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Ashley Cuba's One of the best players in the U.S.
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MOONEY CAPTAIN: Ashley Cuba, right, of Cardinal Mooney battles for possession of the ball with Walsh Jesuit's Kaylee Semeisberger during Saturday's game at Valley Sports. Cuba, a Mooney captain, says teh Cardinals' difficult schedule should prepare them well for a long tournament run.
Mooney's Ashley Cuba
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ASHLEY Cuba started playing in Poland’s youth soccer program when she was 4.
“I didn’t really like it at first,” she said. “I started because my mom put me in it.”
It took four years for Cuba to go from a kid waiting for the orange slices to one who embraced the sport, and her future in it.
“I’d be on defense and I’d dribble through 11 people and score a goal,” she said. “It was just a rush, because 8-year-olds don’t normally do that.”
A decade later, Cuba has emerged as the Mahoning Valley’s best. She was one of just 12 juniors nationwide last season to earn All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (an award she’ll likely earn again this year). This fall, she led Mooney to the regional final — its best finish in school history.
“Our goal was to get to state and unfortunately we came up a little short,” said Cuba. “But we beat a lot of good teams.”
Cuba, who also plays in two Cleveland-area club teams, will graduate from Mooney this week and leaves for Pitt early next month, where she earned a soccer scholarship.
“I’m going to miss people [at Mooney], but I think it’s time for me to grow up.”
The three-time first team All-Ohioan finished her career with 82 goals and 51 assists in the regular season and almost as many awards. This year she was named Ohio’s Division II player of the year and Ohio’s co-player of the year.