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MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK: MSN NEWS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/msnnews
BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
Michigan Soccer Network | Premier Media Group and affiliates
BUSINESS LINE: (248) 525-2349
CELL PHONE: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Now it’s for real.
Fifth-ranked Rochester Adams, with its star-studded roster, finally tripped up Sterling Heights Stevenson 4-0 in a Division 1 district semifinals Tuesday at Rochester to begin its quest for postseason titles.
Like an engine slowly heating up, Adams took a 1-0 lead late in the first half and finally got untracked with three more goals after halftime to cruise to the clean sheet in a game where the Highlanders held possession for over 90 percent of the contest.
Adams advances to Saturday’s 1 p.m. district finals at Rochester against Utica Eisenhower, which toppled rival Utica 4-0 in the second district semifinals at Rochester.
It will mark the third straight season that Rochester Adams will face Eisenhower in the district finals. Adams defeated Eisenhower in the 2022 district finals (5-2) while last year the Highlanders blanked the Eagles (2-0) in the district title game.
“It’s all about surviving and advancing,” noted veteran Adams coach Josh Hickey, who has led the Highlanders to five Final Four appearances in the postseason since 2009 and to district titles in three of the last five seasons.
After holding a 1-0 lead at the break, the uber-talented Highlanders (13-2-4) heated up and continuously attacked the Titans’ goal. Adams outshot Stevenson (10-8-1) by a wide 24-4 margin, including 13-1 with shots on frame, and even held a commanding 8-0 edge off cornerkicks. The Highlanders hit the crossbar twice in the second half while defensively, Stevenson defensemen blocked seven shots within 25 yards of the goal to temporarily keep Adams from running away with the game.
Senior Western Michigan University-commit Anthony Piacentini set up the second goal with a long pass out of the back down to the center of the park, where Ohio State University-commit Salvatore Dinoto got behind a defender just past midfield and cashed in a breakaway opportunity with 21:31 remaining in the contest.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I think it hurt. (Stevenson was) holding on for a long time right, so when we put that second one in, naturally, it’s going to deflate a little bit,” noted Hickey. “You have to hand it to them. They played really good defensively and they had a good game plan. When it came down to their set plays, they’re really good at putting the box and causing trouble. We had a few that we should have finished and (kept adding chances). But when you keep teams around, they’re going to find ways to cause trouble. Kelsie (Brown) does a great job with those guys. They’re a good team.”
That second goal was the back-breaker for Stevenson, which was trying to be patient and gain some rare counterattack opportunities. Those chances rarely came for the Titans in the either half.
Meanwhile, Adams (13-2-4) scored the third goal with 18:42 to play when senior NCAA Division I recruit Anthony Page – the sole returning starter from the 2022 Division 1 state championship team – perfectly slotted the ball through traffic and senior midfielder Logan Lilla, another D-I recruit, banged home the breakaway opportunity for the 3-0 advantage.
Adams did not call off the dogs and continuously attacked the Stevenson net. The fourth goal was set up by senior University of Notre Dame-commit Alex Rosin, who sent in a cross to the far side and Page was there to blast home a shot with 1:14 remaining to cap the scoring.
Although Adams only scored four times against a team that sent 8-9 players into the backfield to defend, Hickey is not concerned about any offensive woes despite the wide margin of total shots, shots on target and cornerkicks.
“It’s just one of those days. We had one (great scoring chance) three minutes into the game that didn’t go our way. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t. That’s the best part about this game,” added Hickey.
The Titans only had one shot on target the whole game, a 35-yard free kick midway through the first half which Adams 6-foot-4 senior goalkeeper and D-I prospect Reid Dennis snared without difficulty. Stevenson did have a header off a restart at the far post sail wide of the goal, but the Titans struggled to generate much offense in this game.
Dennis recorded one save for the Highlanders’ 10th shutout of the season, lowering the Adams goals-against-average down to a paltry 0.64 over 19 games.
Stevenson, which finished the year with a 36-32 scoring edge, packed the box tight for long stretches of the game to frustrate the high-powered Highlanders, who have played one of the state’s toughest conference and non-conference schedules and have outscored the opposition 47-12. Still, the Titans could not hold off the damn from breaking.
“I think our plan was to keep it very organized defensively and try to counterattack on one of their mistakes,” said Brown, who resurrected the program over at Warren Cousino for five years, took two years off from coaching and returned to the sidelines at Stevenson this season. “We were trying to get past the first half without giving up a goal, but they got that late one against us.
“Adams has seven D-I (recruits) and we don’t have that one set striker who is going to go out and score 20-plus goals. For us it’s been done by committee, kind of a mix of players,” added Brown. “When those players have to defend 70 or more minutes out of 80 minutes against a team like Adams, it is hard to get forward.”
Stevenson will graduate nine players off this year’s roster, including senior goalkeeper Jude Thomas. The 6-foot-2 Thomas played great in a multitude of games this season for the Titans and finished with nine saves against Adams, including a trio of point-blank range shots to keep Stevenson in the game.
Adams finally broke the magic seal with 5:17 left in the first half to take the 1-0 lead. After a short corner, Dinoto sent a long cross into the box and senior Brendan Duff was at the far post to knock home a loose ball from a yard away. That proved to be the eventual game-winner, but not the last time the Highlanders would find the back of the net.
Adams averages 2.48 goals a game despite its very difficult schedule and have scored four or more goals six times this season.
The Highlanders will have three practice days to prepare for the district championship with Utica Eisenhower. Adams tied Eisenhower 0-0 back on Aug. 29 in their fifth game of the season but were missing a handful of starters in that contest. Adams will be going after its third straight district crown and 14th overall since 1999.
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(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer involving teams, players or coaches with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com, or call 248-884-1051 or 248-525-2349. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com and jonathan@thepremiermediagrp.com.)
(MSN will compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in results from high school varsity, club, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer, email all pertinent details to Communications Specialist / Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website at https://www.michigansoccernetwork.com/reportascore. Please submit the competing teams, location and date of game, final score, overall and league records, goals, assists, goalkeepers and saves, standout defenders, players of the match, and any other pertinent details of the game. If there are courtesy action photos available, feel free to submit them at the above-listed emails.)
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