By Brian Kappler
Review Contributor
DAVISON — On Oct. 9, the Lake Orion boys varsity soccer team improved their record to 10-3-2 by defeating Davison 8-0 in their first round of MHSAA District 6 play at Davison High School.
After a few minutes of warming up, the Dragon scoring engine roared to life. Less than eight minutes into the game, junior Austin Negri fed senior Jack Verlinden in the center of the pitch. Verlinden turned to his right, switching the field to a wide-open senior Matias Ballina-Loza, who found the back of the Davison net to kick off the scoring.
Ninety seconds later, Ballina-Loza struck again. Negri again fed the ball into the box to Ballina-Loza, who quickly rotated and fired a missile into the top of the net to increase the Dragons’ lead to 2-0.
Ballina-Loza completed his hat trick with 27 minutes remaining in the first half. The Dragons were awarded a free kick just outside of the Davison 18-yard line. Ballina-Loza clinically bent his shot around the Davison defensive wall and into the lower corner of the goal.
Less than 30 seconds after the third goal, senior Drew Hyttinen was held in the Davison defensive box resulting in a penalty kick for the Dragons. Junior Nick Marlette stepped into the box and smoothly kicked the ball past the Davison goalkeeper to give Lake Orion the 4-0 lead.
The Dragon’s fifth goal would arrive less than five minutes later when senior Fernando Bartoleme’s pass found senior Billy Kappler in the Davison box. Kappler fired a quick snapshot into the lower left corner of the goal as the defense converged.
With 16 minutes remaining in the first half, the Dragons extended their lead further. Junior Damian Saldana fed a long cross into the front of the Davison net. Junior Hudson Case outsprinted the Davison defender to convert the cross into Lake Orion’s sixth goal of the half.
Six minutes later, the Dragons converted again. Saldana dribbled past two defenders along the end line. His shot was deflected, and Davison attempted to clear the zone. Junior Brayden Kopitzki blocked the attempted clearance, and senior Luke Wilson pounced on the deflection to beat the diving Davison goalie on the short side of the net giving the Dragons a 7-0 advantage.
At 7:49 remaining in the first half, senior Jasper Auer was fed a thru ball into the Davison box from Saldana. Auer fed a precision cross in front of the net to a rushing senior Nico Lasso, who outhustled the Davison defender attempting to cover him and notched the Dragons’ final goal of the contest.
Holding an 8-0 lead at halftime, the Dragons were awarded the victory.
The Dragons played Grand Blanc (16-1-2) in the district semifinal after Review press time.