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Ashland rolls to first playoff win since 2014 By Danny Penza Updated: Nov 02, 2022 09:41 PM A A The Ashland girls soccer team can finally put the voodoo that has come with first-round playoff games over the last decade to bed. In one of their best offensive showings of the season, fourth-seeded Ashland rolled to a 6-0 win over No. 13 Silverton in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs at a hail-filled and slick Walter A. Phillips Field on Wednesday night. “We played a couple of poor games toward the end of the regular season, so I didn’t know who or what was going to show up today,” said Ashland head coach Eric Wolff. “But the girls came out today like they wanted to win a playoff game. They haven’t played like that in a couple of our games lately, so I’m very excited to see that they really rewarded themselves with great soccer and a great result as well.” The Grizzlies (9-2-1) had lost their last five opening-round games dating back to 2015. Ashland’s last win in the first round of the state playoffs was against Corvallis in 2014. That game was a tight 3-2 win, but there was no stressing this time around. “We had some unlucky games in there and some where we were just overmatched,” said Wolff of the Grizzlies’ recent playoff drought. “It’s nice to get that win.” With the win, Ashland will host a familiar face in the 5A quarterfinals on Saturday in North Eugene (10-4-1), which beat Redmond 3-0 on Wednesday. Ashland and North Eugene — which finished second in the Midwestern League behind champion Thurston — played to a scoreless draw on Oct. 6 to open league play. Silverton ends its season at 4-5-5 overall. “It will be nice to play a team that we know,” Wolff said. “We didn’t play our best in the second half against North Eugene, so it would be nice to get another crack at them. We know that we match up pretty well with North Eugene, so it will be another one of those games where you’ll need a little bit of a lucky bounce and you need to have a little bit of extra heart and fight in you.” Iniana Hammond and Lena Caballero Uhtoff each scored a pair of goals while Brianna Gibbs had a goal and four assists for the Grizzlies, who were able to build a comfortable 4-0 lead going into the half. Hammond, who also had an assist, opened the scoring in the ninth minute off a pass from fellow senior Celia Bertrand. Twelve minutes later, the Grizzlies doubled their lead when Gibbs set up Ivy Clason. Gibbs recorded her second assist of the night on Hammond’s 23rd-minute goal off an Ashland corner kick that made it 3-0. Caballero Uhtoff scored Ashland’s final goal of the opening half off a Gibbs corner kick with five minutes to go before halftime. “Esme (Barnes) had a great save for us early in the game, we got a goal early in the game and it just kind of settled our nerves and I think it knocked Silverton back into that nervous stage,” Wolff said. “Once you get down, goals don’t always come easy and they knew we’ve had a good defense all season long, so I think it made them a little nervous. It just gave us a leg up and we were pretty efficient after that and set us on the right path. “I think the score doesn’t show that Silverton was a good team, but we just played effective, efficient and good soccer today.” Caballero Uhtoff and Gibbs each scored within a three-minute span early in the second half to round out the scoring for the Grizzlies. In its last three wins during a five-game stretch, Ashland has outscored its opponents 16-0. In the other two games, however, the Grizzlies were shut out of the scoring column. “I changed things up a bit and I think the girls really responded to those changes that I tried to implement,” Wolff said. “Kudos to the girls to being able to take those changes and making it happen. Everybody was playing even though the conditions weren’t great. After the hail, it was really slippery out there, but we were able to play some good soccer despite the conditions.” Barnes, a senior, made five saves in recording the shutout. Silverton’s Madeline Neideigh finished with nine saves. The Grizzlies outshot the Foxes 19-5, with all but four of Ashland’s shots being put on frame. “Esme had some really good saves and our defense did a really good job playing first and second defender and helping each other out,” Wolff said. “We were able to shut out Silverton because of a good job on defense.” Reach reporter Danny Penza at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @penzatopaper. Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneAshland's Ini Hammond, seen here in a file photo, scored a pair of goals in Tuesday’s win over Silverton in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.