Auburn boys soccer hangs on against Kentwood

Published 1:21 pm Monday, April 6, 2026

Skyler Roehr has had quite the tenure as Auburn High School’s boys soccer coach. In his first year back in 2024, Auburn won five games, the most since the pandemic. Last year, Auburn won their first two games of the season and went on to lose 12 of their last 15 regular season games.

This year, the Trojans are looking to trend in the opposite direction, and what better way than to get out to a 4-1-1 start and defeat Kentwood (0-6) 1-0 on April 3 at home.

“It’s nice to get back on winning track. I think we kind of lost it a little bit after the Mount Rainier game, but it was a scrappy one and we got through it. We got three points and can’t really complain much about it,” Coach Roehr said.

Auburn is now 2-1-1 inside of NPSL play, and picking up three points will be crucial as the playoff picture clears up in a couple of weeks. Auburn now has beaten Kentwood on back-to-back occasions dating to last season and hasn’t lost to the Conks since 2024.

“We wanted to let our anger out and get three points,” sophomore Keahi Ahuna said.

Alain Maldonado will get credit for the goal in the 45th minute on a corner kick, but the goal was due to the relentless pressure that Auburn put on Kentwood the entire first half.

In that first half, Auburn was firing shots at Kentwood keeper Malik McIntyre, who was holding strong. Even in the middle of the first half, Auburn was given a penalty, but McIntyre kept the Trojans from finding the back of the net.

But in the second half, the Trojans were the recipient of some good luck and on Maldonado’s corner. The kick was an in-swinging ball that bounced off the hands of McIntyre and across the line.

Auburn continued to pursue a second goal thanks to midfield play from players like Keahi Ahuna and Emiliano Rodriguez. The midfield was patrolling all over the place and got a shoutout after the game.

“I thought tonight the transitional movements were there,” Roehr said. “It helped limit the opportunities we gave up and helped us create as many chances as we did.”

Roehr didn’t make a single sub in the first half and actually sat on the bench and just observed his team in the first 40 minutes of the game. He puts an incredible amount of trust in his captains and his players in general, to execute the game plan and play the right way.

“My philosophy is I want to put the guys out on the field that I think are going to help us win the game. I am a big believer that once we get on the field it is on them. I’ve done my week of training and given them everything I can and feel like I have prepared them well enough,” Roehr said. “It was a weird one where everything was going right, except getting into the back of the net.”

Similar to Arsenal in the English Premier League, Auburn has utilized the long throw in. Ahuna reaches back and launches the ball from around the 30-yard line into the 18-yard box to try and cause chaos for defending teams. It won Auburn their penalty in the first half and nearly led to a goal in the second.

“We have a set piece set. I am always trying to find a specific person and just get it in there. Maybe they can flick the ball behind their heads and just create chaos in the box,” Ahuna said.

Auburn as a team went through hell last year during the losing streak. But spirits are high this season, and for Ahuna that comes through the team coming together.

“We are like a family. We only lost three seniors from last year, so it is mainly the same group. We practiced over the summer and came together as a family,” Ahuna said.

It’s no easy feat overcoming a season like 2025, especially when the precedent before Roehr took over was one and two win seasons leading up to his tenure. But this year’s group has shown they can compete are will make life difficult for teams in the NPSL. But another tough test sits on the horizon — unbeaten Tahoma and Stadium are on this week’s docket for the Trojans.

“I think now that we are more aware of the competition and who we are playing against. We are more positive as a group and understand what it takes to win a 4A game. It’s definitely starting to show in the results. We are keeping it competitive and staying sharp,” Roehr said. “As long as we stay fit and keep a good attitude, I think we will keep surprising some teams.”