May 285 min read

GIRLS SOCCER: Rochester outlasts defending champ Stoney Creek in shootout

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – There will be a new state champion this season in the Division 1 circles.

District host Rochester outlasted arch-rival Rochester Stoney Creek 1-0 Wednesday night in a pre-district contest, avenging a 1-0 regular-season loss to the Cougars and a 3-1 district finals loss last season to Stoney Creek in a game when both teams were ranked in the top five in the state.

The game ventured through a scoreless 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods before eventually reaching a shootout. The Falcons (11-6-3) registered a 6-5 edge on PKs with junior outside back Gabbi Martin knocking home the go-ahead penalty to help Rochester prevail.

Rochester coach Doug Steinard conceded that there are no style points in a shootout – you just have to convert more chances to stay alive in the postseason. The Falcons also defeated Stoney Creek in a shootout in the 2022 district finals.

“We’ve practiced them and all that stuff. I just tell them it’s just got to hit the back of the net. I don’t care how it hits the back of the net,” noted Steinard. “Thankfully, we converted one more than they did and we get to move on.”

Rochester only lost one game during the 2022 season and one contest in the 2023 campaign despite being a top-five team in Division 1 both years. The Falcons dropped a 2-1 decision to eventual state runner-up Northville in the 2022 state semifinals. Last year Rochester was ranked in the top two all season but suffered its only loss of the 2023 campaign to Stoney Creek in the district title game.

This time around, Rochester (11-6-3) found itself in a dead heat with their rivals in its second meeting with the Cougars this year and third straight year they’ve met during the district rounds of the MHSAA Division 1 state tournament. The Falcons outshot Stoney Creek 11-8 over 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, including 7-5 with shots on frame, and even had a 5-1 advantage on cornerkicks but could not find the back of the net against Stoney Creek sophomore goalkeeper Jessica Kennedy (seven saves) until the shootout.

Rochester also outshot the Cougars 3-2 during the 20 minutes of overtime and did not concede a shot on frame during the second overtime session.

During the shootout, the Falcons simply could not miss, as Katelyn Guolla, Lucia Errecalde, Kiely Robinson, Karsen Jackson, and Romina McGuire converted during the first five rounds and the aforementioned Gabbi Martin netting the game-clincher in the sixth and sudden-death round of penalties.

Stoney Creek’s Saraina Shaw, a two-time All-OAA performer who was sidelined with an injury and did not see much action in open play, misfired high on her penalty to end the marathon match.

Previously, Lauren Ziehm, Olivia Lombardo, Delaney Batur, Kaitlyn Krier and Lily Stickney converted the penalties for Stoney Creek (11-5-4) during the first five rounds of the shootout.

Alice Max, a 6-foot-2 junior goalkeeper who has numerous NCAA Division I and Division II offers in basketball as a post player, gained the team’s seventh shutout on five saves for Rochester, which has outscored its opposition 39-28 this season. Robinson, Kiera Nagy and the Falcons’ defense played one of its best games of the season and at the right time.

“It’s a city rivalry. I used to work with (Stoney Creek coach Bryan Mittelstadt,” offered Steinard. “The last three years this has been two of the three best teams in the state. I still think we’re up there – we just haven’t had the results this season. (Stoney Creek is still) a very good team as well. It’s a hard district. It’s going to be that way our next game, and if we win that, (it’s going to be hard) in the final.”

Despite losing 15 players total from last season’s state championship run and playing a challenging schedule this season, Stoney Creek moved back into the Division 1 top-15 and were playing its best soccer of the season. The Cougars were banged up and were missing a couple of key players and simply could not capitalize on their few scoring opportunities against Rochester, which was listed as honorable mention in the rankings entering the week.

“We’re familiar with them. They’re familiar with us. Both teams were kind of looking for those (scoring) opportunities. (We) played our butts off and man – just looked to get an opportunity, (try to) get something to happen and we just didn’t,” said Mittelstadt, who earlier this season gained his 200th win.

“I thought the kids stood up and battled. This is kind of a Rochester-Stoney Creek kind of game. They all came in and played hard. Both teams played like how you would expect teams to play (in a state tournament game),” continued Mittelstadt. “It wasn’t one player out there doing something. Both teams played with a great team effort.”

(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 or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website.)