Ashland boys soccer crushes Ontario 5-1 in dominant season opener.
Ashland's season opener was a resounding 5-1 win over Ontario, a crushing blow to the young Warriors team who graduated seven players from last year's squad.
The Arrows, who lost 32 goals to graduation, including 19 from Kaden Howman, have adapted to the new season by focusing on build-up play and scoring as a collective unit. Coach Dustin Hosler praised the team's performance, saying, "I thought we did a really good job of that, we had a couple goals off throw ins and set pieces, so I'm happy with that."
Ashland's offense was spearheaded by sophomore Luke Lavengood, who netted four goals in the match. Lavengood attributed the team's success to their ability to pass the ball well and maintain possession. "It's the most important thing," he said. "We work on it in practice every day… possession, keeping the ball, that's our game right now."
Junior Ethan Haag also made his mark, scoring a hat trick in the match. The Arrows' defense, led by senior Gary George and center back Eric Cao, stifled Ontario's offense, allowing just one goal.
Ontario coach Stephen Armstrong acknowledged the team's inexperience and physicality, saying, "Our young guys got to see – I think Ashland's the best team in our area – the physicality and the speed of play, it's not how they used to play in rec or club."
The Warriors' lack of communication and experience ultimately led to their downfall, with Armstrong stating, "We're gonna be the underdogs because we're so young. Hopefully next week against Lexington our guys will be able to fix what we couldn't do tonight."
Ashland's dominant performance sets the stage for a promising season, with the team looking to continue their winning ways against their next opponent.
Source: Yahoo Sports
