ONTARIO — If the first two matches of the season are any indication, Hattie Yugovich won’t have to worry about a sophomore slump.
Ontario’s high-scoring sophomore midfielder scored a pair of goals Saturday night as the Warriors knocked off Lexington 2-1.
Yugovich has scored five goals in two games this season, picking up where she left off last fall. She scored 38 goals and added 25 assists as a freshman, earning a spot on the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Ohio first team in Division II.
“She’s impressive,” veteran Ontario coach Larry Atkinson said.
Lady Lex coach Buck Morton agreed.
“The Yugovich girl is really good,” Morton said. “I mean, she’s really good.”
Yugovich broke the ice Saturday with a highlight-reel goal in the 14th minute. Her free kick from about 40 yards found the back of the net and spotted the Warriors to a 1-0 lead.
“That was a well-struck ball. That was a really well-struck ball,” Morton said. “It’s tough when you give up that when you know goal opportunities are so limited.”
Lexington scored the equalizer with 18:08 remaining in the first half when Emily Thomas scored off an Allie Parker assist. The match remained tied until Yugovich scored on a penalty kick with 28:21 remaining om the game.
“(The penalty kick) deflated us a little bit,” Morton said. “I could see it. Not that we gave up, but you knew it was going to be hard to get a second goal.”
Ontario avenged last year’s loss to Lexington in the district championship match.
“Last time we played them they beat us in the district final,” Atkinson said. “That’s not something we bring up because early in the year doesn’t matter. All that matters is the end of the year.
“Does it give our players some confidence? Yes.”
Morton said his team will learn from Saturday’s loss.
“Do we have the level of talent to compete against teams like this to get out of the district again? Yep,” Morton said. “It’s a game that we can build on. There is nothing that happened tonight that wrecked any part of our season.
“We’re not out of the tournament. We don’t lose anything in the conference. But it’s tough because the girls love this game and so do I. It’s great competition. That’s why we play and that’s why we compete.”