Soccer Game Preview: Marvin Ridge vs. Asheville

The Marvin Ridge Mavericks will venture away from home to challenge the Asheville Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Marvin Ridge comes in on three and Asheville on seven.

Marvin Ridge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their defense stepped up to hand Grimsley a 2-0 shutout. The final result isn't all the surprising considering Marvin Ridge's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina soccer rankings (they are ranked third, while Grimsley are ranked 76th).

Kylie Taylor and Jessica Mattson scored both of Marvin Ridge's goals, bringing their combined season tally to 20 goals.

Meanwhile, Asheville beat Davie 2-0 on Tuesday. Give Asheville's defense some credit: that's the team's sixth straight shutout.

Marvin Ridge pushed their record up to 12-2-6 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 11 goals over those three matchups. As for Asheville, their victory bumped their record up to 15-3-1.

Marvin Ridge skirted past Asheville 2-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2019. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mavericks since the squad won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.