London holds off BV, 2-1

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LONDON – The Buckeye Valley boys soccer team took advantage of an early set piece, but couldn’t find the back of the net again and fell 2-1 at London in the second round of the Division II district tournament Wednesday night.

On a night where airborne balls died mid-trajectory, 11th-seeded London managed to find the right moment and a little foot speed on a pair of through-balls to score both goals in the first half to overcome an early deficit.

“I can’t question anyone’s work ethic – they all worked hard,” BV coach Eric Staley said. “They tried to make the right decisions. Sometimes it comes down to execution. It’s kinda been a microcosm of the season.”

“It was really windy and it made the game difficult,” London coach Dan Karl said. “We tried to keep it on the turf and play our game with a little bit of possession. In the end … we did just enough.”

Ashton Wolford got a ball through the middle of the defense where Ethan Hastings touched it by the goalkeeper to get London back to even, 1-1, with 30:36 left in the opening half.

Then, Joseph Davis gave London the lead when Seth Best led him through the middle on a long airborne pass.

“We run a lot of our offensive possessions through (Davis),” Karl said. “He’ll help distribute and create for other players. He’s been a good player for us.”

The Barons, seeded 12th, got started quickly when Aspen Schneller headed in an Eli Aquino corner kick with 34:39 left in the first half.

“We really created chances all game – we just couldn’t finish,” Staley said. “Aspen is a big body down there, so I’m not too surprised that he could score off a restart like that.”

Buckeye Valley’s Felipe Scharff, front, uses his body to shield the ball away from London’s Ashton Wolford during the first half of Wednesday’s Division II district tournament game in London.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/10/web1_scharff.jpegBuckeye Valley’s Felipe Scharff, front, uses his body to shield the ball away from London’s Ashton Wolford during the first half of Wednesday’s Division II district tournament game in London. Ben Stroup | Gazette

By Michael Rich

For the Gazette

Follow Michael Rich on Twitter @mrichnotwealthy or contact him at [email protected].

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