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MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK: MSN NEWS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/msnnews
Courtesy Photo | Notre Dame Prep
BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
Michigan Soccer Network | Premier Media Group and affiliates
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FLINT, Mich. – There was an all-star cast on hand Wednesday at Flint Atwood Stadium.
Three Division 3 top-10 teams along with a fourth quality side for the Division 3 regional semifinals. Top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep did its part to keep its dream season alive, topping unranked Frankenmuth 4-1 Wednesday in a Division 3 regional semifinal match at Atwood Stadium on the campus of Kettering University.
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep advances to the regional finals for the first time since 2016 and for just the fourth time in program history and will face No. 2-ranked Flint Powers Catholic at 6:30 p.m. Friday also at Atwood.
Second-ranked Flint Powers edged third-ranked Imlay City 1-0 in the first regional semifinals match at Atwood.
Notre Dame Prep is playing as good as advertised. The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 in the state for three weeks, fell to No. 2 in the rankings for two weeks and now have been ranked in the top spot the last three weeks.
The Irish are battle tested and the backline has seen an array of talented players and future All-State and college prospects all season.
“They’ve been getting better every single game and I think of our schedule (is tough),” said Notre Dame Prep coach Rob Suffredini. “I know that there are a lot of tough league games that teams (out there) face, especially when they have to play back-to-back league games or teams twice. But being independent (school) we’re able to face a large variety of teams and that back line has gotten better because of it. Henry Graff, Alex Ruschak and Mike Khouri -- they have done an outstanding job (this season).
“Frankenmuth has two great strikers, and we knew that,” continued Suffredini. “We had to make sure we neutralized that and I think we eventually settled down in the second half and played a little bit more to feet, especially out of the back. We played more our style. The first Half was a very direct game. When you have Will Lanham you can play direct (if you have to). It’s not our preference. But that’s what is special about this team. We can win in a variety of ways.”
The Fighting Irish have only two blemishes on their resume – first falling to Detroit Country Day 2-0 back on Sept. 10, which dislodged NDP from the top spot for two weeks. Notre Dame Prep also lost to Division 1 third-ranked Troy, the Oakland Activities Association-Red Division champion 3-0 on Oct. 7 late in the regular season.
The Irish were missing a couple of players in both of those losses.
“(Going) 20-2 has been wonderful. It’s been a dream season for the boys and in that you have victories over OAA White opponents, (Birmingham) Seaholm, we beat (Rochester) Stoney Creek, we beat (Warren) De La Salle – no (other) team in Michigan has beat De La Salee. They only lost to the (Toledo) Ohio Catholic schools,” noted Suffredini about his team’s challenging schedule. We had a very decisive win over that team (4-0 back in August) and that’s an accomplishment. And then Country Day game, that’s a rivalry game, and we know each other so well. That was an emotional game, too. My biggest worry about this game was being a let-down, feeling that we accomplished something.”
Notre Dame Prep defeated Country Day 3-2 last week in a district finals in a game that reached double-overtime and a shootout to decide the winner. There was no letdown in the regional semifinals.
Against Frankenmuth, the fifth-place finisher in a deep Tri-Valley Conference-Red Division, Notre Dame Prep never trailed. The Fighting Irish held a 14-7 overall shots edge, including 7-3 with shots on frame, and also doubled up the Eagles on cornerkicks, 4-2.
Notre Dame Prep actually scored on its first three shots on target in the game, the third which gave the Irish a 3-1 cushion.
Senior forward Will Lanham finished off a cross from senior Lis Edziu with 32:01 left in the opening half. Edziu, who beat a defender on the right side, cut back and sent a perfectly-slotted ball through traffic onto a an onrushing Lanham, the Irish’s leading goal scorer this season.
Notre Dame Prep scored what proved to be the game-winner with 28:56 still remaining when junior Benjamin Liparoto deposited a fee from Lanham into the back of the net.
Frankenmuth cut into a 2-0 deficit when sophomore forward Landon Jacobs scored off a 16-year volley just inside the box. The quality scoring chances were few and far between for Frankenmuth against the high-powered Irish, who own a 77-19 scoring edge against quality competition.
Notre Dame Prep cashed in another paycheck with 12:53 left in the first half when Lanham scored again, this time off a 28-yard free kick that sailed low and over by the far post on the right side of the goal.
After leading 3-1 at the break, the Irish put the game away with a fourth tally with 37:45 left in the game. Lanham recorded the hattrick on the left side, banging home a pass from junior midfielder Jack Kilpatrick.
An Independent since 2017, the Fighting Irish have played a treacherous schedule and have averaged 3.50 goals a game while conceding 1.16 goals against this season. That includes 11 shutouts in 22 games – 50 percent of the Irish’s games ended in a clean sheet this season – and 15 times opponents scored one or no goals on the stout Notre Dame Prep backline.
Frankenmuth veteran coach Marcus Baker knew his team would have to pull a monumental upset to beat one of the favorites for the Division 3 state title. His Eagles just couldn’t match up for 80 minutes against a team enjoying one of its best-ever seasons to date.
Frankenmuth outscored its opposition 69-37 this season and recorded five shutouts, but simply had didn’t have the horses in the end to stay with NDP, which perhaps has its most talented team since finishing as the Division 2 state runner-up in 2000.
The three other teams in this regional were all ranked in the top 15 all season and came into the match the top three teams in the state in the rankings – top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, No. 2 Flint Powers Catholic and No. 3 Imlay City.
“They are phenomenal. They got a great squad, great coach, they are always technical – congrats to Notre Dame,” conceded Baker about his opponent.
“We won districts, but our conference keeps getting better and we love the competition, so hen we have big games like this we feel a little more prepared,” added Baker.
Notre Dame Prep can now turn its attention to Friday, where state powerhouse Flint Powers awaits. The Irish blanked Powers Catholic 1-0 back on Aug. 26 in the fifth game of the season.
“They are always a good team, well coached and they always have good players,” reminded Suffredini. “We’ll have to be ready. We know what they have and they know what we have. I’m sure it will be a great game. Both teams know each other very well.”
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