MICHIGAN GIRLS SOCCER: Business-like and top-ranked Saline keeps motoring along at face pace, races into Final Four with regional crown
- Dan Stickradt
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
DEARBORN, Mich. – Saline had high expectations before the start of the 2025 campaign.
The Hornets have not disappointed whatsoever.
Not even close.
Ranked No. 1 in the state the entire season, Saline – also recently ranked No. 12 in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches for the 17 states that play girls soccer in the spring – cruised to its second regional crown in three years and fourth overall with a 4-0 shutout Thursday over unranked Salem in a game played at the Dearborn Robert Bridges Complex.
This came two days after the Hornets dusted away Grosse Pointe South 8-0 in the regional semifinals in Dearborn in a game that finished up via the eight-goal mercy rule after Saline racked up eight goals in just 43 minutes of play.
Just another day at the office for Saline, which is going after its second state title and second unbeaten season in school history and is two wins from accomplishing that feat.
Saline will take on the winner of Friday’s Troy Athens-Macomb Dakota regional finals contest next Wednesday at Birmingham Seaholm at 6:30 p.m.
So far this season, Saline’s numbers are as good as anybody of the 450-plus teams that competed in Michigan this season. The unbeaten Hornets (20-0-2) have outscored the opposition 114-5 and have recorded 18 shutouts.
Additionally, Saline has averaged 5.19 goals per game offensively over 22 games while their unheralded defense has a stellar 0.23 goals-against-average. The numbers are eerily similar to that 2015 team that finished 22-0-3 and captured the Division 1 state title.
The Hornets’ 2015 team from a decade ago was coached by now-retired Dana Restick and that side posted a 0.16 goals-against-average, had 22 shutouts in 25 games and only conceded four goals that entire season.
Against Salem, a team that was ranked earlier in the season before falling off and finishing fourth in a deep KLAA-West Division, the Hornets picked up another stellar defensive effort as Kaylee Mitzel recorded her 18th clean sheet of the campaign and the back line of Lydia Zajchowski, Caylin Sturns, Bettina Soares and Ava Printy smothered every attempt that the Rocks could throw at them.
Meanwhile, the offense was back at it again – scoring four or more goals in a game for the 13th time this season – and added to its Division 1-leading totals in a multitude of categories.
Junior forward and University of Toledo commit Sadie Walsh, who recently returned from an injury, finished with a goal and an assist. She scored what proved to be the game-winner in the ninth minute.
Junior forwards McKena Means and Laynie Tousa also scored goals as did senior midfielder Sienna Snyder.
Two days before that, Means had a career four-goals outburst and Snyder netted the hat trick against unranked Grosse Pointe South. Walsh also scored in that game and picked up an assist, while Nora Walsh drew three assists in that rout.
Saline must wait about 24 hours until it learns of its next opponent – either No. 8 Troy Athens (17-2-2) or unranked Macomb Dakota (10-8-0), who face off Friday night at 7 p.m. at Rochester High School in another regional championship match. Athens, ranked all season, upset No. 5-ranked Utica Eisenhower 1-0 in a shootout on Tuesday (4-2 on penalties).
Saline has now outscored its opposition 18-0 over four postseason games, averaging 4.5 goals per game in the state tournament with four more shutouts. In fact, over the last 10 games, the Hornets have outscored the opposition 40-1 with nine shutouts and the only goal conceded was in a 1-1 tie with Ann Arbor Skyline May 15 which capped an unbeaten league season (8-0-2) in the Southeastern Conference Red Division and was the final game of the regular season.
Saline defeated Skyline for the first time in two years on May 28 by a 2-0 count in the district semifinals and added a 4-0 victory over Ann Arbor Huron in the district finals as part of their postseason run thus far. The Hornets were 0-3-3 in their previous six matches against Skyline.
Salem, which reached the Division 1 Final Four last season before losing to eventual state champion Rochester Adams. Lost a large chunk of talent from that team but still navigated through a rebuilding year to win a district and also reach the regional finals.
The Rocks finished 14-8-1, placed fourth in the deep KLAA West Division, outscored the opposition 60-36 and recorded seven shutouts this season. Salem simply could not pull an upset of the red-hot Hornets and saw its season end one game shy of second straight Final Four appearance.
COURTESY PHOTO / SALINE ATHLETICS
Saline celebrated its second regional title in three years and fourth overall Thursday night in Dearborn following a 4-0 shutout of Salem in a Division 1 regional finals match.
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