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Troy Athens creates chances aplenty to beat Stoney Creek 4-1

✇The Oakland Press
By: Michael J Wallwork
16 April 2025 at 03:26

ROCHESTER HILLS – The Troy Athens Red Hawks dominated possession and rolled to a 4-1 league win over the host Stoney Creek Cougars on a cold, windy Tuesday evening.

The Red Hawks opened the scoring just over 17 minutes into the game when Lulu Thaqi crossed a ball for Lauren DeJonckheere who hit a one-time volley that went in off the left post. Just over six minutes later, Lily Greaves banged in a rebound to make it 2-0 in favor of Athens.

Overall, Athens dominated possession and the stat sheet. The Red Hawks were able to connect passes and move the ball between levels, which created many offensive chances in both the first and second halves.

“We’ve been working on the possession piece, and then finding forwards has been the key piece yet. (Retaining possession) while going forward has been really important for us,” Red Hawks head coach Jason Clark said. “They worked well today,” he added.

The Red Hawks added on a pair of goals in the second half – one each by Emily Mendrick and by Thaqi – to stretch the lead to 4-0 with 22:15 still to play.

Still, the Cougars’ back line – featuring two sophomores and a freshman – held up pretty well given the amount of pressure they were under. But eventually, Athens just had too much possession and too many forward pushes, and the Red Hawks were able to find a few goals.

Soccer players
Troy Athens’ Charlotte Cotta (2) gives chase to Stoney Creek’s Renee Wrobel during a 4-1 Red Hawks’ victory Tuesday night in Rochester Hills. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – For MediaNews Group)

Stoney Creek would have a late push. Led by Gianna Kay, the Cougars kept organized and remained fighting.

“Gianna is a captain, a leader,” Cougars head coach Bryan Mittlestadt said. “Any coach would enjoy having several players with that kind of leadership, and the grit and that talent.”

Eventually the hosts pulled a goal back when Emma Norred popped a ball up in the air and behind the Troy Athens defense. Lauren Ziehm won the race to the ball and slotted it home past the charging netminder for a consolation goal.

Overall, the Athens defense turned in a very strong performance. Anchored by Abby Waldron and Annie Lawson, the Red Hawks’ backline held Stoney Creek to just three shot attempts all night as the Cougars struggled to find production in the attacking third.

Photo gallery of Stoney Creek vs. Troy Athens in OAA Red girls soccer action

With the win, Troy Athens (6-1 overall) levels its record in league play at 1-1.

“Anytime you get an OAA Red win, it’s a positive note,” Clark said. “I thought the girls played really well today, and especially for the conditions, I thought we did well.”

Stoney Creek (2-2-2 overall) is 0-2-1 in the OAA Red.

“We’re a little bit young. We’ve got some kids who are getting their first experience in the OAA, and we’ve just got to keep working,” Mittelstadt said. “We’ve got kids that care and work hard. There’s no doubt that we’re working hard. We’ve just got to play a little bit better soccer and get things going."

Both teams have tough non-league matchups on Thursday when Troy Athens travels to Grosse Ile to take on the Red Devils while Stoney Creek hosts Utica Eisenhower.

Troy Athens junior Lulu Thaqi drives the ball into the net for a goal during a 4-1 victory over Stoney Creek Tuesday evening in Rochester Hills. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Photo gallery of Stoney Creek vs. Troy Athens in OAA Red girls soccer action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Tim Arrick
16 April 2025 at 03:25

Troy Athens opened up strong, controlled the play and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Stoney Creek Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Rochester Hills.

  • Troy Athens opened up strong, controlled the play and cruised...
    Troy Athens opened up strong, controlled the play and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Stoney Creek Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Rochester Hills. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
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Troy Athens opened up strong, controlled the play and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Stoney Creek Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Rochester Hills. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
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Rochester Hills Stoney Creek's Marissa Kachucha (15) with a header in front of Troy Athens' Abby Waldron during a 4-1 Red Hawks' victory Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Rochester Hills. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Previewing Oakland Activities Association baseball for the 2025 season

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
16 April 2025 at 00:39

The OAA produced a pair of regional finalists last season in Seaholm and Rochester.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the conference produce more district champions this spring after several of the OAA’s top programs ran into other top state contenders early on in the postseason. Pitching remains strong amongst some of the best teams within the county.

Here’s a look at the OAA programs heading into the 2025 season. (Note: Some information was provided by coaches, and not all coaches submitted.)

 

Avondale

Head coach: James Swanson

Last year’s record: 8-26

Overview: First-year head coach Swanson brings youth and excitement to the program. He’s aiming to leverage the team’s speed. Top talents for the Yellow Jackets include Rochester College commit Joseph Arends (SS/P, Sr.), Braylin Grandberry (CF/P, Jr.), Avery Prentice (IF/P, Jr.) and Natheer Huskic (1B/P, Sr.).

Berkley

Head coach: Todd Dunfield

Last year’s record: 18-17

Overview: The program turns to Dunfield after Matt Rawlik stepped back to take on the role of AD at Berkley. A Seaholm grad who played at Albion in college, the biggest players Dunfield will have to replace are Logan Field and Ben Streetman (Henry Ford CC). Reed Reynolds and Brayden Kubicki are among the starting arms the Bears will count on this spring. Spencer Bajcz is one of Berkley’s best bats within the heart of the order.

 

Birmingham Groves

Head coach: Shawn Morrison

Last year’s record: 25-14

Returning starters: Returning starters: Johnny Bedell (IF/P, Sr.), Tyler Bronczyk (OF/P, Sr.), Benji Cook (OF/P, Sr.), Josh Gibson (OF, Sr.), Xan Scheinfield (OF/P, Jr.), Sebastian Shorter (SS/P, Jr.), Carlos Smith (C/P, So.), Jack Stillwagon (1B, Sr.), Hunter Tengler (IF/P, Sr.), Michael West (IF/P, So.)

Overview: Speedy Steven Whitted (Wayne State) and Jake Rossenwasser are several of the key players to replace for the Falcons. Just a sophomore, West already looks to be one of the team’s better bats, and should lot his share of important innings, along with Bronczyk and Tengler. “I think we’ve got guys that really have taken ownership of the team this year,” Morrison said. “Their heads are where their feet are, and I think overall that’s going to put us in a pretty good position to battle for a league and district championship at the end.”

 

Birmingham Seaholm

Head coach: Steve Oshinski

Last year’s record: 24-11

Overview: Oshinski will rely on a new batch of players after graduating a nucleus that won a combined 50 games the past two seasons. That new group includes Ozzie Borman (2B), Ryan Pfeiffer (P/OF), Steve Schneider (OF), Myles Henderson (1B), Cobie Early (INF/OF) Shawn Moore (P), and “No. 1 hype man” Owen Tyranski. Otherwise, infielder Brandon Gottesman should step in as an impact bat, and the tandem of Patrick Hughes and Dylan Layer will be counted upon by the Maples on the bump as well.

 

Bloomfield Hills

Head coach: Greg Fettes

Last year’s record: 18-17

Overview: The good news was that the Black Hawks had home field advantage in districts last season. Unfortunately, the opened the postseason against Brother Rice. More good news is that Bloomfield Hills has a new head coach with a winning pedigree in Fettes, who led Bishop Foley to a state title not so long ago. He’ll have a good staff to work with in senior Sawyer Cooney (Xavier), junior Hunter Farbman and senior Tyler Marx. Fettes has a couple of good bats that will be around for a couple of years also in junior 3B/OF Drew Harst and sophomore IF Ethan Franklin.

 

Clarkston

Head coach: Addison Turk

Last year’s record: 13-22

Overview: Dylan Johnston and Camden Williamson combined to throw over 11 scoreless innings last postseason for Clarkston, who won a playoff game against Fenton before bowing out against Oxford. Johnston, who hit a walk-off single in that district win, is back as one of the Wolves’ top arms with Chris York, TJ Hyde and Gavin Bond. Along with Lucas DeBell, Paul, Johnston and York will try to provide Clarkston with offense at the top of the lineup.

 

Farmington

Head coach: Charles Colding

Last year’s record: 13-20

Returning starters: Vincent Pesci (SS, Jr.), Andrew Pahnke (1B/P, Jr.), Jayden Essary (3B/OF, Jr.), John Lynem (OF/P, Jr.), Brady Irvin (1B/P, So.), Carter O’Driscoll (P, So.), Ben Holmes (P, Jr.), Carson Drake (P, Jr.)

Strengths: Hitting

Overview: Speedy infielder Owen Matteson is one of the key players Farmington will have to replace. The Falcons return another key middle infielder in Pesci, an All-OAA Honorable Mention, while Essary will be one of the team’s other best bats. Pahnke is one of the team’s best arms; he struck out 59 batters in 41 frames as a sophomore. It’s a young team (one senior) that will add some more talented youth in sophomore SS/OF JJ Dail and freshman 1B/OF/LHP Anderson Axe and to help Farmington take a step forward.

 

Ferndale

Head coach: Christopher Bailey

Last year’s record: 2-16

Overview: It’s nowhere to go but up for the Eagles and their first-year head coach in Bailey. They return their top hitter in senior Jaylin Dennard, who batted .429 with four doubles and triples each last season, all team-highs. Senior Cullen Hock also returns as one of the team’s main threats on the base paths. Dennard and Mason Shaltis, another senior, started the majority of games in 2024, so continuity will help.

 

Lake Orion

Head coach: Andrew Schramek

Last year’s record: 23-12

Overview: Southpaw Kael Gahan mowed down batters last year for the Dragons and is now off at Duke, while Ryan McCartan (Saginaw Valley State) is also a loss to graduation. Still, Lake Orion returns four starters, as well as a handful of pitchers that include Jackson Gilbert and Sam Beemer, who should keep the Dragons in plenty of games against some of the league’s top teams.

Baseball player
North Farmington’s Josh Shelby delivers a pitch in an away game against West Bloomfield on Monday, April 22, 2024. (BRYAN EVERSON – MediaNews Group)

North Farmington

Head coach: James Malkovich

Last year’s record: 5-27

Overview: The Raiders should approach or surpass double-digit wins after a tough 2024 campaign. They lose Josh Brenner to graduation, but bring back juniors Rashad Travis and Josh Shelby as well as sophomore Jayden Glinz. Infielder Kyle Pierce was a good bat at the top of the order as a freshman last season and will attempt to set the table along with junior catcher Amare Christian, and senior Seth Cohen, who will also throw for North Farmington.

 

Oak Park

Head coach: Darryl Allen

Last year’s record: N/A

Overview: Freshman Rashad Palmer looks like he’ll get one of the trusted arms for Oak Park. He’ll be a top bat in the order, as is senior Tryce Davis, who can mash as well. Other senior starters include Omari Pointer, along with Darian and Dorian Moss.

 

Oxford

Head coach: David Herrick

Last year’s record: 20-17

Returning starters: Parker Bennion (P, Sr.), Eli Carpenter (OF/P, Sr.), Jack Hendrix (IF, Jr.), Max Lovins (C, Sr.), Dean Rice (OF/P, Sr.)

Overview: The Wildcats got right at the end of last year and ran off a win streak of 11 in a row, including a district victory over Clarkston. Hendrix is one of the leading returning hitters after a .378 average with 15 RBIs as a sophomore. Carpenter, Hendrix and Rice (29 IP, 3.37 ERA) were among the top handful in innings-getters for Oxford last spring.

 

Rochester

Head coach: Eric Magiera

Last year’s record: 24-16

Returning starters: Sean Fox (3B, Sr.), Dominic Gadlage (IF/P, Sr.), Andrew Scott (OF, Jr.), Jacob Scott (OF, Jr.), Jake Norton (SS, Sr.)

Overview: Don’t pay too much attention to Rochester’s record from last season. The Falcons got healthy late, then went on a seven-game winning streak that included a district championship and resulted in a run to the regional finals. The JTs (Sawyer and Youngblood) graduated, but talent remains. Fox, an Ohio U commit, set the school’s single-season home run record last year with nine. Gadlage (Kalamazoo Valley CC) is a top hitter, and like Norton (Lansing CC), he provides good defense. The Scott twins are base-stealing threats that can cause havoc, too.

 

Rochester Adams

Head coach: Andy Lamkin

Last year’s record: 13-15

Overview: A competitive schedule that included non-conference games against Brother Rice, quarterfinalist Okemos and semifinalist Bay City Western paid off for Adams, though the Highlanders fell short in the district final to rival Rochester. Ryland and Flip Watters can swing it, as can Matt Toeppner and Luke Borowski. That football arm of Ryland will be used on the hill, where he’ll be joined by starters Jack Durand, Drew Szymanski and Drew Stitzel. Expect the Highlanders to improve on their win total from last spring even with a similarly competitive set of opponents.

 

Royal Oak

Head coach: Brett Borrocci

Last year’s record: 16-10

Overview: This will be the first year Borrocci with the Ravens, whose moderate successes included winning three league series last spring. A number of Royal Oak’s top arms and bats graduated, but junior Jack Groya is one of the arms that comes back and he should help contribute when he steps in the box, too. Senior infielders Silas Burbridge Parker Lassner appear to be two of the better bats back for the Ravens.

 

Southfield A&T

Head coach: Jamal Womble

Last year’s record: 5-19

Overview: Pitching was a struggle for the Warriors last season, but they ended the year on a high note by scoring a 17-2 win over Renaissance in the playoffs. Derrick Lee and Kevin Hanyes, who tied for tops on the squad in average at .364, have both graduated, but junior Kaleib Norman (.312 BA in ’24) led the team in RBIs with 20 as a sophomore. Some good news for the pitching is that Norman also boasted the second-best ERA of all the Warriors’ arms last year.

 

Stoney Creek

Head coach: Paul Diegel

Last year’s record: 17-19

Overview: Diegel takes over for Clint Rodger this season. Evan Woodard graduated and moves on to hurl innings at Saginaw Valley State, but juniors Anthony Voikos and Caleb Helms will look to pick up where he left off. Outfielder Jacob Champine and catcher Collin Lott will be several of the key bats for Stoney.

 

Troy

Head coach: Joe D’Orazio

Last year’s record: 25-9

Returning starters: Cam Adams (IF/P, Jr.), Miles Carter (OF, Sr.), Davey Crockett (OF, Sr.), Gabe Geisner (C, Jr.), Ethan Hucal (1B/P, Sr.), Trevor Marshall (P, Sr.), Carson Noon (SS/P, Sr.), Jack Sobotka (IF/P, Jr.)

Overview: Jon Whiteside, who pitched a complete game shutout in the playoffs last season and threw in Troy’s other postseason win, has graduated. But Sobotka is the Colts’ other primary returning arm, and he’ll be complimented by others, including Nick Aretha and Adams. Carter brings XBH power in the order, as do Noon and Sobotka. Additionally, a solid freshman class should aid the Colts in their OAA White quest.

 

Troy Athens

Head coach: Mike Morris

Last year’s record: 25-7

Returning starters: Macklin Ciurla (OF/P, So.), Sam Link (1B/P, Sr.), Cole Cosgrove (2B/P, So.), Derek Smith (3B/P, Jr.), Nick Rossi (OF/P, Sr.), Joe Morelli (OF/P, Sr.), Andrew Cermak (C, Sr.) and Matthew Schriber (1B, Sr.)

Strengths: Deep pitching staff and strong senior leaders

Overview: Brody Fahnestock (Oakland) and Joel Botardo (Kalamazoo Valley CC) are key players that Morris has to replace, but at least in the case of Fahnestock, the Red Hawks have a ton of arms left in the tank. They’ll look to replicate the good runs of form they put together from last season, including a 13-game winning streak early in the slate, as Athens competes in the OAA Red.

 

West Bloomfield

Head coach: Josh Birnberg

Last year’s record: 32-8

Returning starters: Brody Pikur (OF/P, Sr.), Logan Scheidt (C, So.), Stevie Fountain (1B/P, Sr.), Cam Laflamme (OF/P, Sr.), Slade Moore (OF/P, Sr.), Brady Scheidt (SS/P, Sr.)

Strengths: Pitching staff

Overview: Someone had to come out of last year’s district between Brother Rice and West Bloomfield. The Lakers won’t have that problem this season (and host their district), but they’re just as well-equipped to emerge regardless. The team might be able to claim the best starter duo in the state in LHP Moore (Michigan) and RHP Fountain (Michigan State), while Laflamme and Brady Scheidt are real good arms behind those two, also. Fountain and Pikur have long-ball potential in their sticks, while LaFlamme and Logan Scheidt should help fill out an order that has some production to replace. There’s potential for this team to make a deep run.

West Bloomfield's Slade Moore makes contact with a pitch in a district final against Brother Rice on Saturday, June 1, 2024 in Bloomfield Hills. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

Catholic Central hangs on for 10-9 win over rival Brother Rice

✇The Oakland Press
By: Drew Ellis
9 April 2025 at 07:41

BLOOMFIELD HILLS – It’s not often you will find the Detroit Catholic Central boys lacrosse team overly critical of a win over Brother Rice.

Similarly, you won’t typically find the Warriors encouraged in a loss to the Shamrocks.

But, that’s the way things seemed to play out on Tuesday, when Brother Rice nearly overcame a four-goal deficit in the fourth period before ultimately suffering a 10-9 loss to Catholic Central.

“It’s a win that kind of felt like a loss a little bit because we didn’t finish the way we wanted. (Rice) is always tough, but I think we are pretty tough, too,” Catholic Central coach Dave Wilson said. “It’s early in the season, so I think we will find out a lot more about ourselves in the weeks ahead. But, we’re playing winning lacrosse right now and can still get better in a lot of areas.”

Catholic Central (6-0) is coming off a Division 1 state championship in 2024, the second in program history. Brother Rice (6-2) is coming off missing the MHSAA state championship game for the first time in program history.

Despite that, Tuesday marked the first time since 2018 that the Shamrocks defeated the Warriors in their first encounter of the season. Still, Brother Rice coach Ajay Chawla likes what he is seeing from his team, especially Tuesday’s strong finish, as the Warrior players are motivated to get back to the top of the state.

“I am really happy with what I see right now,” Chawla said. “We came into the season pretty young, so we needed some guys to step up, and a lot of them are. Guys are working together and things are looking good. We are a little like the 2004 Pistons. We don’t have any superstars right now, but hopefully by the end we will have five Hall of Famers. We have a lot of guys that have a lot of grit and work well playing together.”

Both teams relied heavily on defense and goaltending for most of the first half.

The score was tied 2-2 late in the second period when the Warriors had a goal negated by a crease violation. The Rice bench received a penalty for their reaction to the call, which set up a Catholic Central man advantage that led to a go-ahead goal from senior Connor Lukas. The Shamrocks would score again seconds later on a goal from junior Ryan Dye to take a 4-2 lead into the break.

CC carried that momentum into the second half, scoring the first two goals of the third to establish a 6-2 advantage. While the offense picked up, senior goalie Matthew Cranston was dominating in net, picking up nine saves in the opening half alone.

Lacrosse players
Brother Rice’s Theo Ley (20) fires off a shot over a Catholic Central defender during Tuesday’s boys lacrosse match. Ley had three goals for the Warriors, but the Shamrocks prevailed, 10-9. (DREW ELLIS – For MediaNews Group)

“I have a great defense to work with and I think we all came into this game really wanting to get this win,” Cranston said. “We communicated well, made a lot of good decisions and just worked well together to get stops.”

The Shamrocks led 8-4 going into the final period, a score that held for the first five minutes of the fourth until Brother Rice finally broke through with a scoring burst. The Warriors tallied three goals in about two minutes of play, two from junior Frank Baiardi and one from senior Dany Holt.

“We just had to settle in a little bit. (CC) is a good team and we have some guys in new roles that just needed to settle in,” Chawla said. “We needed to control possession in this game and we did a good job of that, we just weren’t finding the net early on. But, we were playing really well at the end.”

Rice was controlling the ball for most of the game, something Wilson was hoping he’d see change late in the contest when the Shamrocks had possessions.

“It would have been nice to get some longer offensive possessions, especially in the fourth, but we kind of rushed through things and that’s not achieving our objective in those situations,” Wilson said. “(Brother Rice) was earning the ball through faceoff play and I thought we gave them a few (possessions) on ground balls that we didn’t pick up that we should have. That just made for us spending a lot of time on defense. From there, it’s about mathematical probability that (Rice) was going to find ways to score.”

After trading goals in the closing minutes, CC looked to put the game away with 24 seconds to play when senior Lachlan Moffatt scored on an empty net to make it 10-8.

However, Rice quickly scored off the faceoff, as junior Brady Salach found the net to make it 10-9.

The Warriors then won the ensuing faceoff and used a timeout to set up an attempt at tying the game with only 10 seconds on the clock. Chawla went back to Salach out of the stoppage.

“Brady is a great player and he is really fast and shoots the ball well,” Chawla said. “We felt like he was the best option in that circumstance and he got a good shot off.”

Photo gallery of Detroit Catholic Central vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in D1 boys lacrosse action

Salach did get a good look at the net, but Cranston made one final save, as the ball deflected off his leg for his 17th save of the contest to preserve the victory.

“I knew I had to make a stop. With just 10 seconds left, I wanted to take away the bottom side. He had beaten me about 30 seconds prior, but I got to see the shot. So, when I saw him dip his hands, I went low and managed to make the stop,” Cranston said.

Dye finished with four goals to lead the Shamrocks, while Moffatt scored twice, and Francisco Williams had three assists.

Rice was led by three goals each from Baiardi and Theo Ley, while Salach had two. Warrior goalie Payton Fortino added 10 saves.

Catholic Central goalie Matthew Cranston makes one of his 17 saves during Tuesday's 10-9 road win over Brother Rice. (DREW ELLIS - For MediaNews Group)

Photo gallery of Detroit Catholic Central vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in D1 boys lacrosse action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Drew Ellis
9 April 2025 at 07:39

Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 10-9, in a MHSAA boys lacrosse game at Brother Rice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

  • Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 10-9, in...
    Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 10-9, in a MHSAA boys lacrosse game at Brother Rice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (DREW ELLIS - For MediaNews Group)
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Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 10-9, in a MHSAA boys lacrosse game at Brother Rice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (DREW ELLIS - For MediaNews Group)
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Detroit Catholic Central defeated Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 10-9, in a MHSAA boys lacrosse game at Brother Rice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (DREW ELLIS - For MediaNews Group)

Lake Orion holds off comeback-minded Wildcats in 11-8 win

✇The Oakland Press
By: Michael J Wallwork
9 April 2025 at 05:36

LAKE ORION – The Lake Orion Dragons fended off a fourth-quarter rally by Oxford to defeat the Wildcats 11-8 in an OAA crossover matchup Tuesday night.

Trailing 9-5 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored three straight goals – one each by Brayden Hering, Payton Scott, and Caden Rhoades – to get within a goal with 2:42 left to play. But the Dragons cut Oxford’s comeback off from the ensuing faceoff by winning it, racing down the field, and Parker Gannon set up Jack Parillo as he was coming down the middle, allowing Parillo to rip a shot home that doubled Lake Orion’s lead just nine seconds after Rhoades had cut it to one.

That killed Oxford’s momentum, and the Wildcats never got another shot on net.

Earlier on, Oxford led for much of the second period. The Wildcats scored three goals in a span of less than three minutes to take a 5-3 lead that would last until the final two minutes before the half.

Lacrosse players
Lake Orion’s Grady Harban (right) checks Oxford’s Aiden Brown during an 11-8 Dragons’ victory Tuesday night in Lake Orion. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – For MediaNews Group)

At that point, Lake Orion switched goalies, putting in Landon Westby, and the team settled down. Westby played well the rest of the way, but for a while, he didn’t have much to do as his team started to get control of the ball and once again began to dominate possession as it had in the early part of the first period.

“We put Westby in goal, made a switch, and he was very good, and the defense gradually got a little bit better,” Dragons head coach Ron Hebert said.

From there, Lake Orion got a late power play and cashed it in for three goals in a span of 86 seconds, including two by Jackson Vasquez that allowed the Dragons to take a one-goal lead into halftime.

The Dragons then came out and dominated the third period defensively, winning ground balls and forcing turnovers, and that resulted in them extending their lead to four goals by the end of the quarter before fighting off Oxford’s rally deep into the contest. The Dragons had been in a similar position against Dearborn Divine Child last Friday, and in that game had been unable to hang onto the lead, eventually losing in overtime. But this time, they found a way to secure the win with some big plays down the stretch.

“This is really a very inexperienced team,” Hebert said. “They hung in there. We got most of the guys in. We have a lot of athletes and stuff. We just don’t have good lacrosse players that are lacrosse-wise yet,” he added.

Photos of Lake Orion vs. Oxford in OAA boys lacrosse action

Overall, Vasquez and Coby Narloch paced the offense for Lake Orion. Vasquez racked up four goals and three assists, while Narloch had three goals and three assists. One or both of them factored into nine of Lake Orion’s 11 goals.

Oxford, meanwhile, got a hat trick from Payton Scott and two goals from Caden Rhoades.

Both teams open up divisional play on Thursday. Lake Orion (3-1) travels to Seaholm to take on Birmingham United in OAA Red play. Oxford (1-3) will look to get back in the win column on the same evening when the Wildcats dig into OAA White play against Rochester.

“The momentum swung their way. Lacrosse is a game of runs. We started picking that up in the fourth (quarter), and I’m super proud of our guys. This is a tough battle,” Oxford head coach Noah Grove said. “I think that we’ve got a bright future for us, and this is one of those stepping stones in the right direction.”

Lake Orion's Jeffery Gordon (8) picks up a goal during an 11-8 home victory over Oxford Tuesday night. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Photos of Lake Orion vs. Oxford in OAA boys lacrosse action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Tim Arrick
9 April 2025 at 04:34

Lake Orion and Oxford renewed their boys lacrosse rivalry in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Dragons come out on top 11-8 Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Lake Orion.

  • Lake Orion and Oxford renewed their boys lacrosse rivalry in...
    Lake Orion and Oxford renewed their boys lacrosse rivalry in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Dragons come out on top 11-8 Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Lake Orion. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
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Lake Orion and Oxford renewed their boys lacrosse rivalry in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Dragons come out on top 11-8 Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Lake Orion. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
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Lake Orion and Oxford renewed their boys lacrosse rivalry in a back-and-forth affair that saw the Dragons come out on top 11-8 Tuesday, April 8, 2025 in Lake Orion. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

SOFTBALL: Shrine Catholic continues strong start to season with doubleheader sweep of Cabrini

✇The Oakland Press
By: Alex Muller
9 April 2025 at 03:30

ALLEN PARK — The softball teams from both Royal Oak Shrine Catholic and Allen Park Cabrini braved the chilly and windy weather elements to play a doubleheader on Tuesday at Cabrini.

Both teams have been going in opposition directions to start the season.

Shrine came into play on Tuesday having won four straight games after losing in their season opener, averaging north of 17 runs in that stretch, while Cabrini was still eyeing their first victory of the spring after dropping their first five contests.

Both respective trends ultimately continued by day’s end.

Shrine, who fell to Cabrini five times a season ago including in the Catholic League St Anne Division title game, left town with a doubleheader sweep and outscored the Monarchs, 27-9.

Tuesday was the only scheduled regular-season meeting between Shrine and Cabrini. This season’s realigned Intersectional Division of the CHSL features seven teams with each school playing one doubleheader against the other six schools.

A year ago, the Intersectional housed only five teams with each team playing four games against each other, two home and two away.

GAME ONE | Shrine 10, Cabrini 2

A strong pitching effort coupled with a pair of crooked innings offensively helped Shrine earn a game one victory over Cabrini.

After a scoreless first couple of innings, Shrine opened things up considerably with a four-spot in the third before Cabrini got one back in the home half of the frame. That scoring trend was matched by both teams later on in the sixth before Shrine capped things off with two more in the top of the seventh.

The Knights tallied their 10 game one runs on just five hits as they were also aided by 10 walks issued by Cabrini pitcher Catherine Schumm. The top four in the batting order for the visitors — Samantha Swanek, Jenna Rhule, Summer Smith, and Madeleine Doud — combined to go 5-for-13 with six runs scored, seven stolen bases, and three runs batted in.

Doud reached base safely three times with two hits and a walk, as did Natalie Lanfear with three walks drawn. Smith meanwhile drove in her team-high two RBIs with a two-out double in the third.

Shrine Catholic junior Elizabeth Beaudoin struck out 11 batters over four innings in the Knights' 10-2 win in game one of a doubleheader at Cabrini on April 8, 2025. (CONSTANCE YORK -- For MediaNews Group)
Shrine Catholic junior Elizabeth Beaudoin struck out 11 batters over four innings in the Knights’ 10-2 win in game one of a doubleheader at Cabrini on April 8, 2025. (CONSTANCE YORK — For MediaNews Group)

The early offense proved to be more than enough run support for Shrine starting pitcher Elizabeth Beaudoin, who allowed just one run and struck out 11 over four hitless innings before giving way to Swaneck.

For Cabrini, Clara Bondareff drew two walks, stole three bases, and scored a run out of the leadoff spot. The sophomore was one of three Monarchs to reach base safely multiple times, along with Jodi Browning and Faith Sterling.

GAME TWO | Shrine 17, Cabrini 7

Both teams saw an uptick in runs scored in the back end of the double dip. However, Shrine — who was the home team for game two — needed just four innings to dispatch Cabrini and earn the sweep.

After keeping Cabrini off the scoreboard in the top of the first, Shrine picked up where they left off in game one offensively but putting up four runs in the second.

Cabrini answered with its best inning of the entire afternoon, a six-run second to take its first and only lead, only to see the Knights tie things back up at 6-6 in the ensuing home half. The ‘visiting’ Monarchs scratched across one more run in the top third before seeing their true visitors close the game with 11 unanswered runs.

It was many of the same players coming through again for Shrine in game two. The trio of Rhule, Smith, and Doud each turned in two-hit games while combining for five runs scored and five runs batted in. Their efforts in the third and fourth innings proved to be key after Cabrini had taken the lead in the second.

That was in large part due to Beaudoin suddenly losing the command she had in game one. After a clean first inning, he senior walked seven of the first eight batters she faced in the second before handing the ball off to Swaneck again.

Cabrini sophomore Clara Bondareff drew four total walks and stole three bases in the Monarchs' pair of losses at home vs Shrine Catholic on April 8, 2025. (CONSTANCE YORK -- For MediaNews Group)
Cabrini sophomore Clara Bondareff drew four total walks and stole three bases in the Monarchs’ pair of losses at home vs Shrine Catholic on April 8, 2025. (CONSTANCE YORK — For MediaNews Group)

Swaneck surrendered a two-run single to Cabrini’s Elena DelCotto but eventually settled things down for Shrine, yielding just one run on three hits over the final 2.2 innings.

DelCotto was one of two Cabrini batters to register multiple RBIs in the loss. In addition to a bases-loaded walk, Browning delivered an RBI single in the third.

Schumm ended up tossing all 10+ innings between the two games for the Monarchs.

UP NEXT

Shrine (6-1, 4-0 CHSL-Intersectional) will continue conference play on Thursday, April 10 when they return home and welcome in Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes. That will be the first of four straight home games for the Knights, who will then host another CHSL foe in Marine City Cardinal Mooney on April 15.

Cabrini (0-7, 0-4 CHSL-Intersectional) will visit Our Lady a day after Shrine plays them on Friday, April 11. That will be the first of five consecutive road games for the Monarchs, who after visiting Dearborn High in non-conference action on April 14 will play two against CHSL foe Detroit Cristo Rey on April 15.

PHOTOS: Softball – Royal Oak Shrine Catholic vs Allen Park Cabrini

The Royal Oak Shrine Catholic softball team scored a combined 27 runs in their road doubleheader sweep of Catholic League rival Allen Park Cabrini on April 8, 2025. (CONSTANCE YORK — For MediaNews Group)

Dakota’s pair of big innings help secure non-league win at Troy

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
6 April 2025 at 01:56

TROY – The newly opened complex with turf fielding at Troy allowed the Colts and Dakota to get in a nine-inning contest Saturday afternoon that the Cougars took, 13-3.

Dakota improved to 3-0 on the early season thanks a quartet that produced quality innings and two big frames of offense.

“We had a plan going in about who we were gonna throw and play, and got it worked out where everybody a little playing time, got some swings and some pitching,” Cougars head coach Angelo Plouffe said when asked about how the plan changed when the teams opted for a longer game over the originally scheduled doubleheader due to a delay with rainfall. “We’ve got a lot of good arms and we’ve got to get them throwing, and it waws fun to watch them throw today.”

The Cougars deployed Josh Geill, Chase Thornton, Landon Leidlein and James Neucterlien, who all tossed at least two complete innings and combined for 17 strikeouts.

“I thought our pitchers competed,” Troy head coach Joe D’Orazio said. “A lot of young guys, first time throwing today for varsity experience. Some of them did compete, we’ve just got to learn that against really, really good teams, one pitch can make the difference. And I think overall, too, a lot of it was guys not being aggressive enough up there hitting-wise. I thought we didn’t swing the bat that well today at all, so that’s probably where most of the frustration comes in. Because some of these guys are getting some opportunities to kind of showcase if they want to be in that lineup in (league play), and some of them kind of didn’t swing the bat much.”

Dakota’s bats got off beginning with Andrew Borowicz’s RBI single into left with runners at the corners to open the scoring in the top of the second, and Evan Morrison drove one in as well in the third inning to make it 2-0. But the Cougars began to break it open in the fourth as Jacob Gjonaj and Borowicz walked, then Luke Kavalick was hit by a pitch before Braylon Ryan stepped up and drove a 1-0 offering over the fence in right field for a grand slam that made it 6-0.

“Honestly, I was just looking for the ball up in the zone,” Ryan said. “He was throwing a lot of off-speeds, changeups, curveballs. I got a fastball that I could drive, and that was it. It was gone. It was actually my first home run on varsity. Very exciting.”

Baseball players
Troy’s Carlos Aguirre, left, celebrates with teammate Trevor Marshall after crossing home to score in the seventh inning of the Colts’ 13-3 home defeat to Dakota Saturday afternoon. (BRYAN EVERSON – MediaNews Group)

Colts junior Jack Sobotka pulled it back to 7-2 with a two-out, two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth that helped give the home side a chance, but Troy remained behind by five going into a ninth inning that Dakota’s bats made another long one. Leidlein, Dylan Beitelshees and Michael Ross all drove in runs in the final frame to help the Cougars seal the deal.

Morrison ended the day with a team-high three hits for the Cougars, who had a dozen on the afternoon.

Coleton Steward, Carlos Aguierre and Noah Ordway had the other hits for Troy, who came into the day 4-0. Their 5-4 win over Utica to open the season back on March 19 also served as the Colts’ first game in their new digs.

“We had a bond pass about two years ago, and this is all brand new and the first year on turf, so that’s kind of why we had to push back (the start) a little bit,” D’Orazio said. “This morning, we weren’t really sure how it would handle all that rain, but it’s done a pretty nice job. We’re pretty blessed to have this.”

Photos from Macomb Dakota vs. Troy in D1 baseball action

Despite some frustration with the bats Saturday, D'Orazio still welcomed the challenge that the Cougars, a regional finalist last year and a Final Four team the season before, brought. "They're a very good team, probably one of the better ones in the state, and it's what we're about here, trying to play the best competition," he said. "It's a great task for us, especially going into next week against a tough West Bloomfield team. That's why we had it on the schedule. Kids battled today, but we came up short."

A stellar staff that includes arms like Luke DeMasse and Ryan Petrovich believing that the Cougars can get back to East Lansing at spring's end. If they do, Dakota will also be tested by seeing some of the state's best. After already beating West Bloomfield, some more top arms should be on deck when the Cougars face Brother Rice and Novi in the coming days.

"You want to see the best pitchers," Plouffe said. "Last year, we lost (in regionals) to one of the better pitchers in the state, Brennan Hill from Grosse Pointe North, and he's going to Michigan for a reason. The more kids we see that are plus arms, it's going to make us better. Win, lose or draw, we see those guys, and at the end, we have to learn how to beat them when the tournament comes."

Dakota infielder Gavin Goike circles toward third base before eventually scoring as part of a five-run inning in the Cougars' 13-3 win at Troy on Saturday afternoon. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

Photos from Macomb Dakota vs. Troy in D1 baseball action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
5 April 2025 at 23:40

Dakota put up a handful of runs in the fourth inning, then did so again in the ninth to help secure a 13-3 win at Troy on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

  • Dakota put up a handful of runs in the fourth...
    Dakota put up a handful of runs in the fourth inning, then did so again in the ninth to help secure a 13-3 win at Troy on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)
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Dakota put up a handful of runs in the fourth inning, then did so again in the ninth to help secure a 13-3 win at Troy on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)
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Dakota put up a handful of runs in the fourth inning, then did so again in the ninth to help secure a 13-3 win at Troy on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

Kettering hires former college, NBA player, coach Rex Walters as boys hoops coach

✇The Oakland Press
By: Matthew Mowery
31 March 2025 at 23:28

While one of the two Waterford schools will go back into the Oakland Activities Association wearing the boys basketball crown of their former conference, the other is still searching for its way.

At least the latter, Waterford Kettering, has picked the man the Captains hope can steer the ship out of the storm, announcing on Monday the hiring of former college and NBA player and coach Rex Walters as their new head coach.

In a social media post entitled ‘We Got Our Guy,’ the Captains listed off the resume of the 55-year-old Walters, and it is extensive:

– Played at Northwestern and Kansas.

– Drafted with the 16th pick in the first round of the 1993 NBA Draft (held at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and headlined by local star Chris Webber).

– Played professionally for 10 seasons, with NBA stops with the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.

– Assistant coaching stops at Valparaiso and Florida Atlantic, before acting as the head coach of FAU and San Francisco, where he earned WCC coach of the year honors in 2014.

– Head coach of the Pistons G-League team in Grand Rapids, the Drive, a season on the Pistons bench as an assistant, single seasons at Nevada and Wake Forest, a season with the New Orleans Pelicans and two with the Hornets.

“Big Thank You to AD Shane Hynes, Principal Ben Harwood, Waterford AD Allison Sartorius and the Search Committee for the opportunity to work with the Young Men at Waterford Kettering,” Walters posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Excited to get to work and get back on the Basketball Court!”

He’ll have to continue the rebuilding job that longtime Oakland County coach Steve Emert began over the last three seasons.

While cross town rival Waterford Mott has had a share of the last four Lakes Valley Conference titles, the Captains have been on the opposite end of the standings each of those seasons. The last time they were relatively level was the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, when they finished tied with each other for sixth place (both 3-5).

From that 7-10 season, though, the Captains went 2-19 in the single season (2021-22) under Stefon Wilson, then went 10-59 overall in Emert’s three seasons (3-45 in LVC play).

“Congratulations Coach Walters. You will enjoy working with the student/athletes and the parents in the Kettering community,” Emert replied to a a Facebook post of this story.

There will at least be a modicum of familiarity with the OAA for Walters, who got a look at the league when his younger son, Gunner, played for Rochester Adams before graduating in 2022.

San Francisco head coach Rex Walters talks to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015. Walters has been named the head boys basketball coach at Waterford Kettering. (YOUNG KWAK — AP Photo, file)

Royal Oak finds the net in 53 seconds, beats Novi 3-0 in home opener

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
26 March 2025 at 06:06

ROYAL OAK – The host Royal Oak Ravens scored in the opening minute and rolled to a 3-0 win over the Novi Wildcats Tuesday night.

Kaitlyn Eberhardt got behind everyone to slot a shot into the empty net just 53 seconds into the game and stake the Ravens to an early lead.

After a rough start, the Wildcats settled into the game, and the teams went back and forth without creating many chances. Royal Oak had the better of play, but it wasn’t until the final minute of the opening half that the Ravens scored again as Reagan Mason tapped in a cross from in tight to double the advantage before halftime.

Novi’s best chances came in the second half, but Ravens goalie Kayla Faulkner came up big when needed, particularly with a pair of quick leaping saves midway through the second half. Eventually, the Ravens added another goal, the final one coming by Alexis Zimmy to close things out.

Overall, Royal Oak’s offense looked to be in midseason form despite this being their first game of the season.

“We’ve got tons of speed on this team, and they mesh really well,” Ravens head coach Melissa VanGorden said. “The team itself has really come together. We’ve really build a culture to get everybody to play for ‘we’ before ‘me’ type of mentality. I think everyone is stepping up into roles that they know they can perform well in. So we’re mixing it up and going out there and having fun.”

Soccer players
Royal Oak’s Gracie Jagodzinski (17) rushes in to defend as Novi’s Steph Crawley prepares to drive the ball during a 3-0 Ravens’ victory Tuesday evening. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – For MediaNews Group)

Novi goalie Riley Boujoulian made six saves for the Wildcats, who are still putting things together due to injuries and availability. The Wildcats were missing a handful of players Tuesday night and had a different lineup from last week’s win over Livonia Stevenson that opened their spring.

“We have a little bit of a younger team and a lot of injuries, and I think things sped up for us,” Wildcats assistant coach Ken Fenchel said. “I think it’s just getting used to everything all at once, early-season stuff, and it’s stuff that now we have a chance to work on it and get better the rest of the year.”

Photo gallery of Novi vs. Royal Oak in girls soccer action

Royal Oak (1-0), who won its playoff opener last season over Ferndale before losing to regional finalist Troy, has a scrimmage on Wednesday before taking quite a bit of time off. The Ravens’ next official game is not until after spring break when they travel to Clarkston to open up OAA White play on April 8.

“I think it was a good game for us to start with and come out strong. We know Novi is talented. They have a lot of good players,” VanGorden said.

Novi (1-1) hosts Swartz Creek on Thursday before going on spring break as well.

“I think we had a little bit better second half. We changed some things around, and it gave us a chance to improve, and we’ll try it again on Thursday,” Fenchel said. “Overall, I was happy that we got going a bit and that we stuck with it,” he added.

Royal Oak netminder Kayla Faulkner make sure that Kaitlyn Eberhardt's goal less than a minute into the game stood up as the Ravens downed Novi 3-0 Tuesday night in Royal Oak. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Photo gallery of Novi vs. Royal Oak in girls soccer action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Tim Arrick
26 March 2025 at 06:05

A goal just 53 seconds into the game was all that Royal Oak needed as the Ravens downed Novi 3-0 in their season opener Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Royal Oak.

  • A goal just 53 seconds into the game was all...

    A goal just 53 seconds into the game was all that Royal Oak needed as the Ravens downed Novi 3-0 in their season opener Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Royal Oak. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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A goal just 53 seconds into the game was all that Royal Oak needed as the Ravens downed Novi 3-0 in their season opener Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in Royal Oak. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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Novi's Abby Jackson (14) and Royal Oak's Olivia Bates battle for the ball during a Ravens' 3-0 victory Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

SOFTBALL: D2 No. 8 Divine Child opens up season with shutout of Country Day

✇The Oakland Press
By: Alex Muller
26 March 2025 at 04:00

DEARBORN — After being postponed a day prior due to weather, the originally-scheduled softball matchup between Detroit Country Day and Dearborn Divine Child took place on Tuesday at Levagood Park.

Tuesday was officially the season opener for Divine Child, who last played a pair of scrimmages against Ohio-based teams back on March 15 before having their original season opener vs Northville canceled on March 20. Country Day meanwhile opened up its spring campaign last week on March 19, falling by a final score of 3-1 at home vs Milan.

It was ultimately a good first dress rehearsal for the preseason state-ranked and host Falcons, who needed just five innings of work to earn a 13-0 shutout win over the visiting Yellowjackets.

Tuesday was the back end of a home-and-home series between the two programs. A season ago, it was an eerily similar outcome for Divine Child, who scored 12 of their 14 runs from the third inning onward in a road shutout of Country Day.

This time around, the Falcons more of a concerted effort to assert themselves early against the ‘Jackets, scoring a dozen runs through the first three innings including a big six-run second inning.

The scoring for DC began in the first with an RBI triple from freshman Aubree Soto, who then scored on the ensuing at-bat from a pop-fly single off the bat of Jessica Nelson.

Things opened up considerably with that aforementioned crooked number in the second for Divine Child, who at one point saw six consecutive batters reach base safely. Included in that stretch were a pair of home runs from Nelson as well as Lexi Hansen along with a double from Natalie Hansen.

Nelson, who finished 3-for-3 with five runs batted in, did the rest in the circle for the No. 8-ranked Falcons. The senior hurler allowed just four baserunners — three hits and one base on balls — to Country Day hitters through five innings of work.

Elsewhere for Divine Child, it was largely the top of the batting order doing the most damage. The leadoff hitter Lexi Hansen and the No. 3 hitter Soto each turned in two-hit games.

Country Day meanwhile had encouraging starts in each trip to the plate, getting the leadoff hitter to reach base two times. They also got a one-out double from Evie Greenwald in the top of the first but could not cash in.

Divine Child's Aubree Soto, #15 in black, tries to turn a double play after getting a force-out of Country Day's Mirissa Brown at second base in the Falcons' eventual 13-0 win over the Yellowjackets on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER -- MediaNews Group)
Divine Child’s Aubree Soto, #15 in black, tries to turn a double play after getting a force-out of Country Day’s Mirissa Brown at second base in the Falcons’ eventual 13-0 win over the Yellowjackets on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

Greenwald was responsible for two of the Yellowjackets’ three hits in Tuesday’s loss, the other being an infield single from Mirissa Brown to begin the second. Brown later in the inning was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice.

The hitting success from Divine Child came at the expense of Country Day pitcher Juliette Hauser. The sophomore, who also drew a walk against Nelson, spun all four innings for the visitors, tossing just over 100 pitches and fanning seven Falcons hitters.

UP NEXT

It is a very quick turnaround for both teams as they are back on the diamond on Wednesday, March 26.

Divine Child (1-0) is back on the road for a doubleheader against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, while Country Day (0-2) will vie for its first win once more when they travel to Wixom St Catherine for a single game.

PHOTOS: Softball – Detroit Country Day vs Dearborn Divine Child

Divine Child’s Zoe Ryan, #6 in black, crosses home plate ahead of a throw to Country Day catcher Evie Greenwald during the Falcons’ home opener vs the Yellowjackets on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

PHOTOS: Softball – Detroit Country Day vs Dearborn Divine Child

✇The Oakland Press
By: Alex Muller
26 March 2025 at 03:30

After being postponed a day prior due to weather, the originally-scheduled softball matchup between Detroit Country Day and Dearborn Divine Child took place on Tuesday at Levagood Park in Dearborn.

Tuesday was officially the season opener for Divine Child, who last played a pair of scrimmages against Ohio-based teams back on March 15 before having their original season opener vs Northville canceled on March 20. Country Day meanwhile opened up its spring campaign last week on March 19, falling by a final score of 3-1 at home vs Milan.

It was ultimately a good first dress rehearsal for the host Falcons, who needed just five innings of work to earn a 13-0 shutout win over the visiting Yellowjackets.

Photo gallery is courtesy of Alexander Muller.

  • The Dearborn Divine Child needed just five innings to earn...

    The Dearborn Divine Child needed just five innings to earn a 13-0 win in their season opener at home vs Detroit Country Day on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

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The Dearborn Divine Child needed just five innings to earn a 13-0 win in their season opener at home vs Detroit Country Day on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

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Country Day’s Addie Hartley, left, tries to field a throw down to second base on a stolen base attempt from Divine Child’s Katie Modrzejewski in an early-season matchup on March 25, 2025. (ALEXANDER MULLER — MediaNews Group)

Marian gets the early breaks, goals in 7-1 win over Kettering to open season

✇The Oakland Press
By: Michael J Wallwork
21 March 2025 at 13:14

WATERFORD – Marian started extremely fast Thursday night and cruised to a 7-1 victory over Waterford Kettering in the season opener for both sides.

The Mustangs got on the board less than two minutes into the game when Emerson Walton’s shot hit the post, caromed out front, hit a defender in the shins, and deflected back into the open net to give them a 1-0 lead on their first shot.

Six minutes later, Marian made it 2-0 on another deflection with Giulianna Agrusso getting credit for the goal.

For the first 20 minutes of the game, all the bounces went Marian’s way, and when the Captains got a bit rattled, the Mustangs took full advantage to stretch their lead out even more and make sure that the Captains would not be able to come back. Marian kept the pressure on Kettering and did everything it could to create its own breaks, and it paid off. Bella Musachio and Emma Wyciskalla also scored for the Mustangs, who expanded their lead to 4-0 just 17 minutes into the game.

“We have prided ourselves on starting quickly in games, and you can see that with three goals in the first (nine) minutes of the game,” Marian head coach Danny Price said. “You need a little bit of luck sometimes. Some of the things that eluded us last season during the run were a little bit of lady luck. We got it tonight, but the pressure we put them under the first five, 10 minutes was incredible. So that is something we have been working on is going at teams and not letting up and having that fire in our belly.”

Soccer players
Marian’s Reese Frauenheim (18) and Waterford Kettering’s Brooklin Wolosonowich work for possession of the ball during a 7-1 Mustangs’ victory Thursday evening in Waterford. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – For MediaNews Group)

After that, the Captains finally started to settle down and find their way into the game. Kettering was much better in the final 60 minutes and started creating offensive chances of its own, particularly in the later part of the first half. The Kettering pressure would pay off with a goal late in the first half when freshman Savannah Sartorius headed in a ball from a corner kick to get the Captains on the board. That made it 5-1 at the time, which was the halftime score.

“I think the girls figured it out. It took us a little bit to kind of mesh and see how everyone was moving and what our style of play was going to look like. But after the first 20 minutes, we started to figure it out a little bit more,” first-year Kettering head coach Justice Tillotson said.

In the second half, Marian again dominated possession, but the Captains were much better defensively than they had been early in the game, though the Mustangs still added a couple more goals.

“The effort level and pressing style, it never dropped, and that’s what we’re most proud of as a coaching staff is making sure that at this program they have to work hard. They know that, and they did that in the second half, and that’s what I’m proud of,” Price said. “It was a really good team performance,” he added.

Photos of Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Waterford Kettering in girls soccer action

Being the first game for both teams and the coaches, each learned a bit about their teams, which have only been together for about a week with practice officially starting just last week.

“I messed around with one or two different formations, kinda wanted to see what the younger girls could do,” Tillotson said. "I wanted to get a lot of girls playing time, especially those younger ones to see where I can put them and what things can look like moving forward."

Marian will be back in action next week when the Mustangs play another non-conference game against Detroit Country Day.

Waterford Kettering, meanwhile, will have some time to regroup. The Captains are off for nearly two weeks before playing Auburn Hills Avondale after they return from spring break at the beginning of April.

Marian's Bella Sheena (8) and Waterford Kettering's Mia Gower battle for the ball during the Mustangs' 7-1 victory Thursday night in Waterford. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Photos of Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Waterford Kettering in girls soccer action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Tim Arrick
21 March 2025 at 12:48

The elements were definitely in play as Marian defeated Waterford Kettering 7-1 in an early spring soccer matchup Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Waterford.

  • The elements were definitely in play as Marian defeated Waterford...

    The elements were definitely in play as Marian defeated Waterford Kettering 7-1 in an early spring soccer matchup Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Waterford. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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The elements were definitely in play as Marian defeated Waterford Kettering 7-1 in an early spring soccer matchup Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Waterford. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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Waterford Kettering's Savannah Satorius (24) comes up with a header for a goal during a 7-1 loss to Marian on Thursday, March 20, 2025 in Waterford. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Goalkeeping plays its part in scoreless draw to open season between Bloomfield Hills and Mercy

✇The Oakland Press
By: Michael J Wallwork
20 March 2025 at 07:14

BLOOMFIELD HILLS – The Bloomfield Hills Black Hawks and Farmington Hills Mercy Marlins played to a 0-0 draw to open their respective soccer seasons Wednesday night.

The game went up and down the field quite a bit, but for the first half, neither team could create many scoring chances as the defenses won all the key challenges.

In the second half, though, Bloomfield Hills started to generate some offense. The Black Hawks had eight shots on goal from intermission on and put the Mercy goal under some duress on a handful of occasions. The Blacks Hawks’ best chance came with 4:35 left when a loose ball eight yards out led to a point-blank opportunity. But Marlins goalie Joran LeVasseur made an outstanding reflex save to preserve the shutout.

“We were dynamic all over the field. Early-season games are just not the finished product, but I liked what I saw. We’ll just continue to get better and just continue to work on things, and I can’t wait to have more time to practice and just work with the group,” said Bloomfield Hills head coach Alan Zakaria, whose team is coming off a regional finals appearance.

Soccer players
Bloomfield Hills’ Sofia Spano (24) clears the ball from Farmington Hills Mercy’s Izzy Van Hoof (R) during the match played on Wednesday at Bloomfield Hills HS. The Marlins and Black Hawks played to a scoreless draw. (KEN SWART – For MediaNews Group)

LeVasseur was outstanding all night, but especially in that second half. In addition to finishing with 11 saves, she also made several key interventions, coming off her line to claim balls or disrupt attacks before they could lead to scoring opportunities for the Black Hawks.

“She saved us. If it wasn’t for her, that scoreline is probably not going to be the same, so all credit to Jordan. It’s not a surprise she’s a D1 college commit (Eastern Kentucky) and you can see why,” Mercy head coach Tom James said.

With this being the first official game for each team, both coaches were pleased with what they saw from their respective squads.

“I thought it was a good performance. We created good chances, solid defensively. Obviously, we haven’t had a chance to train much, so we haven’t really worked on much. But I’m pleased with what I saw so far. The spirit is good. The camaraderie is good. The leadership is good, and I’m really pleased with that,” Zakaria said.

Photos of Bloomfield Hills vs. Farmington Hills Mercy in girls soccer action

Mercy, who finished 9-5-6 last spring, will be back in action immediately, hosting Detroit Country Day on Thursday night in another non-league game as the Marlins prepare for the start of Catholic League season in early April.

“I’ll take this result on the road against a pretty good team here. We’re working a lot of new players into the rotation,” James said. “So I thought they did pretty well, and I think it’s a good building block for the rest of the season. But we’re right back at it tomorrow. Country Day is always good and well coached, so that should be a great game too,” he added.

Bloomfield Hills does not play again until after Spring Break. The Black Hawks next take the field on April 1 when they will face Birmingham Groves in an OAA crossover contest.

Farmington Hills Mercy's Brynn Reichert (22) heads the ball away from Bloomfield Hills' Sofia Spano during Wednesday's season opener for both teams in Bloomfield Hills. The Marlins and Black Hawks battled to a scoreless draw. (KEN SWART - For MediaNews Group)

Photos of Bloomfield Hills vs. Farmington Hills Mercy in girls soccer action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Ken Swart
20 March 2025 at 07:12

Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills Mercy battled to a scoreless draw in the first match of the year for both teams. The game was played on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at Bloomfield Hills HS.

  • Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills Mercy battled to a scoreless...

    Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills Mercy battled to a scoreless draw in the first match of the year for both teams. The game was played on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at Bloomfield Hills HS. (KEN SWART - For MediaNews Group)

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Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills Mercy battled to a scoreless draw in the first match of the year for both teams. The game was played on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at Bloomfield Hills HS. (KEN SWART - For MediaNews Group)

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Farmington Hills Mercy's Ruby Tobar (R) stretches to clear the ball from Bloomfield Hills' Kathryn Ho (25) during the match played on Wednesday at Bloomfield Hills HS. The Marlins and Black Hawks played to a scoreless draw. (KEN SWART - For MediaNews Group)
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