Tucson improved to 3-1 on the year after blanking Ironwood Ridge 8-0 at home Wednesday night. The Nighthawks are now at an even 1-1-1 on the year with Rincon/University 3-1 visiting Thursday night. The Badgers were scheduled to play Sunnyside (6-1) on Tuesday but that game was cancelled. Instead, Tucson will travel to Casa Grande (0-3) for a rare Saturday match.

The match between Tucson and Ironwood Ridge ended at the 66th minute based on the 8-goal rule that comes into play at or after the 60th minute of play. Any lead of 8 goals ends the match at the point of score under the rule. The Badgers took 22 shots on the night which turned out to be a very efficient rate of scoring for head coach Bel Haouala.

Haouala replaced longtime head coach Ismael Arce before the season started. Arce led the Badgers to a state championship in 2014 and he unexpectedly passed away on Jan. 28. Ironwood Ridge presented Tucson with a signed soccer ball expressing the program’s sorrow for the loss of Arce.

Longtime Ironwood Ridge head coach Erik Wolf is coming off a difficult 3-11-1 campaign last year but this team sports 11 seniors and seven juniors including senior keeper Ethan Tees who was tested to limit with 8 saves on the 22 shots from the Badgers.

Jules Komya and Luis Zazueta Ruiz scored two goals each to lead the Badgers while Daniel Navarro, Bushiri Sadi, Adrian Fong and Eli Martinez also scored.

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