(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 the 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 | NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK | PREMIER MEDIA GROUP
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ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Survive and advance.
That’s all that matters in a tournament setting.
Oakland University did just that Thursday afternoon on the Golden Grizzlies’ own turf – or should one say, home sponge.
Despite being outshot and out-cornered, top-seeded Oakland blanked fourth-seeded Green Bay – last season’s Horizon League tournament winner – in the league semifinals match played under a steady drizzle or rain where the field was water-bogged in various places.
Oakland (9-6-2) extended its winning streak to six games where the Golden Grizzlies now a 12-4 scoring edge in that span and advance to Saturday’s Horizon League Championship Tournament finals where they will face No. 2 seeded Robert Morris University.
“It really is a team effort,” admitted first-year Oakland coach Paul Doroh. “You saw it here today. We scored early in each half, and I felt at a time there in the second half we could have scored a couple more goals. That’s the nature of the game. Sometimes you finish those chances and sometimes you don’t. Fortunate enough we put two in and defensively, we just did a great job preventing them from putting one into the back of the net.”
An NCAA Division I Tournament berth lies in balance. Last year, Oakland lost in the finals to Green Bay in the finals, meaning that not only did the Golden Grizzlies enact a measure of revenge Thursday, they surely survived and advanced to the tournament finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
Green Bay controlled a lot of the play in the midfield and continually got the ball into the corners to look to cross. The Phoenix outshot Oakland 26-11 in the match, including 11-6 with shots on frame, and even posted an eye-popping 17-4 edge off cornerkicks in the match.
Oakland was the more opportunistic team on this day, scoring on its first shot attempt of each half and playing tremendous defense, especially in the final 25 minutes as Green Bay (11-7-2) really started to press.
The Phoenix fired everything they had against Oakland’s defense, even the kitchen sink, tables, chairs, dishes and cutlery but could not find the back of the net.
Oakland senior Alex Flowers, the Goalkeeper of the Year in the Horizon League, made 11 saves on the day to record Oakland’s fifth shutout of the season and third clean sheet in six games. Flowers moved to 8-5-2 as OU’s No. 1 keeper, lowered his goals-against-average down to 1.13 while upping his save percentage up to .793.
Flowers gained a lot of help from his back line, who consistently blocked shots, held tight on their marks and made legions of clears despite standing on the rain-soaked pitch. Over the last six games, OU’s team goals-against-average is a paltry 0.60 and despite being outshot in numerous games this season – even during the winning streak – and Green Bay saw first-hand again just how stout OU’s defense and goalkeeping is as of late.
The Phoenix also dropped 1-0 decision to OU back on Nov. 1 – only 13 days ago – in the fourth game of Oakland’s winning streak. The victory also marked OU’s fifth straight win over Green Bay.
“We knew they are a cross-heavy team,” noted Doroh. “We talked about denying service into the box or block the ball even though you don’t know where its going to go (due to the water-logged field). They did a great job.”
The Golden Grizzlies scored what proved to be the game-winner just 2:26 into the contest. Sophomore Carson Ballagh served in a cornerkick from the right side high above-traffic and junior Malik Sylvester leapt up between a mass of defenders to head it home for the third-minute goal on OU’s first shot of the afternoon.
Oakland did it again on its first shot of the second half. After collecting a pass inside OU territory along the left side, junior Abdul Al-Rashed was able to dribble downfield, beat two defenders before slipping the ball back into the middle of the field. Sophomore Andrew Darakdjian was able to get in behind the Green Bay defense before uncorking a right-footed shot from 17 yards out that sailed inside the right post for a 2-0 advantage at the 58:27 mark.
OU had a few grand chances to add a third goal within the next 10 minutes but misfired just wide of the framework over the next 10 minutes.
Plenty of time for Green Bay to solve the Rubix Cube of Alex Flowers and OU’s stingy and well-organized defense. The Phoenix could not solve that unsolved mystery despite its barrage of shots, cornerkicks and crosses.
“Again, we could have added a goal or two again, but we didn’t and we asked our defense and goalkeeper step up and protect the lead,” said Doroh. “There goalie made a nice save and I think the goalie pulled one off the line and we even missed a couple wide of the goal. But once Green Bay really started to come at us hard, (the field) made it interesting. A lot of times we would have been able to clear but we had a hard time with the ball slowing down. I think we gave them the ball back a little bit too much because of that. They made us uncomfortable because we couldn’t make the simple 10-yard pass with fear of it slowing down and we struggled at times clearing the ball.
“Again, it’s a team effort for sure. But Noah Roka and Jace Foster were fantastic today. Our wingbacks just do so much work that it’s hard to really put a value on the amount of work that they do. Malik (Sylvester) and Jayden (Pinheiro) were both really good in the air today. We’ve also got some big center backs and we’re able to stave off those corners. That size also makes us a threat on our set pieces, too. And anything that got through to Alex (Flowers) today, he was there to make the stop.”
ROBERT MORRIS 1, MILWAUKEE 0: Second-seeded Robert Morris scored a 65th minute goal to lift it to Saturday’s Horizon League Championship Tournament finals to face top-seeded Oakland Saturday afternoon. Chase Gilley scored the goal off an assist from Lucas Barsoee at the 64:35 mark. COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER: Survive and advance: Oakland finds a way to blank Green Bay to reach Horizon League finals
(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.)
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(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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