Continuing its quest to reach the top of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference table, Ashland University's men's soccer team moved into second place alone after a 2-1 win at Lake Erie on Wednesday (Oct. 4) afternoon.
Following an 0-4 non-conference showing against teams with a combined record of 28-3-4 entering Wednesday, the Eagles improve to 4-5-2 overall and 4-1-2 in the Great Midwest. The Storm is 4-4-2, 3-2-2.
Ashland, which finished second in 2022 in the league's regular-season standings and won the 2022 Great Midwest Tournament, has won three of the last four meetings against Lake Erie.
NOTABLES
- Senior midfielder Vander Rocha wasted little time in getting the Eagles on the board, as his fourth goal of the season, unassisted in the 13th minute, put Ashland up 1-0.
- After Maximilian Lintschinger tied the game for the Storm at 1 in the 32nd minute, Rocha untied it again in the 34th minute, scoring his second goal of the contest and fifth of the season in the 34th minute. Fifth-year midfielder Oliver Whaley assisted on Rocha's second goal, his team-leading seventh helper of the fall.
- Rocha's brace is his first of 2023, and the third multi-goal game of his Eagle career.
- The reigning Great Midwest Defensive Athlete of the Week, junior goalkeeper Ty Bowden, stopped six shots to move to 3-1 this season.
- Lake Erie out-shot Ashland by a 13-11 count, and the Eagles had the 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
UP NEXT
Ashland's men will return to Ferguson Field for another Great Midwest contest on Saturday (Oct. 7) at noon against Thomas More.
