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For the second year in a row, the Ashland University men's soccer team is off to a 2-0 start.
The Eagles (2-0) traveled to Columbus on Sunday (Sept. 3) afternoon and held on to beat Ohio Dominican (1-1), 3-2, in a nail-biter.
"If you look back at last year," Ashland head coach Oliver Slawson said, "they showed that they were a team that had been established. This result shows that we did enough on the day overall to show progress from last season."
In its first year back as a program since 2012, AU lost to ODU, 5-1, in 2016. And on Thursday (Aug. 31), the Panthers beat No. 12-ranked Urbana, 3-2.
Just 2:11 into the match, sophomore Andrew Pearson found the bottom left corner of the goal on a strike that came from outside the right portion of the 18-yard box.
Just before half during the 41-minute mark, sophomore Thomas Ardron netted his second goal of the season on a breakaway that was set up by a feed from freshman Justin Libertowski.
The Panthers responded with a successful penalty kick try early in the second half.
Shortly thereafter, Libertowski also scored on a breakaway. Sophomore John Duldner assisted on that goal.
Pearson, Ardron and Libertowski also were responsible for the goals in the 3-0 win over Malone on Thursday.
"I didn't think I'd get going this fast," Libertowski said. "There's a lot of running and physicality at this level. I still have a lot to learn, but I think the transition has been going pretty well."
Despite another ODU goal that came during the 82nd minute, freshman goalkeeper Dimitrius Karousos and the Eagle defense fended off the Panthers to earn the victory.
"I love grinding for the win," Libertowski said. "That really brings us closer together, and now we're ready for the next opponents."
Ashland will play its third straight non-conference opponent on Saturday (Sept. 9) as it welcomes Gannon to Ferguson Field at 1 p.m.
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