Although the Bulldogs lost 3-2 to perennial powerhouse Jackson, there were plenty of good things happening on the field for Stow. Sophomores KC Kolke and Grant DuHamel, along with freshman Robby Anderson, all turned in the best performances of their young careers. Kolke and senior veteran Aaron Quinn were located in unfamiliar places for most of the evening as they were being asked to slow down Jackson's potent scoring attack. Both players managed to do so and also managed to each score a goal. Quinn converted a penalty kick 32 seconds into the game when Robby Anderson was taken down in the box. Jackson scored the next two goals to take a 2-1 halftime lead. The Polar Bears capitalized early in the second half on a Bulldog miscue and created a two-goal advantage, making it 3-1. Kolke cut it to 3-2 with plenty of time remaining in the contest. Cory Grinder flicked a throw-in from Nick Kutcher to the back post where KC was breaking just in time to head it into the back of the net. Stow never scored the equalizer. The Bulldogs played with passion and energy, making life difficult for Jackson down the stretch. Brian Hromco continued to improve in goal as he had a brilliant second half allowing his team to stay in the game.
8/28/10 Stow vs Nordonia (W, 3-0)
Dogs blank Knights
Cory Ginder, Robby Anderson, and KC Kolke all scored second half goals to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-0 victory over Nordonia. Kyle Foens had the only assist for Stow. Brian Hromco and Tyler Simpkins combined efforts in goal to record the shutout. The Bulldogs also got help in the form of Aaron Quinn and Luke Hunt, as both players returned to the lineup after missing the season opener with injuries. The JV squad lost 3-1. Adam Householder scored for Stow.
8/23/10 Stow vs Copley (L, 1-5)
Stow drops the home opener
The Bulldogs started the season with several fresh faces tonight. Jordan Solitro, Robby Anderson, Cory Grinder, Grant DuHamel, Kyle Foens, Nick Kutcher, Nick Griggs, Trevor Simpkins, and Brian Hromco were all penciled in as varsity starters for the first time. Ethan Manubay made his varsity debut as well. Senior Mark Perry and sophomore KC Kolke provided the much needed veteran experience in a game that featured a lopsided final score. The Copley Indians broke the game open in the second half and cruised to a 5-1 victory. Stow had several excellent opportunities in the first half to score, forcing the opponent's goalkeeper to make 8 saves. Copley did manage to take a 1-0 lead at halftime even though Stow had more shots. Kyle Foens scored the lone goal for Stow in the second half. It cut the lead to 2-1 with 32 minutes left in the contest. After that Copley scored 3 goals in a ten minute span to put the game out of reach. The season continues on Saturday as the Bulldogs travel to Nordonia in a NOC crossover match. The JV Dogs also dropped the season opener, falling 1-0 in a hard fought match.
