BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – A year ago Auburn Hills Oakland Christian took the worst time to turn in perhaps its weakest performance of the season.
After winning the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference title in the 2023 regular season, the Lancers ended up falling in the Division 4 district finals to Clarkston Everest Collegiate courtesy of a 6-0 thumping by the Mountaineers.
The loss ended Oakland Christian’s season with a 12-4-0 overall record and a bad taste in the mouths of those around the girls soccer program. Everest Collegiate ended up making a Cinderella-type run to the state title game where the Mountaineers finished as the Division 4 state runner-up.
The Lancers went home and had to turn in their uniforms early.
Oakland Christian had to wait a year to get its postseason revenge and were able to do so Thursday with a 4-1 victory over the Mountaineers Thursday in a Division 4 district finals at Oakland Christian.
The win also avenged a 2-1 loss back on March 30 in the 2023 season opener for both teams and another 1-0 setback to Everest in a non-league game back on May 2 of this year. The Lancers were on the losing end of the stick three times in 14 months against the Mountaineers.
Not this time around.
Three different players combined for the four goals to pace the eighth-ranked Lancers (14-4-0), the MIAC runners-up this season. Leah Zarrilli scored twice to lead the way, while Jessica Reyes added a goal and an assist and Rowan Klein also scored for Oakland Christian, which now owns a 96-26 scoring edge this year over the opposition.
With the win, Oakland Christian captured its first district title since 2017 and will face Hemlock June 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the regional semifinals at Goodrich High School.
Hemlock (15-4-1) was the third-place finisher in the Tri-Valley Conference-Red Division this year and defeated Laingsburg 1-0 in its district title game on Thursday.
(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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