Final Four-bound: Athens avenges Ann Arbor Pioneer for regional crown
TAKING A HIT: Troy Athens' Nick Davis holds onto the ball during Friday's Divions 1regional final as Ann Arbor Pioneer's Jess Fernandez gives a little push. Davis and the Red Hawks captured the regional crown in an 11-3 rout. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
TROY— One month ago, Ann Arbor Pioneer was able to stick Troy Athens with a 7-4 defeat. On Friday night, Red Hawks were able to sack the Pioneers with a little payback — on a much bigger stage.
Host Athens took an early 2-0 lead and never looked back, pounding Pioneer, 11-3, for a Division 1 boys lacrosse regional championship.
The win vaults the 10th-ranked Red Hawks, winners of five straight games, into the state semifinals June 8 at Novi Detroit Catholic Central, where they will take on top-ranked Birmingham Brother Rice, an 18-5 winner Friday over fourth-ranked Clarkston, for a right to advance to the state finals.
Rice has won all six of the MHSAA-sanctioned Division 1 state crowns and several others in the old coaches association tournament before that.
It marks Athens’ fifth regional crown in the seven years that the MHSAA has sanctioned lacrosse, while it is the eighth overall regional title including the coaches association tournament.
Pioneer controlled the midfield in the last meeting back on May 2. Since then, Athens (16-5-0) has gone 7-1 with its only loss coming in triple-overtime to Brighton on May 12.
LITTLE OPERATING ROOM: Troy Athens' Joe Kemp (right) and the Red Hawks made it difficult on Dylan Swanson and Ann Arbor Pioneer all night in Friday's regional finals. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
“That is why they say that it is difficult to beat the same team twice,” said Athens coach Nick Stensen. “We were able to make the adjustments. I thought we were more prepared because we knew what we could stop and we made adjustments the past two days to our offense that worked out to our favor.”
“The last time we played (Pioneer), Dan Kreza was hurt and probably shouldn’t have played, while Kevin Lining was out all together,” said Stensen of two of his key offensive threats.
“Ball possession was crucial,” continued Stensen. “Right out of the first draw, we got a good matchup with Joey (Kemp) and it was a good momentum starter for us.”
Athens jumped all over Pioneer in the early moments, with Kemp scoring only 24 seconds into the contest to set the tone and John Krzeszak followed just 2:26 into the game for a 2-0 lead. The Red Hawks never trailed.
Pioneer (15-4-0) cut the deficit to 2-1 with 2:25 left in the first quarter on a goal from Harry Hadden. That was as close as the Pioneers would get.
Lining made it 3-1 and Kreza 4-1 in the second quarter, as the Red Hawks took a three-goal advantage into the half.
Kreza scored twice more in the third period, where Athens extended the lead to 7-2, and finished the night with six goals, including the final three unassisted to cap the scoring.
Kemp, closely guarded the whole night, still broke free for two goals and four assists. Lining scored twice and Krzeszak once for Athens.
“Even when we turned the ball over, we rode hard and got it back,” said Stensen, offering reasons why the Red Hawks turned the tables on Pioneer just 31 days after losing to the same team. “You could see the intensity in the kids eyes the way we were working. “
Dylan Swanson scored the other two goals for Pioneer.
Neal Mistry made six saves in goal for Athens. The Red Hawks outshot Pioneer 25-15, including 16-9 with shots directly on frame.
“We just came out flat and did not play very well,” admitted Pioneer senior captain Kevin Grupe. “They beat in us every way.”
Athens has faced Brother Rice in the state tournament three times since 2005 with the Warriors winning all three of them at the state semifinals level. Rice won in 2005 (11-8), 2006 (19-2) and 2008 (26-3).
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy Athens
