With the nippy night air to her back and a head of steam rolling, Emmah Kronenbitter weaved her way through the Tri-Valley defense toward the net. On multiple occasions throughout the night, the Blue Devils had pushed the ball just in front of the goal box, only to be turned away.

But the sophomore was not letting this chance go by.

Delivering a strike into the back left corner of the net, Kronenbitter gave Zanesville the only point they needed to edge Tri-Valley. With just 9:20 left on the clock, the Scotties were unable to answer.

In a game featuring plenty of good defensive plays and stiff slide tackles, the offensive pressure on one push for the Blue Devils made all the difference.

Goalkeeper Rhyle Antonetz turned away the Scottie attack all night, helped by a defense that allowed just a handful of shots on goal. For the Blue Devils, the win will push them into the sectional semi-finals, with a date versus No. 1 seed River View.

The Bears are fresh off a 7-0 win over Carrollton and are a favorite to make the regional rounds of the tournament.

Monday’s game location and time have yet to be announced.

A previous version of this story incorrectly spelled Rhyle Antonetz name as Riley Antonentz.