(Have photos to go with this story? Email pics to Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and also list photo credit as well.)
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
MILFORD, Mich. – When Tommy Hipple watches Milford out on the soccer pitch, he is reminded that his squad is not a bunch of super stars.
There’s not several former MLS Next Academy players suiting up for the Mavericks. There’s not a group of NCAA Division I college prospects and not really a long list of college prospects in general.
But one thing Hipple is reminded on a daily basis is that his team is collectively good. Somewhat under the radar as not even being listed as honorable mention in the MIHSSCA Division 1 polls, the Mavericks lack egos and each member of the deep squad has bought into the team concept.
Kind of the sum is greater than the parts and the next man up mentality with this group.
“We don’t really have a lot of stars. But we work really hard as a team and I think they guys really like playing with one another,” said Hipple, who led Milford’s girls soccer team to its first league title in 36 years last sporing and to a Division 1 district crown as well. “We may not be really flashy, but we’ll outwork other teams. That’s what I really like about this team. They work hard in every practice and every game and we’ve had a really good season because of it.”
In each game this season, Hipple rotates virtually his whole varsity roster and in most games, Milford gradually wears the opposition down. It’s a recipe that has worked to near-perfection.
Milford finished the regular season unbeaten at 11-0-4 overall – the first time in program history the team entered the postseason without a loss – and that includes a fine 37-6 scoring edge and nine shutouts. Throw in a plus-31 scoring differential, 2.47 goals a game average while conceding just 0.40 goals a contest, and Milford is reaping the benefits to what it has sown. Many of the above-listed marks are school records for the regular season.
The Mavericks tied with South Lyon in the regular season standings of the nine-school Lakes Valley Conference with 18 points apiece – Milford finished 5-0-3 and South Lyon was 6-2-0 – and the Mavericks earned the No. 1 seed in the LVC Tournament.
Both teams reached the conference tournament finals as the top two seeds with Milford holding a 2-1 victory over the Lions on Oct. 1 in the finals. That win secured the tri-fecta – the regular season, league tournament and overall championship in the LVC – and the Mavericks ended a 38-year drought in terms of winning a league championship. For those doing the math, Milford last won the Kensington Valley Conference way back in 1986 and did not claim another conference crown until 2024.
“I think we’ve seen what hard work can do,” beamed Hipple. “We’d figured that we could compete this season for a league title, but us coaches also felt that there were 3-4 really good teams in our league that could win it. But these boys set the goals of winning a league title, our first in 38 years. We earned it.”
Milford awaits the pre-district winner of the Hartland-Brighton contest. Hartland is the third-place finisher in the loaded KLAA-West, and injury-riddled Brighton, last year’s KLAA-West second-place finisher and Division 1 state runner-up to Troy Athens last November, in the district semifinals Oct. 14 at Brighton’s Sloan Soccer Stadium.
Milford has not won a district since 1999 when it defeated Clarkston in a shootout.
Milford is 2-0-1 against teams that were ranked or listed as honorable mention at times this season, even positing a 0-0 draw on Sept. 28 against Division 1 honorable mention Kalamazoo Loy-Norrix. The Mavericks are playing with some confidence – a much-earned confidence – entering the postseason.
The next game will end a 13-day layoff as Milford did not have any regular season matches schedule after the LVC finals and drew a bye and No. 1 seed in its district.
“We’re hoping to make a run, but so is everyone else,” said Hipple. “There’s some good programs in our district. Brighton was the state runner-up last year, Okemos won a state title three years ago. Hartland is playing good this season, East Lansing has a lot of history. No matter who we end up facing, I expect there to be a lot of close games in our district.”
Milford has nine seniors on the roster, along with six juniors, two sophomores and four talented freshman that have banded together to form a winning unit this season.
Senior goalkeeper Drew Lansberry and junior center back Nic Dziedzic were All-League First Team last year, while seniors Ben Shaw (D), Riley Gibson (M) and Cullen Broyles (M) were All-LVC Honorable Mention a year ago. Each of them could earn similar awards this season.
Lansberry, Dziedzic, Gibson, and Broyles join seniors Tyler Hannert, Reese McConnell, Lucas McGrain and Jason Tagert and junior Jacob Schrader as third-year varsity veterans. There are no players on the roster that has spent four complete seniors on the Mavericks’ varsity.
Shaw, juniors Anthony Baidas and Chase Hayes along with sophomores Jesse Wyskiel and Miles Dameworth are also in their second varsity season. Freshmen Anwar Brek, Thomas Hipple Jr., Mac Pravin and Lucas Lansberry, senior Brady Groh junior Thomas Shaw make up the newcomers.
Together they have created Milford’s moist successful regular season in decades.
“I think it’s a fun group to coach,” reminded coach Hipple. “These boys play hard, they work together and they enjoy playing with each other.”
Sounds like a winning recipe.
— All Rights Reserved, Premier Media Group / Michigan Soccer Network / National Soccer Network
(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.)
MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/misoccernetwork
Twitter/X: @MiSoccerNetwork, @msn_stickradt
Instagram: www.instagram.com/misoccernetwork/
(Have photos to go with this story? Email pics to Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and also list photo credit as well.)
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 41-50: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/boys-soccer-super-50-teams-positions-41-50
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 31-40: https://www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/boys-soccer-msn-super-50-teams-positions-31-40
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 21-30: BOYS SOCCER: MSN Super 50 Teams Positions 21-30:
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 11-20:
BOYS SOCCER: MSN SUPER 50 TEAMS POSITIONS 1-10:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
Interested in internships in broadcasting, communications, journalism, public relations or sales and marketing in the sports world? The Premier Media Group is seeking applications for current college students or students entering their senior or junior years of high school that have a career interest in working in different capacity of a constantly-evolving media world.
Contact both Broadcast Director Jonathan Turner at 248-525-2083 or jonathan@thepremeiermediagrp.com and Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at (248) 525-2349 and dstickradt@thepremeiermediagrp.com.
Comments