The Ashland University men's soccer team unleashed four goals and kept a clean sheet for the first time this season as they closed the regular season with a 4-0 win over host Davenport on Sunday (April 18) afternoon.
The Eagles (3-4) had five shots on target and made four of them count, scoring once in the first half and three more times in the second half.
Ashland got started in the 21
st minute, winning a free kick in the Davenport half. The Eagles took a quick restart and got the ball to the left wing for freshman
Rafael Pereira. With center back
Joseph Renner joining the attack, Pereira swung in a cross and Renner got on the end of it sliding it into the back of the net.
It was the first goal of the season for Renner and Pereira's second assist.
The game remained 1-0 heading into the final 20 minutes, but the Eagles scored three goals to finish off the game.
Senior
Yusuke Yasumasu scored in the 74
th minute as he beat a defender in midfield then carried it to the edge of the 18-yard box on a breakaway. His shot beat the keeper and banged in off the left post for his first goal of the season.
Six minutes later, Pereira opened his season's account. He took a strike from 25 yards that was blocked back into his path. He took advantage of the deflection and blasted again, this time firing into the back of the net.
The Eagles finished the scoring in the 87
th minute as junior
Brajdi Cekrezi took the ball to the byline and cut it back for junior
Brandon Davidson, who coolly slotted home for his team-leading fourth goal of the season. Cekrezi now has two assists.
Senior keeper
Jacob Henriksen made three saves to secure the clean sheet with junior
Marshall Ney coming on late to complete the shutout.
The Eagles will now await their opponent for the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal which will be played on the road next Sunday (April 25).
AU
MSOC/BB
