Ashley girls soccer shows growth, resilience in comeback win over Hoggard

The Ashley girls soccer team made an early-season statement Tuesday night at Scott Braswell Stadium, defeating Hoggard in definitive fashion 3-1.

Savannah Manset and the Screaming Eagles knew Tuesday's matchup wouldn't come without a fight. The Vikings were the only area team to defeat Ashley last spring on its way to the Class 4A state championship game.

"They're an amazing team, but so are we," Manset said. "All of our hard work in practice is paying off, and it's an amazing feeling."

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The junior forward scored twice on Tuesday, once in the 18th minute and again off a corner in the 29th minute.

Sophomore Kieran Bradley scored the third goal for Ashley off a corner in the 15th minute. Bradley and her sister, Leah, just rejoined the team after playing internationally for the Philippines U17 squad.

"We did so well last season that everyone is coming for us," Kieran said. "This is one of our biggest games, but the most important thing was putting aside the fact that they're Hoggard and going for them like they're any other team."

Ashley (7-0-1, 3-0 MEC) didn't get the start it wanted, conceding a goal as Hoggard's Ellis Kelly found the back of the net less than a minute into the game.

"Early on, we were kind of flustered, stressed out, and kind of didn't know what we were doing," Manset said. "Once we scored that first goal, we knew we were back in the game and were like, let's go."

Ashley coach Erik Graf said his team's maturity level stands out in moments like those.

"The girls are very mature, and they've been through a lot," Graf said. "I told them after the game (trailing 1-0) didn't even faze you. There was no head hanging like I've seen in years past. I didn't even have to say anything."

Hoggard (6-3, 3-1) will get a chance at redemption next month as they visit Ashley on April 26.

The Screaming Eagles also picked up their first win in program history at Hoggard, a moment Graf credits to his team's ability to navigate the game.

"The biggest coaching thing I can do is just be quiet," Graf said of coaching a squad with as much talent as Ashley. "Tonight proved to me that (our team) is very mature, you don't have to tell them, they already know. I just need to encourage them and be there for them."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Ashley girls soccer earns historic win over Hoggard, stays unbeaten