BY DAN STICKRADT
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
PH: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
WASHINGTON TWP., Mich. – The Michigan Stars were part of an eight-goal second-half explosion Monday night.
Fortunately for the Stars, they led 1-0 at halftime.
Thanks to a stoppage time goal from Skander Lafraoui, the Michigan Stars outlasted visiting Futsal Factory 5-4 in Midwest Premier League-Great Lakes-East Division action Monday night at the Michigan Stars Complex in what would be described as a wild affair.
The France native and current Lawrence Tech University standout booted home a cross from the right corner by Gjon Melakuqi (Utica Eisenhower/Northwood University) to give the Stars a 5-4 advantage two minutes into stoppage time and his teammates held firm down the stretch for the one-goal victory where both teams scored four goals in the second half.
It was Melakuqi that scored the game’s only first-half goal in the 41st minute, as he corralled a pass from Quentin Ubaydi (Rochester Stoney Creek/Vardar Academy/Oakland University) near midfield and was off to the races for a breakaway goal on just his team’s third shot in the game.
Dexter, Michigan-based Futsal Factory knotted the game at 1-1 in the 60th minute when Max Ewing banged home a service into the box from JP Assenmacher (Dexter/Lawrence Tech University).
Then the fun began.
The Michigan Stars (2-1-0) scored three straight goals coming from Lafraoui in the 61st minute and just over one minute following Ewing’s goal, Vincent Vultaggio (Rochester Stoney Creek/Rochester University) in the 65th minute and Anthony Gjokaj (Macomb Dakota/Northwood University) in the 73rd minute.
Gjokaj and Vultaggio had assists on the second and fourth goals for the Stars, while Vultaggio’s tally came off a penalty kick.
The Futsal Factory (2-4-2) would not go away, as they ventured on a three-goal scoring spree to tie the game at 4-4.
Charlie Lacy scored a breakaway goal (Ann Arbor Skyline/Michigan Wolves Academy/Loyola-Chicago) off a feed from Ben Pritchard (Dexter/Michigan Wolves/U-M Club) in the 75th minute to trim the deficit down to 402. Drew Ducker cut the deficit down to 4-3 with his goal in the 79th minute and then Nick Ross finished off a cross from Assenmacher in the 87th minute for Futsal Factory to tie the game at 4-4.
That set up the game winner for Larfaoui in the waning moments.
(The Michigan Soccer Network will compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in results from high school varsity, collegiate, club, ECNL, Girls Academy, MLS Next Academy, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer for any team with Michigan ties, 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 at www.michigansoccernetwork.com. Go to MSN News in the upper left corner, scroll down to Report A Score and send in all of the pertinent information from your contest.)
(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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