Tech boys soccer absolutely dismantled crosstown foe Apollo yesterday, dropping six goals in a 6-1 victory that wasn’t just big, it was historic. This win marks their largest margin of victory against Apollo in almost a decade, since a 5-0 shutout in 2017, and it’s the most goals Tech has scored in a single game since the MaxPreps era kicked off back in 2006. Talk about laying down a marker.
Tigers Unleash an Offensive Blitz
The tone for the night was set early, just 10 minutes in, when junior Vaughn Blair came streaking down the field and found the top of the net off his right foot. Ten minutes later, senior Abdirahman Salad confirmed this wasn’t a fluke, netting the first of his incredible three goals for the night. Blair wasn’t done, adding another goal in the second half. And senior Abdulahi Abdi rounded out the first half scoring, putting up the Tigers’ sixth goal to send them into the break with a commanding lead. Coach Mohamed Aden knew his squad was fired up, saying, “The boys were ready for this one. We know it’s going to be a big battle against Apollo; it’s always tough. Every year we will struggle against each other, but this year the boys came out hard and wanted it bad.”
Chemistry is Cooking, Confidence is Soaring
With this massive win, Tech’s season record now sits at an impressive 8-2-1. They’ve strung together four consecutive wins, and they’re rocking a 6-0-1 record since their 3-1 stumble against Central Lakes-leading Sartell back on September 8th. The confidence? It’s skyrocketing with every goal. Abdirahman Salad summed it up perfectly, saying, “I’m liking how the team is playing. We are moving forward and getting better over time, and I think we have a good shot to win state this season. We feel very connected, we’re moving like a family. We’re getting stronger, building our bonds and our chemistry just keeps building as we play games.” Their attack is clearly their weapon, with all six of their wins coming by multiple goals, and they’ve only been held scoreless once all season.
Salad Leading the Charge Towards What’s Next
Salad is absolutely tearing it up this season, leading the squad with a ridiculous 16 goals and 10 assists. Coach Aden highlighted his impact, noting, “He’s been helping us carry the team on the offensive side. Those attacks are what saved us; this team attack is our weapon this year. I told everybody when you go on the field, just play hard and do your thing.” As the Tigers look ahead, they’ve got four more home games to close out the regular season, starting with Fergus Falls on October 1st. While a conference championship is still technically on the table, it would require undefeated Sartell to drop games, which is a long shot. But as Salad said, “We just worry about what’s in front of us. We don’t care about the past, we don’t care about the records. Whatever team it is, we play like it is the section finals, and we try to make sure we get the dub every time.” With that mentality, anything feels possible for these Tigers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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