COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Dominican men's soccer team hosted the Ashland Eagles at Panther Stadium for a mid-week G-MAC matchup and came away with a stellar 3-0 victory. This marks ODU's first win over Ashland since 2021.
The Panthers fought hard throughout all 90 minutes, breaking through in the 15th minute when forward Ean Encarnacion lined up for a free kick. The ball found the net after deflecting off an Ashland defender amidst a scramble in the box, giving ODU an early lead.
The rest of the first half remained scoreless, with the Panthers holding firm defensively as both teams battled for control.
In the second half, the intensity only increased. Ashland continued to press but couldn't break through the ODU defense. The Panthers added an insurance goal off a corner kick from Encarnacion, whose cross found the head of senior Brad Leonard. Leonard redirected it to forward Emmanual Frimpong, who headed in his first goal of the season—and his first ever as a Panther.
ODU sealed the win in the final two minutes with a beautiful sequence from three Panthers. Evan French outran an Ashland defender up the pitch and delivered a crisp cross to Kaiden Koch. Koch tapped the ball to Evan Reppeto, who finished with a right-footed strike to cap a dominant 3-0 performance.
Statistically, Ashland actually out-shot the Panthers 14-7, with both teams recording three shots on goal. ODU goalkeeper Joseph Deitering stood tall, making three saves and staying composed through constant pressure. Ashland also held a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The game was physical, as expected in this rivalry. The teams combined for 31 fouls—17 by Ashland and 14 by ODU—and five yellow cards were issued. Three Panthers were booked: Ean Encarnacion, Brenton Molli, and Miguel Angel Santillan Camarero.
Only four ODU players went the full 90 minutes: seniors Brenton Molli, Brad Leonard, Lucas Baker, and goalkeeper Joseph Deitering.
This victory marks ODU's second G-MAC win of the season as the Panthers prepare to face Findlay on Saturday, the 27th, at the DeHaven Soccer Complex.
