Photo by Kevin Rohr

A tough first half doomed the Washington boys’ soccer team on Tuesday night, as they welcomed Iowa City Liberty to town and fell 5-1.

The Lightning had all of their goals come in the first half to build a 5-0 lead at intermission. The Demons had their lone goal in the final 40 minutes off of a penalty kick from Caleb Suchan. A bright spot for Washington was goalie Ben Baughman setting a school record with saves in regulation time with 27. That bested previous record holders Thomas Zimmer with 26 in 2016 against Keokuk and Baughman’s older brother Jacob with 26 against Mid-Prairie in 2014. Matt Grote had 31 saves in an overtime contest back in 2012. Head Coach of the Demons Sally Hart says despite the loss, Baughman was big for the team in the second half. “He stepped up and did what we needed him to do. I am hoping in our next match we don’t let them shoot that often defensively, but knowing we have him securing the net is beneficial.”

Washington falls to 2-4 on the year and look to get back on track tonight when they travel to Fort Madison.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Rohr