Late goal from Hoggard's Clark Beery propels Vikings to top of the Mideastern Conference

Conference play started with a bang for Wilmington-area boys soccer teams as Ashley and Hoggard went toe-to-toe Tuesday night.

Unlike games between the two sides last year, this matchup was a defensive battle all the way through.

"If anyone tells you don't play high school (soccer), this is what high school is about," Hoggard coach Dwight Findlay said. "It was a game where you could see the grit on both sides."

A back-and-forth defensive effort saw Hoggard control most of the offensive possession in the first half, but the Vikings couldn't take advantage of two free kicks.

In the 75th minute, senior Jesus Juarez sent a cross into the box, finding team-goal leader Clark Beery, whose shot ricocheted off the ground before floating into the back of the net.

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A last-ditch effort from Ashley (6-2-1) saw sophomore goalkeeper Dallas Story leave his box and head down to the other end of the field for a corner kick, but the Screaming Eagles couldn't convert and subsequently lost the game.

The win puts Hoggard (5-1-1) at the top of the Mideastern Conference, a place the Vikings were more than familiar with last season.

"That was a huge step for us moving in the right direction as a team, so I am very happy about the performance," Findlay said. "There's nothing like playing a conference game like this. It wakes the guys up and motivates them to go into training and continue to do the things we preach to them."

The loss is only the second of the season for Ashley, who will have a chance at revenge in less than a month as the two teams will meet again on Oct. 5.

"I think we learned a lot," Findlay said. "I think the team definitely has a resilient side … we talk about it all the time, the guys on the field stepping up, being leaders, organizing things, you could see that leadership happening in our captains."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Hoggard boys soccer narrowly escapes Ashley in defensive battle