During 160 minutes of boys soccer this season, Lexington and Ashland were separated by just one goal.
But that one-goal difference resulted in a 2-1 Arrows win against the Minutemen on Tuesday night in the Ohio Cardinal Conference tournament championship game.
It earned top-seeded Ashland (9-4-3 overall, 8-0-2 in the league) its second straight OCC title, the first time Ashland has repeated as the league’s top soccer team. Winning it on their own pitch made it even more enjoyable.
“This is such a huge rivalry,” said first year Ashland coach Chad Williams. “Lexington was definitely the team we should have been playing for the title here tonight. It was just a good, quality soccer match.”
For Lexington coach Peter Them and his team, it was a painful loss, made only partially more palatable by the fact the Minutemen (7-4-4, 6-1-3) played one of their better games of the season.
“It was just a great soccer match, top to bottom … on both sides,” Them said.
The two teams tied 1-1 back on Aug. 27 and a rematch in the OCC title game became more and more clear as the season rolled along. Neither team had lost a league game until the championship match on Tuesday night.
Both teams played well in the OCC post-season tournament to reach the finals. Ashland blanked both of their oppponents – 2-0 over West Holmes and 4-0 against Madison. Lexington shut out Orrville (5-0) and edged rival Clear Fork (3-2).
The Arrows controlled the game in the first half Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead with 20:58 remaining. Ashland’s Tyson Dishman passed the ball deep into Lexington’s right-hand corner and Zac Ames did the rest, powering a shot into the left side of the net, past Lex goalkeeper Kyle Dunlap. That was the only score of the first half.
“The coaches we talked to said Ashland likes to pound the ball down the right hand side,” Them said. “That’s what they did on that play. (Ames) made a great shot.”
Most of the game was played in the middle of the field with constant midfield pressure from both teams and great work on the back ends of the defenses. Both teams managed just five shots on goal during the match. All five of Lexington’s came in the second half while Ashland managed just one in the second 40-minute period.
“We knew Ashland controls and play in the middle of the field very well,” Them said. “We had to do the same thing.”
The Arrows extended the lead to 2-0 with 14:49 left in the game. Aaron Pauley knocked the ball into the back of the net after a corner kick was initially rejected and rebouned back to Pauley. The assist again went to Dishman.
“I think 2-0 is the worst lead in soccer,” Williams said. “It was all back and forth after that.”
Lexington, which increased its pressure throughout the second half, took it to a new level after the Arrows expanded their lead. After a few near misses, the Minutemen finally got on the board. With 13:27 left to play, Bailey Faust held his ground in the middle of the box and bounced a shot home on a great corner kick by Dillon Thomas.
It was the game’s final score as Ashland and goallkeeper Gabe Crall (4 saves) slammed the door shut over the last dozen minutes of the game.
“Gabe played a great game,” Williams said. “We made a change in formation (3 defenders back instead of four) and also poisitions for five players midway through the year and we have played much better.”
Them praised the work of his team in the second half.
“The boys played much better then. The shots just didn’t fall for us. This was everything you would expect from Lexington-Ashland playing for the OCC title.”
Lexington must now refocus on the upcoming sectional tournament at Tiffin Columbian High School. The Minutemen play Monday against Willard, a team putting its first ever soccer team on the field this season. Lexington has the No. 2 seed in the sectional. Clear Fork took the top seed.
