June 23, 2022

By: Front Row Soccer

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - There's nothing like having a great coach to help hone your soccer skills.

Perhaps the only thing better is having one live with you and work with you since you could walk

Case in point:

Rochester Lady Lancers midfielder Taylor Ashe, who is the daughter of former Rochester Raging Rhinos' Tim Ashe.

"I mean, soccer is such a big part of our family," she said. "My brother plays, too. My dad, he's the best training partner. He still will go out to the field and play. He was my coach when I was younger. I trust his opinion more than anything. It's the best thing having a parent who's super involved with your sport and knows how to give you great advice."

Having someone at home with professional experience can go a long way in a player learning the finer points of the beautiful game.

"It's the best," Taylor said, "especially like during the summer when you are just training by yourself. Having someone to be there and act as like a coach is everything. Super grateful that my family is so involved in soccer. It's awesome."

Ashe, who turns 20 on July 19, is coming off only her second game of the United Soccer League season. She played in the 4-0 season-opening loss at FC Buffalo, then missed three consecutive matches because she had her tonsils removed on June 1.

"A little bit unfortunate," the Victor, N.Y. native said. "That's like the only time I could do it because school and soccer during school. Happy to be back and it was just two weeks."

In her first game back, Ashe made the most of her opportunity, connecting for the lone goal in a 1-0 win at the Pittsburgh Hotspurs on Saturday, June 18. She tallied in the 72nd minute.

"It was exciting because obviously it was 0-0 and the second half," she said. "It was my first game back to so felt good to get a goal."

Needless to say, head coach Adam Schwartz certainly welcomed Ashe back.

"She's a blessing to have, a very, very teachable player," he said. "A very great work ethic. Just a great spirit about her. It's been a pleasure to coach her. She played 90 minutes in the first match for us against Buffalo and then had her tonsils out. So, we had her come in as a substituting player. She's got a lot of pace, a lot of mobility. She added a lot of energy to the game in the second half."

That result improved the Lady Lancers to 3-1-1 and 10 points as their unbeaten streak reached four games.

They will visit FC Buffalo (4-1-1, 13), which is in first place in the Penn-NY Division on Friday night and host FC Berlin at Aquinas Institute in Rochester on Sunday at 2 p.m.

"The team has had a good amount of success," Ashe said. "It's an opportunity to continue that and position ourselves in a good place for the playoffs. These two games are super important, and we've got to get the wins."

After this season, Ashe will get some time off to catch her breath for a couple of weeks before returning to train in August for the William Smith College fall season in Geneva, N.Y.

Her goals for the team are lofty.

"Our goal is always to win the Liberty League and then hopefully national championship," she said. "We got to the Elite Eight last year. But the goal is to be there for the final four weekend."

William Smith is coached by the legendary Aliceann Wilber, who directed the team to NCAA Division III championships in 1988 and 2013.

"Oh my gosh, I mean, it's an honor to play for her," Ashe said. "She's just so successful and so iconic. She's an amazing coach and an amazing person. We learned so much about soccer from her. The way that she really cares about the team and all the players as individuals is incredible. We learned a lot about life through her, not just soccer. So, I feel so grateful to be a part of William Smith and playing under Aliceann."

The Lady Lancers' final three games of the regular season are at home.

Admission is free for the 2022 season.

In place of purchasing a ticket, fans are encouraged to donate to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. You can donation to the coalition at https://bccr.salsalabs.org/ladylancers

There will be bounce house and in-game promotions for the family to enjoy.

Aquinas Institute is located at 1127 Dewey Ave., Rochester, N.Y.

For complete Lady Lancers information, visit RLancers.com.