ST. CLAIRSVILLE’S Mikayla Hendershot (18) dribbles the ball past Harrison Central’s Jenna Easlick (6) during Monday night’s action at Wagner Field in Cadiz. Hendershot scored the game-winning goal as the Red Devils prevailed, 3-0, to improve to 3-0 on the season.

CADIZ — Harrison Central has made huge strides ever since it started playing girls’ soccer in 2013. There’s one step it hasn’t been able to take, however, beating St. Clairsville.

The visiting Red Devils (3-0) continued their dominance over the Huskies Monday night on the artificial surface at Wagner Field by a 3-0 margin. Harrison Central (1-1-1), which was celebrating Senior Night, has never defeated its Buckeye 8 rival.

“They (Harrison Central) defended really well, but I think we missed a lot of chances in the final third (of the field) there … just missing the net,” St. Clairsville head coach Wes Stoner said. “We missed a little gimme and we missed a couple other shots I thought we should’ve scored on.

“Give Harrison Central credit, though,” he added. “They played really well. They moved the ball well and I was impressed.”

St. Clairsville got the only goal it would need when senior Mikayla Hendershot netted her second goal of the season in the 13th minute. The tally came off a corner kick by Alyssa Bodkin and just moments after she was denied on a golden opportunity by a diving Harrison Central goalkeeper Britton Positano.

The contest would remain that way until late in the second half when Bodkin notched her fourth (54th minute) and fifth (69th minute) net-finders of the campaign. Hendershot recorded an assist on the first goal, while goalkeeper Jaeda Nowak logged the helper on the second with a punt deep into Harrison Central’s end of the field.

In addition to her assist, Nowak was only called upon to make a pair of saves — one in each half.

“Our defense has been solid in all three games we’ve played this season,” Stoner said. “We want to keep it that way.”

Despite the loss, Harrison Central head coach Mindy Madzia was pleased with the effort her team put forth.

“Tonight was our Senior Night, so I started all of our seniors which is not our normal lineup, but the girls played well for the first 20 minutes,” she explained. “I switched them out and put the underclassmen in that are used to playing those positions.

“St. Clairsville has a really good program but I thought we held our own tonight,” she continued.

“Even though it wasn’t a victory, I feel like tonight was an accomplish and a step up for us.”

The final margin of victory could have been a lot wider if it hadn’t been for Positano. One of 11 seniors honored in pre-game festivities, she stood on her head at times between the pipes while making 19 saves.

“Britton played a heckuva game. She’s very good in goal,” Madzia praised.

St. Clairsville continues its early-season road trip at Steubenville on Wednesday. Harrison Central hosts Edison Wednesday night at 7 before traveling to Steubenville for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday.