Two clutch goals in the final seven minutes of play propelled Ashe to a 2-2 tie with Forbush, a result that gave the Huskies the 2012 Mountain Valley Conference Championship.
In what head coach Wes Rousseau called one of the most important matches in Ashe County school history, Ashe got down early but certainly never gave up.
Forbush scored in the 14th minute to take a quick 1-0 lead.
The Huskies tried to answer with a shot from Cesar Ruiz, but the shot sailed just high of the net.
In the 36th minute, a shot from Lucas Zeller was knocked away, resulting in a corner kick for the Huskies. However, the kick was cleared by the Falcons with no scoring chance. The score would remain 1-0 after the first 40 minutes of play.
The Falcons made the score 2-0 in the 53rd minute, making it appear that there would be a tie at the top of the MVAC standings.
Ashe refused to give up and turned up the offensive pressure in the final 20 minutes of play. Jamie Weaver got the first Husky goal in the 73rd minute, leaving them just seven minutes to find that equalizing goal.
Ruiz was able to get a step on the Forbush back line, and slipped a shot by the Falcon keeper in the 79th minute to tie things up at 2-2.
Although both teams had scoring opportunities in overtime, neither team could get a score, resulting in a tie, but more importantly, a conference crown for the Huskies.
“Jamie Weaver, who has had big goals in other key situations for us throughout the season, came up with a big shot at just the right time to apply pressure and reignite the crowd, and then Cesar Ruiz finished what may have been the biggest goal of our season to send it into overtime,” said Coach Rousseau.
The importance of this conference title cannot be underscored enough. With this win, Ashe captured its first conference title in men’s soccer history as well as a number one seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Coach Rousseau and the players would like to extend a special thank you to the fans and parents for their support, especially for packing the stadium for this crucial game.
Playoff action will begin next week. Playoff brackets should be released this weekend or Monday.
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