APA's Asher Lowry sets single-season goal record in thrilling win over Cary Christian
Special to ENC Moments
A historic day for Arendell Parrott boys’ soccer was done in style Thursday.
Asher Lowry recorded a hat trick in the Patriots’ 3-2 victory over Cary Christian, but the big story was his record-setting goal in the third minute of the contest — it became his 27th of the season, breaking the mark of 26 set by Zacchaeus Rasberry in 2014.
The sophomore, who now has 29 goals this season, is seven away from the all-time single-season record, set by his sister, Adelyn, in 2016.
“It means a lot,” Asher Lowry said. “We’ve been working hard as a team and I’ve just been fortunate to be the one to score the goals. It’s a lot of effort (from) the midfield and people working in the background.”
Thursday’s game was far from easy as Cary Christian (4-2-1, 3-1 EPIC) kept pace. The game was tied at 1 in the first half, then overtime loomed as the teams were knotted at 2 with 3:24 remaining. Lowry then took a pass from Connor Woelfel and booted the ball through the net for the thrilling win.
"Once Connor got it in the midfield I kind of made a run out wide and he saw me like always," Lowry said. "I kind of stopped — I saw (Cary Christian’s defenders) coming in and I knew I couldn’t get past them — so I just took the shot and it hit right. It felt good to celebrate with the team."
The celebration got larger after APA coach Henry Piner told the team about Lowry's accomplishment.
"He’s an incredible talent," Piner said. "When you have 29 goals through 16 games you're a special player, but it’s not just how he works on the field; it's how he is as a teammate and how works in practice. He's a great communicator and leader on the field, and to do it as a sophomore is even better."
APA has a chance to make history collectively later in 2021, as the team is now 12-4 on the season. The record for victories in a season is 14 and the Patriots have six regular-season games remaining, along with three conference games to secure an outright EPIC title.
Piner said the thrill of this contest will hopefully propel the team even further.
"This is probably the most exciting game I’ve been a part of," Piner said. "It's exciting for the fans, for the guys and for the coaches to see two really good teams battle it out. Going into the season, we wanted to start 3-0 in conference play — we had our home games, took care of business and that sets us up to control our own destiny."
The Patriots travel to Grace Christian Tuesday.
Special to ENC Moments
A historic day for Arendell Parrott boys’ soccer was done in style Thursday.
Asher Lowry recorded a hat trick in the Patriots’ 3-2 victory over Cary Christian, but the big story was his record-setting goal in the third minute of the contest — it became his 27th of the season, breaking the mark of 26 set by Zacchaeus Rasberry in 2014.
The sophomore, who now has 29 goals this season, is seven away from the all-time single-season record, set by his sister, Adelyn, in 2016.
“It means a lot,” Asher Lowry said. “We’ve been working hard as a team and I’ve just been fortunate to be the one to score the goals. It’s a lot of effort (from) the midfield and people working in the background.”
Thursday’s game was far from easy as Cary Christian (4-2-1, 3-1 EPIC) kept pace. The game was tied at 1 in the first half, then overtime loomed as the teams were knotted at 2 with 3:24 remaining. Lowry then took a pass from Connor Woelfel and booted the ball through the net for the thrilling win.
"Once Connor got it in the midfield I kind of made a run out wide and he saw me like always," Lowry said. "I kind of stopped — I saw (Cary Christian’s defenders) coming in and I knew I couldn’t get past them — so I just took the shot and it hit right. It felt good to celebrate with the team."
The celebration got larger after APA coach Henry Piner told the team about Lowry's accomplishment.
"He’s an incredible talent," Piner said. "When you have 29 goals through 16 games you're a special player, but it’s not just how he works on the field; it's how he is as a teammate and how works in practice. He's a great communicator and leader on the field, and to do it as a sophomore is even better."
APA has a chance to make history collectively later in 2021, as the team is now 12-4 on the season. The record for victories in a season is 14 and the Patriots have six regular-season games remaining, along with three conference games to secure an outright EPIC title.
Piner said the thrill of this contest will hopefully propel the team even further.
"This is probably the most exciting game I’ve been a part of," Piner said. "It's exciting for the fans, for the guys and for the coaches to see two really good teams battle it out. Going into the season, we wanted to start 3-0 in conference play — we had our home games, took care of business and that sets us up to control our own destiny."
The Patriots travel to Grace Christian Tuesday.
