Marian secures D2 district title in powerhouse matchup with Country Day

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

BEVERLY HILLS – The steady rainfall was not enough to slow the Birmingham Marian offense down Saturday night, as the Mustangs scored three times in the second half to defeat Detroit Country Day, 3-0, in a Division 2 girls soccer district final at Country Day High School.

Freshman Jansen Eichenlaub had two goals and an assist and junior Ellie Deconinck added a goal and an assist for Marian (14-2-2, which advances to the regional semifinals on Tuesday against Trenton.

Eichenlaub’s first goal came just 22 seconds into the second half, giving the Mustangs the momentum as the rain intensified. Marian coach Barry Brodsky said scoring early in the second half was crucial after an even first half.

“(Country Day) is a very good team, and it takes a while to get in the game and wear people down,” Brodsky said. “The first five minutes of the second half we were really on fire. We have two forwards (Eichenlaub and Deconinck) that really are special, and when they’re connecting good things happen.”

Deconinck added to the Marian lead with 31:17 to play as she corralled a pass from Eichenlaub and powered a shot past the Country Day keeper. The Mustangs picked up an insurance goal with 12 minutes to play when junior Elaina Eckert made a run up the field and passed to Eichenlaub, who scored her second goal of the game.

Country Day’s best chance to score came in the opening half, but freshman Kennedy Bearden’s shot from long range hit the crossbar and bounced over the net. The Yellowjackets (14-4- 3) were unable to find a way to get a shot past Marian’s junior keeper, Isabel Hayes, who made five saves.

Yellowjacket coach Laura Hamway said she thought her team did a good job adjusting to Marian’s attack, but it didn’t get the breaks it needed against a good opponent.

“It was a physical game – it’s what we thought it would be on paper,” Hamway said. “(Marian) is disciplined, they get numbers going forward and I felt like we handled that. Our girls marked them tight, and we lost them a few times. They’re a good team.”

Last Updated: 6/4/2016 11:16:39 PM EST

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=19242

West leads Berkley past Troy in district semi

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone_Trib

ROYAL OAK – Thanks in part to a pair of goals from sophomore Meghan West, Berkley is one step closer to its goal of a district title.

West tallied a goal in each half, and the Bears withstood a rally in the second half from Troy to earn a 2-1 win in a Division 1 girls soccer district semifinal Thursday at Royal Oak High School.

Berkley will advance to the district final Friday at 6:30 p.m., and the Bears will meet Troy Athens in that game.

West opened the scoring against Troy with 25:57 to play in the first half by corralling a long throw-in from junior Emma Green and lofting a shot into the far corner of the net.

Berkley extended its lead to 2-0 less than two minutes into the second half with West scoring her second of the game, and the assist was credited to senior Alexia Tyler.

However, Troy answered back with a goal of its own. Junior Caroline Schlimgen capitalized on a loose ball in front of the Berkley net and fired a shot off the post and in with 33:43 to play, which cut the Bears’ lead to 2-1.

The Colts were able to put pressure on the Berkley defense over the final 30 minutes, but Troy could not get another shot past the Bears’ freshman keeper, Monica Hodges, who made five saves in the game.

Berkley coach Lindsey Lubanski said a focus on defense after building a two-goal lead helped the Bears preserve the win, as did a couple of timely saves by Hodges.

“Monica is a freshman for us this year, and she has done a fantastic job,” Lubanski said. “She’s very aggressive, she comes out (of the net) and she is very vocal with the defenders and with all of our team. She does her job, she knows when she can go and she knows when she can’t.”

Lubanski said West plays like an upperclassman in terms of leadership, though she is only a sophomore.

“She always comes out, and she is there to get the job done,” Lubanski said. “She works hard. She’snever going to have be told to work hard. She does what she has to do, and she wants to win.”

Troy coach Dan Troccoli said his team faced adversity at times during the season, but he was proud the Colts were “incredibly resilient” all year.

“They played that way all year long, and they don’t let things get them down,” Troccoli said. “They’re a very good soccer team, and sometimes the soccer gods just don’t smile upon you. Unfortunately, that’s the case that happened this year, but again I’m incredibly proud of them and they have nothing to hang their heads about.”

Last Updated: 6/2/2016 11:12:09 PM EST

 http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=19205

Seaholm grabs early lead, shuts down Troy

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

BIRMINGHAM – Birmingham Seaholm scored two goals in a 5:10 span in the first half, and the Maples held Troy off the scoreboard to earn a 3-0 win in an Oakland Activities Association girls soccer crossover game Monday night at Seaholm High School.

Julia Kiehle opened the scoring for Seaholm (9-4-2) by heading in a loose ball on a corner kick with 26:25 to play in the opening half. A little more than five minutes later, the Maples’ Katie O’Connor was tackled in the penalty area, drawing a red card on Troy and a penalty kick for Seaholm.

Fotini Demetriou took the penalty kick for Seaholm, and her shot beat the Troy keeper to give the Maples a 2-0 lead.

With Troy down a player due to the red card, Seaholm was able to keep up its offensive pressure in the second half. The Maples generated several scoring chances, and eventually earned a third goal late in the game when Olivia Graham corralled a pass from Demetriou and slipped a shot past the keeper and into the net.

Seaholm coach Manuel Rodrigues said the Maples tried a new formation in preparation for the upcoming district playoffs, and the change paid off.

“I was really proud of our defense and our midfield,” Rodrigues said. “Again it was a brand new formation today just to see how it worked, and obviously it worked pretty good. Cate Brown in the middle, she’s normally my center forward, but she’s a freshman and she’s a monster. She had probably the best game of the year for her.”

Troy coach Dan Troccoli said he was proud of the way his team was able to generate pressure despite playing with only 10 players in the second half.

“They have a lot of heart, as you saw in the second half,” Troccoli said. “This team never gives up at all, ever. They have the desire to win all the time, and a few bounces here or there and it’s a different game. There’s no doubt about it.”

Seaholm will play its next game Tuesday at home against Pontiac for senior night, while Troy will look to bounce back at Grosse Pointe South on Wednesday.

Last Updated: 5/23/2016 11:46:19 PM EST

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Wolfe’s four-goal night lifts Walled Lake Northern past Kettering

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

WATERFORD – Freshman Dani Wolfe led the way with four goals for Walled Lake Northern, as the Knights defeated Waterford Kettering, 8-0, in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association North Division girls soccer game Monday night at Kettering High School.

Wolfe scored three times in a span of 11:02 during a first half that was controlled by Walled Lake Northern. The Knights (11-0-2) scored six times in the opening half with junior Kameryn Szalay (2) and senior Devyn Brough adding the other goals.

Walled Lake Northern did not let up in the second half as Wolfe scored her fourth goal of the game 1:04 after the break. Junior Sophie Fisher gave the Knights an 8-0 mercy rule victory by collecting a loose ball from a corner kick by Brough and slipping a shot past the Kettering keeper with 26:06 remaining on the clock.

The Knights’ star freshman may have filled up the stat sheet individually, but Walled Lake Northern coach Drew Drummond said he was impressed by the way the rest of the Knights stepped up as well.

“(Wolfe’s) a big talent, and she stood out tonight which was nice, but if you look around the team we have plenty of other players who can do a lot of damage as well,” Drummond said. “Dani shined tonight with her finishing and her composure, but like I said she was one of many tonight, especially in the midfield and defensively.”

Drummond said the team has worked hard to get everyone on the same page offensively, and that the training is paying off this season.

“It’s nice to have players who how to play their positions, and who can combine well,” Drummond said.

“It makes it really easy for our strikers to get on the end of things because we create so many opportunities.”

The Knights will look to stay unbeaten as they face Waterford Mott in their next game on Wednesday.

Kettering (1-9-2) will look to get back on track the same night at Lakeland.

Last Updated: 5/9/2016 11:15:10 PM EST

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=19003

Early goal stands up as Athens tops Adams, 1-0

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

ROCHESTER HILLS – Troy Athens scored a goal off of a corner kick in the first half, and that was enough to earn a 1-0 shutout win over Rochester Adams in an Oakland Activities Association Red Division girls soccer game Tuesday night at Adams High School.

With scoring chances hard to come by, Troy Athens (2-3-1) struck first after earning a corner kick to the right of the Adams’ goal with 14:17 left in the first half. Senior Hannah Schell sent a cross into the box where senior Elyse Merbach was waiting to send a header past the Adams’ keeper and into the net.

Adams (0-2-2) started the second half by controlling play, but the Highlanders were unable to get a shot past Athens’ keeper Amanda Harris, who made two saves in the win.

Athens coach Todd Heugh said he expected a low-scoring game in a matchup between two of the top keepers in the area – Harris and Adams’ Olivia Argeros. He said scoring early was crucial for his team, which has struggled to get its offense going at times this season.

“We’ve played a really difficult schedule, against difficult opponents, and we’ve been in every game but we’re still trying to find our way with essentially a new midfield,” Heugh said. “Hannah served a great ball on the corner kick, and Elyse got on the end of it – she’s gotten on the end of a few corner kicks for us.”

Adams coach Aaron Donaghy said he liked the effort his team showed, and that the results will come as his young team (two seniors on the roster) continues to gain experience.

“There’s nothing to be disappointed with,” Donaghy said. “I liked the way we possessed, I liked the way we moved it around, I liked the chances that we were creating and I liked the way my backs played.”

Last Updated: 4/19/2016 11:54:14 PM EST

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=18857

Athens wins district title with convincing win over Troy

By JAKE THIELEN
@MIPrepZone

TROY – Troy Athens scored less than five minutes into the game, and the Red Hawks never looked back

in a 4-0 win over Troy in a Division 1 girls soccer district final Saturday afternoon at Troy Athens High School.

The game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m., was delayed by an hour due to heavy thunderstorms, but the late start didn’t have much of an effect on Athens. The Red Hawks took the lead less than five minutes into the game thanks to a corner kick that resulted in a goal from senior Karli Filips.

Athens coach Todd Heugh said getting off to a quick start against a Troy team that had been hitting its stride late in the season was crucial.

“We have a ton of respect for Troy High and the way that they play and being our rivals,” Heugh said. “They came into the game on a 4-1-1 streak, and so did we. The nerves, the delay and everybody kind of being on edge a little bit for a cross-town game, to get an early one gives you at least a little bit of confidence and momentum.”

Athens added to its lead with 11:52 to play in the half after sophomore Ashley Leonard corralled a pass from sophomore Kelsey Malvin and slipped a shot past the Troy keeper. The goal was Leonard’s 23rd of the season, but she wasn’t done offensively.

Leonard scored her second goal of the game 8:19 into the second half, and nearly completed a hat trick minutes later. Another Athens corner kick found its way to Leonard, and her shot came close to crossing the goal line before senior Shannon Birney made sure it was in to put the Red Hawks up 4-0.

The four-goal lead stood until the final whistle, as Athens’ junior keeper Amanda Harris kept Troy (5-9-6) off the scoreboard, stopping three shots in the game.

Leonard said winning a league title and district title was a ‘really big step’ for the Red Hawks’ program.

She said the district title was a result of good teamwork all season long.

“Our team motto is ‘work hard and let the soccer take care of itself,’ and every one of us works hard every single game that we come in to,” Leonard said. “We work really well together I think; we’re a cohesive team.”

With the win Athens (14-4-4) will play Grosse Pointe South in the regional semifinals at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Troy High School.

Last Updated: 5/31/2015 7:48:55 AM EST

http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=16565

Detroit Country Day advances to Division 3 girls soccer finals with 3-0 win over Freeland

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on June 11, 2014 10:06 p.m.

Detroit Country Day scored three times in the early stages of the second half, as the Yellowjackets turned what had been a close game with Freeland into a resounding 3-0 victory in the Division 3 girls soccer semifinals Wednesday night at Ortonville Brandon High School.

The win means Country Day will advance to the state finals for the first time since 2006 where they will face No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian. The Yellowjackets’ last won a state championship in girls soccer in 2004.

Country Day (24-3-3) entered the game as the No. 3 ranked team in Division 3, and it was challenged in the first half by No. 6 Freeland (21-3-2.) The two teams were scoreless at halftime with Freeland holding a 2-1 advantage in shots on goal.

The Yellowjackets though quickly took control of the game in the second half. FreshmanDagny Hill put Country Day on the board just 3:21 into the half by sending a volley from inside the box past Freeland keeper Hannah Foy.

A little more than a minute later, Country Day struck again as senior Michelle Manning connected with sophomore Sonja Niederhofer on a long pass from midfield. Niederhofer beat both defenders to the ball and raced in on goal before flicking the ball over Foy and into the net.

Freshman Olivia Heppard extended the Yellowjacket lead to 3-0 with 27:14 left after a Freeland defender cleared the ball away from the net and right to her. Heppard’s shot from 30 yards out sailed over Foy’s head and bounced under the crossbar for a goal.

Three goals was all the offense Country Day needed as Freeland could not manage to sneak a shot past the Yellowjackets’ duo of freshman Isabel Nino and sophomoreMaddie Odom. The pair combined to make three saves in the shutout win.

Country Day coach Bob Bukari said his team was challenged early on by a Freeland team that was ready to play.

“I scouted (Freeland) and I didn’t think they were as physical,” Bukari said. “They came out and played a very physical game. They challenged for balls; we did not, we laid back.”

Bukari said the Yellowjackets responded well in the second half after re-focusing at halftime.

“At halftime we had a little bit of a barking session at them and called some players out that needed to play better,” Bukari said. “We changed our attitudes more than anything. We didn’t change formations, I didn’t change players – just changed attitudes.”

Freeland coach Lauren DeRoo said her team was happy with being tied at the break, but that the Falcons were unable to slow down the Yellowjackets in the second half.

“I always tell them that, when you go into the second half, that team that you’re playing against is going to come out twice as strong,” DeRoo said. “They’re going to be better than they were in the first half, always. They’re going to come out crazy, swinging pretty much, and I think it caught (us) off guard.

“Like I said (Country Day) found our weakness, and they utilized it.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/4768381882622385917/detroit-country-day-advances-to-division-3-girls-soccer-finals-with-3-0-win-over-freeland/

Utica Ford shuts out Grosse Pointe South, 1-0 in penalty kicks, to reach girls soccer semifinals

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on June 06, 2014 11:20 p.m.

For the second straight game Utica Fordneeded to win in penalty kicks to advance in the girls soccer postseason, and for the second straight game it was junior keeper Nikki Topping who made crucial saves to seal a Falcons’ win.

Topping stopped all three shots she faced in the penalty shootout and Ford shooters scored three times as the Falcons earned a 1-0 shutout win over Grosse Pointe South in a Division 1 girls soccer regional final Friday night at Sterling Heights Stevenson High School.

Ford (16-4-1) went first in the shootout, but freshman Cecilia Steinwascher’s shot hit the crossbar and went over the net. However, Grosse Pointe South (12-6-5) was unable to take advantage as senior Dani Manning’s kick was stopped on a diving attempt by Topping.

Junior Megan Bonus and sophomore Molly Vanderhoff converted their chances for goals in the next two rounds for Ford, while Topping guessed correctly and made saves on attempts from South’sDee Dee Burns and Ellie Zak. With a 2-0 lead after the third round, the Falcons needed just one goal or a miss from South to advance.

Ford’s fourth attempt was taken by junior Bella Sortzi, who sent a shot past South keeper Olivia Withers to win the game for the Falcons and set off a wild celebration.

Topping said she didn’t worry about the score during the shootout, and just focused on making every save.

“I was looking at their eyes and their hips, and the same thing happened again,” Topping said. “I got lucky and guessed right.”

Topping said the team has worked hard all year with the goal of making a postseason run.

“We’ve been doing morning workouts since the second week of school,” Topping said. “We’ve been coming into school two days a week at 6 a.m. working out for an hour and then going to class, and the other three days we’ve been working out after school. It’s such a great feeling to have all that hard work finally pay off for all of us.”

Ford coach Teri Steinwascher said this year’s team was motivated and bought into doing the extra work during the school year.

“Their hearts are tremendous, the leadership is awesome, my captains are phenomenal and Nikki Topping – I mean what else can you say?” Steinwascher said. “I don’t know, but you know what, wow is it nice to have her on my side.”

The game was scoreless after 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtimes, which was the same result as Ford’s regional semifinal match Wednesday against Troy Athens. Topping stopped two penalty kicks in the game to help Ford advance to the regional final.

With the win, Ford will be making its first trip to the state semifinals since 1988. The Falcons will meet Macomb Area Conference Red Division rival Utica Eisenhower on Wednesday at West Bloomfield High School with a trip to the Division 1 finals on the line. Eisenhower defeated Ford twice during the regular season, with both games ending 1-0.

Steinwascher said she was looking forward to a semifinal that will feature two Utica schools and two MAC Red schools. Eisenhower was ranked No. 4 in the final Division 1 poll, while Ford was unranked.

“Maybe we can get a little more respect – right now we don’t have a lot of respect,” Steinwascher said. “We’re not young, but we have a young program coming through, so there’s some depth coming up that looks good for the future. Eisenhower is always strong, (Grosse Pointe) South is always good, Stevenson’s going to be phenomenal – we have teams that can play now in the MAC and Macomb County, period.”

For Grosse Pointe South the season ended in a disappointing fashion, but South coach Gene Harkins still liked the effort he saw from his team as the game progressed.

“I thought we were flat at the beginning of the first half; in the second half I thought we played very well,” Harkins said. “Ford played hard the whole game too, so you have to give them credit. They fought hard and they ended up with the win.”

Harkins said he made adjustments to try and get a goal before the game got to penalty kicks, but the Blue Devils couldn’t get the break they needed.

“Everybody knows when you get to (penalty kicks) it’s anybody’s game,” Harkins said. “That’s two times (Ford) went through it. Congratulations to them, and, like I said before, congratulations to the MAC Red because I think we’ve all represented it pretty well.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/4768390882743386152/utica-ford-shuts-out-grosse-pointe-south-1-0-in-penalty-kicks-to-reach-girls-soccer-semifinals/

Utica Ford defeats Troy Athens, 1-0, in penalty kicks in girls soccer regional semifinal

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on June 04, 2014 8:33 p.m.

Utica Ford scored four times in the shootout and junior keeper Nikki Topping made a pair of saves to seal the win as the Falcons defeatedTroy Athens, 1-0, in a Division 1 girls soccer regional semifinal Wednesday night at Sterling Heights Stevenson High School.

With the shootout tied 3-3 heading into the final round, Ford had a chance to take the lead and put pressure on Athens with a goal. Sophomore Molly Vanderhoff stepped up to take the penalty kick and fired a low shot that snuck past Athens sophomore keeper Amanda Harris, glanced off the post and went into the net.

Needing a goal to stay alive, Athens sent senior Kendall Wachowski to the line, but her kick was deflected by Topping and sent high of the crossbar, sealing the win for the Falcons.

Topping said she was motivated to make the final save in part because her senior teammates had to attend their prom after the game.

“I’m not going to send my seniors to prom after a loss,” Topping said. “I was watching (Wachowski’s) hips, and it didn’t look like she was going to go to my left, so I just went right and I got there.”

Topping said when she deflected the ball she had to stay disciplined to make sure the ball didn’t drop down over the line.

“I was thinking ‘you can’t go in the net either – I just touched you,’” Topping said. “I was watching it to make sure it went over (the net,) and then when it finally went over and I knew it wasn’t going to bounce back in front – (Ford coach Teresa) Steinwascher always tells us if you don’t catch the ball, and it doesn’t go behind the net, make sure you know it’s not going to cross the goal line.”

The two teams were scoreless through regulation with neither team able to get many scoring opportunities. Topping and senior Meghan Bogg combined to make six saves for Ford, while Harris finished with five saves for Athens.

Senior Amanda Mladenovski and juniors Bella Sortzi and Megan Bonus also scored in the shootout for Ford. Freshman Ashley Leonard, senior Alyssa Cowperand junior Shannon Birney had the penalty kick goals for Athens.

With the win, Ford will advance to play the winner of Grosse Pointe South in the regional final at 7 p.m. on Friday. Steinwascher said the team’s regional finals appearance will mark the longest postseason run for Ford since the 1990’s.

“Since I’ve been in the building, the last 14 years, the girls haven’t even won a district title,” Steinwascher said. “They’ve come close; in fact we lost a couple years ago (2011) to Athens.”

Steinwascher said she expected a close game against an Athens team that is sound defensively. The two teams tied, 1-1, in their regular season meeting on April 3.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be a three-goal game, in any direction, one way or the other,” Steinwascher said. “They defend so well, they have a center back that’s a stud back there, and she did a phenomenal job today too. (Harris) is awesome, and (Wachowski) is so good – they have too many kids that are guns that we have to watch.”

Athens coach Todd Heugh said he was confident his team could compete with Ford thanks to the schedule it played this season.

“We don’t have the trendy record, and we didn’t finish very high in the (Oakland Activities Association) Red this year,” Heugh said. “But one thing the OAA Red does it teaches you how to compete night in and night out, and we believed in ourselves.”

Heugh said Harris played well in net, and she was nearly able to help the Redhawks steal a win in the shootout.

“It’s a skills competition when you get that far,” Heugh said. “There’s a lot of luck, and there’s a lot of skill, but (Harris) frustrates all kinds of people – she’s very athletic and she almost got to a couple. Today the ball didn’t bounce our way. Three days ago it did, and that’s why we’re here, and today it didn’t.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/3768388882754386125/utica-ford-defeats-troy-athens-1-0-in-penalty-kicks-in-girls-soccer-regional-semifinal/

Detroit Country Day cruises past Grosse Ile, 4-0, in girls soccer regional semifinal

By Jake Thielen | MLive.com
on June 03, 2014 10:58 p.m.

Detroit Country Day took control of the game in the opening 10 minutes and never looked back as the Yellowjackets defeated Grosse Ile, 4-0, in a Division 3 girls soccer regional semifinal Tuesday night at Farmington Hills Harrison High School.

Country Day (25-3-3) got on the board early thanks to freshman Lauren Alshab, who sent a strike past Grosse Ile’s sophomore keeper, Olivia Reckley, just 5:13 into the game. Sophomore Sonja Niederhofer picked up an assist on the goal.

The Yellowjackets extended their lead to 2-0 just 2:23 later when senior Michelle Manning caught up to a long pass from the midfield and sent a header over Reckley’s head and into the net. The Country Day lead remained 2-0 at halftime.

Country Day coach Bob Bukari said taking an early lead in the game was crucial for the Yellowjackets.

“It kind of took the wind (from Grosse Ile) – we shocked them when we just came at them,” Bukari said. “I think we possessed the ball more than they’ve seen a team possess against them, and we connected passes and got our chances and put them away, and it took the wind out of their sails.

“But you have to credit (Grosse Ile) – they came out the second half full of fire, and if they could have put one in it would have made a game of it. I thought they played very, very well at the start of the second half.”

Grosse Ile (21-1-1) entered the game undefeated and it found itself in the unfamiliar position of having to play from behind for most of the game. The Red Devils had conceded only three goals all season prior to Tuesday’s game, while scoring 116 goals in 22 games.

Grosse Ile coach Amy Rossow said she liked the effort her team showed after halftime.

“It took us 40 minutes that first half to get adjusted to the pace of the game, and then at least we came out and we tried to play the same game we played all season in the second half,” Rossow said. “When you have competition like that every mistake costs you, and every mistake we made today cost us with a goal in the back of the net. So hopefully we can learn from it.”

Despite being outplayed in the early stages of the second half, Country Day was able to hold off the Grosse Ile attack. The Yellowjackets were able to add to their lead at the 19:06 mark of the second half, when a cross from Manning found the foot of senior defender Jessica Carr, who sent a strike past the keeper and into the net.

Bukari said he liked the contributions that his midfielders and defenders, like Carr, were able to make to the team’s offense.

“(Carr) is a senior captain, and she’s been a defender for four years, so when she gets a chance to get forward and finish it’s very exciting for her and mom and dad sitting in the stands,” Bukari said.

Country Day added a fourth goal with 16:10 left thanks to another senior, Katie Krushena, who sent a shot from 30 yards out that just snuck under the crossbar. Four goals were plenty for the Yellowjackets and their keepers, sophomore Maddie Odomand freshman Isabel Nino, who combined for the shutout.

With the win, Country Day, ranked No. 3 in Division 3, will advance to play No. 5 Flint Powers, which defeated No. 1 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 3-0, in the other semifinal. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at Harrison.

The two teams met recently in the Division 3 state semifinals in 2011 and 2009 with Flint Powers winning both times. Bukari said his seniors are eager to try and avenge that 2011 loss.

“It’s exciting to be in a regional final – it’s been a long journey for this group of seniors,” Bukari said. “They got knocked out their freshman year by Flint Powers, so here we go back to (facing) our nemesis that we’ve seen in so many different sports. So it’s historical for our two schools to meet and compete, and may the best team win.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/3768386882737386153/detroit-country-day-cruises-past-grosse-ile-4-0-in-girls-soccer-regional-semifinal/