-2 WVL) instead held on, benefiting from a net violation on the game's final point.

Amity girls soccer (3-3-1, 3-2-1 SD3) will visit Western Mennonite on Monday, with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. in Lincoln. The volleyball team hosts the Amity Tournament on Saturday.