Red Demons Dominate in Soccer Season Opener

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Red Demons allowed just a single shot on target and put four behind Wichita-Bishop Carroll keeper Keagan Lewis in their season opening victory at Memorial Stadium.

The Demons come into the season with high expectations after an undefeated regular season last year that was halted by Olathe West in the 6A state playoff semifinals. They ended up finishing in third after a win in the consolation game but they feel like they have some unfinished business in 2023.

They certainly lived up to those expectations in their season opener as they strangled the Golden Eagles offense for 80 minutes en route to their 4-0 victory. 

Dodge City was a bit rusty out of the gate as they generated solid scoring chances in the first ten minutes of the contest but couldn’t seem to cash in. They finally broke through 16 minutes in when a long-ranger from outside the box found the back of the net courtesy of Francisco Hernandez to put the Demons up 1-0. They doubled their advantage 16 minutes later when Angel Lopez burst past the defense to find the back of the net and make it 2-0 going into the halftime break.

In the second half, it was the Aron Martinez show as he netted a second half brace with goals in the 56′ and 60′ to increase the Dodge City lead to 4-0. Martinez, one of the key returners for the Red Demons this year, looks on track for another big season after netting 28 goals in 2022.

There was a bittersweet element to the evening though, as senior midfielder David Garcia was forced to leave the game with 20 minutes remaining after suffering an apparent leg injury. Garcia was one of the major contributors to last season’s unbeaten run as he tallied 19 assists which led the team.

The Golden Eagles were never able to get off the ground offensively as the Demon center back partnership of Cody Vasquez and Christian Del Real allowed very little service in front of the net for Bishop Carroll. The Golden Eagles managed just one shot on net all night which came in the 79′ off of an easily handled free kick from Erik Huerta.

The Red Demons will look keep their unbeaten start to the season going at the St. Thomas Aquinas Tournament on September 8-9.