Needing three points to win its first Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season title, Ashland University's men's soccer team took a 3-1 loss to Lake Erie on Tuesday (Oct. 25) afternoon at Ferguson Field.
The Eagles (10-6-1 overall, 9-5 Great Midwest) will be the No. 2 seed in the 2022 Great Midwest Tournament, to be played at Tiffin. Ashland will play at a time to be determined against the winner of Lake Erie/Findlay in a semifinal on Nov. 3.
Lake Erie goes into the conference postseason at 9-6-3, 8-4-2, and on a seven-game winning streak.
WHAT HAPPENED
- Following a scoreless first half, the Storm were first to dent the scoreboard in the 48th minute, as Connor Mautino scored following passes from Teddy Baker and Marcos Somohano.
- Ashland responded quickly, however, as, in the 50th minute, sophomore midfielder Oliver Lovell planted a rebound into the Lake Erie net for his second goal of the season.
- Then, in the 66th minute, Lake Erie got a penalty kick following an Eagle foul in the box. Teddy Baker put the ball in the net to put the Storm ahead 2-1. In the 73rd minute, another LEC PK, taken by Mautino, was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Ty Bowden – his first penalty kick save of 2022.
- Lake Erie finished off the game in the 87th minute when Tom Akinola took a Baker pass and provided the Storm the final margin of victory.
THE WRAP-UP
- Bowden made seven saves on Tuesday.
- Ashland had a 22-15 shots advantage, and Lake Erie out-corner kicked AU, 7-5.
