MICHIGAN GIRLS SOCCER: Shorthanded Troy Athens trips up No. 5 Utica Eisenhower in shootout to reach regional finals
- Dan Stickradt
- Jun 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 4
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Macomb Dakota edges Berkley on two second-half goals, earns date with Troy Athens
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Not too often team defense gets the credit for a win.
Troy Athens rode its stingy defense to one of the bigger upsets of the Division 1 tournament Tuesday.
Despite competing down a player for the final 43:51 due to a red card – and that’s including overtime – the eighth-ranked Red Hawks found a way to get the game to a shootout before divvying out a lethal dose of postseason anguish with a 1-0 victory over fifth-ranked Utica Eisenhower in a Division 1 regional semifinals clash at Rochester High School.
Athens won the shootout 4-2 – the second straight game where the Red Hawks ended up winning on PKs – with senior goalkeeper Ashley Miller making one save while the Eagles put another one over the crossbar.
Lauren DeJonckheere, Emily Mendrick, Annie Lawson and Charlotte Cotta converted their shots from the spot in succession for Athens, which didn’t have to go to the fifth shooter. Cotta’s top-shelf shot in the shootout settled matters for the Red Hawks.
Eisenhower had its first attempt saved by Miller while its third attempt sailed over the crossbar. Lily Pantaleo (second) and Gabby Riggio (fourth) nailed their penalties for Eisenhower.
Athens, which has enjoyed many long journeys in the state tournament since it launched its soccer program in the early 1980s, advances to the regional finals Friday where it will face unranked Macomb Dakota at 7 p.m. also at Rochester.
After winning its second straight match via shootout and playing one of the state’s toughest schedules, second-year Athens coach Jason Clark felt like his team was playing with confidence.
“We were completely confident,” said Clark. “Ashley Miller has been outstanding. I mean, PKs are her thing. We’ve leaned on her. It’s this year, last year – she only stopped one (but that was big).
“We learned last year. We went to penalties with Berkely (in the district semifinals),” continued Clark. “We had a lot of juniors last year and Ashley has come such a long ways. We couldn’t do it without her.”
Athens wouldn’t be in the final eight in the state for the first time since back-to-back trips in 2021 and 2022 without stellar defensive play. The Red Hawks got that and more on Tuesday night.
“Our backline was unbelievable – I can’t say enough about them,” beamed Clark. “Being down a player against such a talented team like (Eisenhower) and still pitched a shutout. Even Abby (Waldron) on the (red) card, she saved the game for us.”
Forced back on its heels for long stretches during regulation, Athens stymied the Eagles time and time again, forcing turnovers or shots off target around or inside the box. Senior goalkeeper Ashley Miller along with five backs – Lawson, Madison Stencel, Waldron, Ashley Thorton and Laityn Dennis, who was subbed into the game in the second half — kept the Eisenhower firepower off its game, consistently frustrating the likes of Gabby Gojcaj, Ellera Jakubowski, Devyn Raymond (Akron) and Pantaleo (Virginia Tech) from doing some serious damage.
It was a night of missed opportunities for Eisenhower. The highly-talented Eagles held an 18-12 overall shots advantage over 100 minutes of play, including the two 10-minute overtime periods. But Eisenhower had a difficult time putting shots on target as they routinely squandered a multitude of quality chances.
Athens actually had a 9-6 edge with shots on frame, while both sides collected four cornerkicks.
The Red Hawks were left to play the final 23:51 of the second half plus the two 10-minute overtime sessions down a player as Abby Waldron tripped up an Eisenhower forward on a breakaway attempt just six inches out of the box. Eisenhower sent the ensuing free kick over the crossbar.
“I was like, ‘let’s just hold on.’ I just wanted us to push,” noted Lawson, one of the standout marking backs in the game. “I don’t think I’ve felt more emotions than in that game. I just wanted us to get the ball up (and was) like, let’s just stay alive. I felt like we just had to be scrappy and we were in survival mode the whole time.”
Athens’ best scoring chance came midway through the first half when senior midfielder Lauren DeJonckheere uncorked a long-distance rocket that Eisenhower junior goalkeeper Molly Mellott dove to her right to tip the ball wide of frame. Mellott finished with nine saves before the shootout.
Miller, an All-State Honorable Mention performer last season who has signed with NJCAA nationally-ranked Polk State, finished with six saves for Athens, which now has 10 clean sheets on the year. The third-place finisher in the deep Oakland Activities Association Red Division now owns a 63-15 scoring edge over 21 games, including 12-2 in the postseason, and lowered its team goals-against-average down to 0.72.
All five of the Eisenhower shots during the two overtimes were over or wide of the target. The Eagles outshot Athens 5-3 during the two overtime sessions.
Eisenhower finishes with a 72-15 scoring edge, 11 shutouts and an 18-3-0 overall record. It marked just the second time all season the Macomb Area Conference Red Division champion Eagles were kept off the scoreboard.
“I have to say we were the better team,” said veteran Eisenhower coach Mehrdad Nekoogar. “If you count the number of chances – we had so many – and if you don't finish in soccer, you're not gonna win. We already knew if it went to PKs it was going to be tough because they do have a very good goalie. We put everything out there. We threw everything out there but we couldn't put the ball in the net. Things didn't go the way we wanted, but congratulations to Athens."
MACOMB DAKOTA 2, BERKLEY 0: Despite posting just a 6-8-0 record in the regular season and a fifth place finish in the Macomb Area Conference Red Division, Macomb Dakota continued its Cinderella-type run in the Division 1 postseason Tuesday.
The unranked Cougars captured their fourth postseason win – all against unranked opponents – and also recorded its second straight postseason clean sheet after tripping up Berkley 2-0 in this regional semifinals match at Rochester High School.
Dakota (10-8-0) scored two goals in the first 7:20 of the second half to deliver the Bears a knockout blow.
Senior midfielder Jenna Accetta scored the game-winner five minutes into the second half, while senior forward Sophia Mastonardi provided an insurance goal with 32:40 still remaining in the game.
Dakota, which is dead even at 31 goals scored and 31 goals allowed this season, will face eighth-ranked Troy Athens in the regional finals Friday at Rochester High School.
This is the school’s second all-time regional finals appearance.
Senior goalkeeper Maggie Mata earned the shutout for Dakota, the team’s sixth this season.
Berkley senior Avery Weingarden stopped a first-half penalty shot but took the loss in net for the Bears, who finished a respectable 11-5-5 overall.
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