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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
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CELL PHONE: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
WARREN, Mich. – Thaier Mukhtar was in an unusual predicament last season.
The veteran Warren De La Salle boys soccer coach began and completed the 2023 season without any seniors
.
None in the starting lineup. None off the bench.
The sole returning would-be senior was removed from the team by administration for breaking some rules and that happened before practices even began back in the summer of 2023. The Pilots would not have the guide of any seniors – normally crucial leadership that quality teams depend on during each season – and would have to lean on juniors, sophomores and even some high-level freshman to not only lead the way, but produce out on the pitch in games and practices.
Warren De La Salle has its fair share of struggles during the 2023 campaign, especially in the first half of the campaign. The Pilots only finished 8-9-0 in the regular season.
But they learned some lessons the hard way with any of those seniors, finishing fifth in its division and an uncharacteristic one game under the five-hundred mark.
Lessons learned.
“We had some rough games last year,” recalled Mukhtar. “We didn’t get blown out by teams except in one game. But we got a lot better as the season went along. In the tournament, we put it all together.”
The Pilots were shutout by four schools last season, but still posted seven clean sheets and five on the Pilots’ final 10 games resulted in shutouts. De La Salle outscored its six postseason foes 26-5 last season enroute to district and regional championships in Division 2 and at the time the 12th Final Four appearance and regional tile in school history.
“I’ll be honest, our district the last couple of years isn’t as strong as it used to be. But we can’t control which district they place us in, either,” noted Mukhtar. “We won our district connivingly last season and again this year. “
And all of that firepower – now much more seasoned on both the high school and club levels – are back for Warren De La Salle this season. The team is making another trip to the Final Four this season, now its 13th since first advancing to that level back in the 1984 Class A state tournament.
Seniors Daniel Makara (D, All-State First Team) and Joshua Ross (M, All-State First Team) and sophomore Andrew Corder (F, All-State First Team) have led the way again this season.
Juniors Giovanni Vitale (D), Maxwell Wysczelski (D) and Nikolai Zacharko (F, All-State Third Team), senior Jason Jurczyk (D/M, All-State Honorable Mention) and sophomore Dominic Baldarotta (G, All-State Honorable Mention) were also amongst the top returnees. Senior Vince Lucci (D) is another talented player that had aided the back line effort that has allowed 24 goals in 22 games albeit against a rugged schedule.
Several of the Pilots are NCAA Division I, Division II or Division III recruits. There are 10 seniors, nine seniors, five sophomores and one freshman on the roster, with Gavin Baldarotta (F) a talented ninth-grade prospect also adding to the increased firepower.
Corder leads the team with 16 goals and seven assists, while Ross has 13 goals and eight assists. Zacharko has 10 goals and several other players have four or more goals or assists as part of a balanced effort.
Makara has picked up interest from NCAA Division I University of Detroit-Mercy and again anchors the back line. Dominic Baldarotta has improved immensely over two seasons of varsity play and has really stood out in some games this season.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Warren De La Salle has beaten four straight postseason opponents this season and only have the combined one loss in state tournament play the last two seasons and that came in last year’s state semifinals to Mason.
Let’s get back to that later.
The Pilots took down high-powered New Boston Huron 5-2 in the regional semifinals before getting past Dearborn Divine Child 2-1 in the regional finals Saturday.
Luciano Thomson scored off a penalty kick to stake Divine Child to a 1-0 lead. De La Salle countered with goals from Nikolai Zacharko and Corder propelled the Pilots into the lead and eventually to the regional championship.
“This was a little bit closer than what I would have liked it to be, but we found a way to win and that’s important,” said Mukhtar. “Everyone is good at this point and we knew Divine Child has some nice players. We just had to fight for those goals. We had some chances, too. Our defense did a great job after giving up that early goal.”
Sophomore Dominic Baldarotta finished with six saves for the win in net.
THE REMATCH
Warren De La Salle vs. Mason.
Part III.
This will be the third time in two seasons that the two powerhouse programs and it comes Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Waterford Kettering in the state semifinals.
Mason, making its 11th Final Four appearance, defeated the Pilots 3-2 in last year’s state semifinals. That game reached double-overtime and a shootout where Mason (17-3-3 this season) held a 4-3 edge on penalties to advance.
The Pilots (18-3-1) defeated Mason 2-1 back on Aug. 30 in the two-day Traverse City Showcase. De La Salle is in the state semifinals for the third time in its proud history.
Both teams have had very good seasons in 2024 with neither side falling out of the Division 2 top 15 state rankings. That’s for good reason.
De La Salle returned its entire starting lineup and essentially its whole roster from last season. Mason brought back eight starters and over 75 percent of its roster. Both teams have a lot of history on their side and expectations of championships and deep postseason runs are the norm.
Both teams are rock solid. Only one will play in the state finals Saturday at Grand Ledge High School northwest of Lansing, Mich. The other will come home with championship dreams unrealized.
Mason has not won a state championship since 2015. It’s been even longer for De La Salle, which last hoisted the most important trophy back in 2005 and that was in Division 1.
The two teams have combined for 24 Final Four appearances, nine state championships and three state runner-up showings. Simply put, this should be the clash of the Titans and the type of matchup fans want to see in the Final Four week.
“We’ve both very similar,” admitted Mukhtar. “We both have been here many times in the past, both are solid defensively, have players that can put the ball into the back of the net, are well-coached, and both are experienced.”
True.
Warren De La Salle was third in the Catholic High School League-Central Division and has a 18-3-1 overall record. Only one of those three losses was to a Michigan opponent and that came against Division 3 state semifinalist and top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (4-0) in the finals of the Notre Dame Prep Invitational in late August. The Pilots’ other two losses came in league play against Toledo St. Francis de Sales and Toledo St. John-Jesuit, a pair of northern Ohio schools that are ranked in that neighboring state.
“I think that is something that the coaching staff is proud of. We’ve only lost three games this season and only one to a Michigan school,” noted Mukhtar. “And that loss to Notre Dame Prep wasn’t a bad loss because they are having probably their best season. It was at the end of a long, hot day and they were just better than us that day. But we haven’t lost to another Michigan school since then.”
De La Salle has a 63-24 scoring edge during its tough schedule, averaging 2.87 goals a game while allowing just 1.10 goals a contest. The Pilots own 10 shutouts in 22 games and have a .819 win percentage this season entering the match with Mason.
De La Salle is 4-0 in the postseason with two shutouts and a 17-3 scoring edge during its run.
Mason’s numbers include a 17-3-3 record over 23 games, and a fine 61-12 scoring edge over its opponents. The Bulldogs have recorded 13 clean sheets with a 0.53 goals-against-average while scoring 2.66 goals a game.
Mason is also 5-0 in the state tournament with a 16-3 edge on the scoreboard and two shutouts. The Bulldogs also own three shootout wins on the season – twice against rival DeWitt in the CAAC-Gold Tournament finals and district finals, and one against Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in the regional semifinals last week.
“I expect it to be a close game. It normally is once you get this far in the tournament,” offered Mukhtar, who coached De La Salle to 13 Final Four games and even led Fraser to one state semifinals appearance during his five-year stint at that school. “I know we’ll be ready. We’ve trained for these types of games and we both know each other well. I suspect it will go down to who causes the most mistakes on the other’s back line and who capitalizes on those mistakes.
De La Salle is ranked second and Mason fifth entering the tournament – and both have been difficult to score upon in recent weeks.
The Pilots are riding a 11-game win streak, while Mason has won nine straight matches.
“I’ve coached in a lot of these type of games over the years and it often will go down to one or two plays,” continued the veteran Mukhtar. “One team will make a mistake and the other will need to finish an opportunity. Or it could be a free kick, a set piece. It might even go the distance.”
Mason coach Jacob Derby had similar feelings about the upcoming epic battle.
“I expect it will be a really close game again. De La Salle is a lot like us. They play a tough schedule every year, they are well-coached and they always have a lot of really good players,” offered Derby. “I can see it being a one-goal game again and who knows, it may be one of those close games that goes to overtime again – at least.”
DIVISION 2
Warren De La Salle Collegiate
State Champions – 1990, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2005
State Runner-Up – 1994
Final Four Appearances – 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2018, 2023, 2024
Final Four Losses – 1984, 1987, 1997, 2011, 2018, 2023
Regional Champions – 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2018, 2023, 2024
Regional Finals Losses – 1998, 2004, 2008
Mason
State Champions – 1989, 1990, 1997, 2015
State Runner-Up – 1986, 2023
Final Four Appearances – 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024
Final Four Losses – 1992, 1993, 2005, 2014
Regional Champions – 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2023
Regional Finals Losses – 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012
Grand Rapids Christian
State Champions – 1998, 2001, 2021, 2023
State Runner-Up – None
Final Four Appearances – 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2021, 2023, 2024
Final Four Losses – 1988, 1997, 2000
Regional Champions – 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2021, 2023, 2024
Regional Finals Losses – 2011, 2017, 2018
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
State Champions – 2019
State Runner-Up – 2015, 2018
Final Four Appearances – 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024
Final Four Losses – 2022
Regional Champions – 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024
Regional Finals Losses – 2001, 2013, 2016
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