With 9:07 showing on the scoreboard Friday night (Oct. 14) at Ferguson Field, the Ashland University men's soccer team took a 1-0 lead over Northwood. As views go, that might not rank with looking out over the Grand Canyon or standing at the top of the arch in St. Louis, but it was a piece of scenery the Eagles had not seen since Sept. 11.
When the Eagles (3-8-2/2-5-1 GLIAC) took that 1-0 lead, it marked the first time since Sept. 11 against Findlay that the Eagles had the upper hand. Ashland went on to beat Northwood, 2-0 and break an eight-game winless streak.
"It was a sense of relief," said senior Kenny Hewitt (London, England/Longhill), who scored that goal to put AU in front. "They had to come up and leave gaps in the defense. It was a stress release."
"It was huge," added AU head coach Jon Freeman. "We came out strong, came out hungry. Kenny hit a great shot and put it in the back of the net."
In between that win over Findlay on Sept. 11, and Friday's first goal against the Timberwolves, the Eagles endured back luck, bad breaks and bad play. On this night against an NU team that is ranked 25th in the country, the Eagles looked sharp. They forced the action and didn't give the 'Wolves many chances to climb back into the game.
"The effort, it was consistent," said Freeman. "We didn't have any lulls. At Lake Erie (2-1 loss last Sunday) I thought the effort was consistent except for a few mistakes, blunders, gaffes. We didn't have that. We were tuned in and focused for 90 minutes."
Hewitt's goal was his third of the season and that leads the Eagles. The assist on the play went to J.P. Lytle (Wooster, Ohio/Valparaiso). Hewitt drilled the ball past keeper Matt Renouf from 12 yards out.
Ashland held that one-goal advantage until the 65:57 mark when it scored an own goal.
"It's the first time we've been lucky all year," said Freeman. "I'm going to take it and run with it."
Down 2-0, the Timberwolves (6-2-2/4-2-2) tried to mount a charge and get back in the game. Even though Northwood led in shots, 7-2, there was very little doubt which team controlled play in this game. Ashland never broke and never looked like it was on the verge of coming apart. It was a complete game against a quality foe.
"We've had opportunities, they just haven't gone in the back of the net," said Hewitt of the dry streak the Eagles endured offensively during their winless streak.
The victory gives Ashland a split of the season series with Northwood. On Oct. 14, NU blanked Ashland, 3-0 in Midland, Mich.
AU will go for its second win of the weekend on Sunday (Oct. 16, 3:30 p.m.) when it hosts Saginaw Valley State. That will be Senior Day at Ferguson Field. Earlier this year at SVSU, the Cards upended the Eagles 2-1.
AU
MSOCC/ALK
