BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Kate Creighton will never let anyone in on her secrets involving taking penalty kicks. Especially with championship season now on the clock.
The senior midfielder/forward from Plymouth Christian had to take a pressure-filled penalty kick Thursday evening with a league championship on the line. She calmly deposited her penalty into the back of the net with just 15 seconds left, as Plymouth Christian came back from an early 2-0 deficit with three unanswered goals, including two in the final five minutes, to lift the Eagles to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over host Auburn Hills Oakland Christian.
The win clinched the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference for the Division 4 ninth-ranked Eagles, who won the MIAC-Blue Division title in 2022 but finished second in the MIAC last season.
“I knew what I had to do,” smiled Creighton, who will play next year for NCAA Division III Wheaton College. “The last one I took (earlier this year) I missed, so I was ready to burry this one and finish it off.”
Eighth-ranked Oakland Christian went onto Plymouth Christian’s home field last May in the final league game and came away with a 2-1 victory. The Eagles remembered, putting together a fine second half comeback where they dominated play before netting the game-tying and go-ahead goals.
But how does Creighton prepare and take penalty kicks under intense situations?
“I’ve got to keep that a secret,” she laughed. “I won’t say.”
After being tripped up entering the box on a breakaway, Creighton was given the grand opportunity for the late go-ahead goal and she delivered, blasting the PK into the corner for a 3-2 advantage in the 80th minute.
The host Lancers could not get off a shot in the wanning seconds, as Plymouth Christian got its long-awaited revenge on Oakland Christian – 370 days in the making to be exact.
“I think its who we are,” admitted Creighton on her team’s willingness to fight back after not playing well early in the contest. “We have grit. We don’t back down. That’s who this team is and that’s the heart of the team. I knew we could do it. The whole team believed we could do it. If we have to play a game (in a shootout) in the playoffs, then we have to be ready.”
A tie or win would set up Oakland Christian with a chance to win the league with a make-up game set for Friday against Westland-Lutheran Westland. The Lancers could not seal the deal and could not hold off the Eagles’ tidal wave down the stretch, as Oakland Christian must settle for the league runner-up slot occupied by Plymouth Christian last year.
“Hats off to them. I give them credit because they are a very good team and they didn’t let up,” sighed Oakland Christian coach Patrick Reyes, whose squad was trying to win a rare back-to-back league championship. “(Plymouth Christian coach) Ryan Thompson coaches them up very well. I think our girls, it kind of got into their heads a little bit. We tended to play a little bit more conservatively (in the second half) and a little bit more defensively and we didn’t have much of an attack in the second half. We were just on our heels the entire time.”
Trailing 2-1 at the break, Plymouth Christian proved to be the aggressor in the second half. The Eagles outshot the Lancers 11-2 in the second half, including 4-1 with shots on frame, and even had five cornerkicks during the last 40 minutes of play. Still, Plymouth Christian had nothing to show for it until the final minutes.
Finally, the Eagles netted the equalizer when Creighton’s cornerkick was redirected by junior Selina Mong into the goal from the middle of the box. The game-tying tally came with 4:05 to play.
Plymouth Chistian (10-4-3, 7-0-1) continued to attack the Oakland Christian net, which set the stage for the late foul and ensuing penalty kick.
Thompson was glad that one of the school’s all-time leading goal scorers was able to step up to the mark for the late penalty kick – and burry her chance.
“I never doubted her, in a minute, in a situation like that,” beamed Thompson. “I knew she would make it. I can’t say enough about Kate Creighton. I moved her to the nine (attacking center midfield) this year and was constantly getting in behind them and making them work. She made them worry about her getting in behind and creating chances. She changes the game.
“I’m happy for the girls because they were down 2-0 early but were resilient and found a way to get that goal late in the first half even though we didn’t play our best half,” continued Thompson. “We kept attacking and attacking in the second half and were able to get those two late goals. What a comeback. With the league title on the line, we as a whole stepped up. And then Kate Creighton came through with the game-winner.”
Oakland Christian (11-4-0, 6-1-0) came out of the gate and controlled play. The consistent pressure resulted in a 1-0 lead with 35:00 remaining in the first half when junior Valeria Santurtun picked off a pass and went in all alone before uncorking a shot into the net.
The Lancers pushed the lead to 2-0 with 17:21 remaining in the first half. Junior midfielder Jessica Reyes was left all alone just outside the box and she lofted a high shot that sailed over traffic and into the goal.
Oakland Christian let its guard late in the first half, with Creighton slotting the ball into the goal mouth and junior Ava Bulat tapping home a close-range shot with 5:33 to go in the second half that trimmed the deficit down to 2-1.
Plymouth Christian ended with a 16-9 shots advantage for the game, including 7-4 with shots on goal, and even finished with an 8-1 edge on cornerkicks. The Eagles have non-league games next week against Allen Park Cabrini, the team that upset Plymouth Christian in last year’s district semifinals, and Madison Heights Bishop Foley.
The Eagles will play host to its district semifinals game on May 28 against an opponent yet to be determined.
(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 of teams or players with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com, or call 248-884-1051. 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.)
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