BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – It was just 15 days prior that Birmingham Marian had to play Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood shorthanded.
That contest came in the Catholic High School League Bishop tournament semifinals where the Mustangs were the No. 1 seed in the six-team tournament. The match also saw Marian started that game without six regulars, four who were attending graduation and two other sophomores who were busy taking an AP-test after school.
Even with an early 3:30 p.m. start time, Marian had to forge on with a younger team without some very key players. Cranbrook Kingswood ended up springing a 4-3 upset in the that conference tournament semifinal game and the CHSL-Central Division champs did not get the chance to win a Catholic League title this year.
Upset-minded Cranbrook upset Farmington Hills Mercy 1-0 on Tuesday to earn a spot in the Division 2 district finals against – you guessed it – eighth-ranked Marian on Thursday.
The Mustangs more than remembered that recent setback and turned the tables on Cranbrook by recording a 1-0 shutout over Cranbrook in the Division 2 district finals at Auburn Hills Avondale.
The win not only avenged that loss to Cranbrook, but it gave the Mustangs their eighth straight district title and 22nd overall in their storied history.
“When we played them last time, we were really missing four seniors and six players. Two we got back in the second half, but we just couldn’t get the job done,” recalled first-year Marian coach Danny Price. “This time we had everyone back and we were able to find a way to win. It was closer than I thought but we found a way to win.”
Cranbrook moved Carola Gorlier over from outside marking back to goalkeeper to shore up play between the pipes for the state tournament. The move worked in the district semifinals against Farmington Hills Mercy in a 1-0 upset win – Cranbrook had lost 3-1 to the same Mercy team in the CHSL-Bishop Tournament finals on May 19 – and the ploy almost worked again.
This time around Marian was able to pepper the Cranes’ net all night but could only register the lone goal.
“I thought we dominated play. We hit the post, hit the crossbar and had all kinds of shots. We just couldn’t score until (midway through) the second half,” said Price. “Cranbrook is a hard-working, industrial team. They were having some problems at goalkeeper this season, so they took a (field player) and moved her into goal and she played great in their tournament games.”
Sophomore Clair Dauer scored off a free kick by freshman Nia Bordogna in the 61st minute and the Mustangs defense made it stand. Senior Dani Mertz notched the clean sheet for Marian, which recorded its 12th shutout of the campaign.
Marian had been on an offensive tear in the tournament, routing both Detroit Renaissance (16-0) and Auburn Hills Avondale (8-0) before slipping past Cranbrook in a game where the Mustangs dominated from start to finish. The Mustangs (12-3-3) now own a 57-10 scoring edge this season with a team goals-against-average of 0.56.
Marian advances to the regional semifinals June 5 at Dearborn Divine Child’s DCAA Complex against a n opponent to be determined. St. Clair and defending state champion Grosse Pointe North face off in their district finals match Friday evening for the right to face Marian. Trenton will play in the other regional semifinal against the winner of Divine Child and Garden City.
Last year Marian was ranked in the top five the whole season and only conceded eight goals all year but ended up dropping a 3-2 decision in a shootout to Grosse Pointe North in the regional semifinals.
“The girls really wanted to win (a district again) and I know they want to go much further than last year,” reminded Price.
(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.)
Comments