Colts ready to face top-ranked Novi in state title clash
GIVING CHASE FOR GLORY: Troy's Madison Hirsch (left) and Novi's Kelly Timar met in the regional finals last season and will help lead their teams in this year's Division 1 state title game. File Photo
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
EAST LANSING — Sometimes in sports a school will lose to an opponent and never get a chance to gain a measure of revenge, at least not in the same time period as the current athletes are still in school.
Troy, however, will get that chance.
After losing to Novi, 1-0, in last year’s Division 1 girls soccer regional finals, the fourth-ranked Colts earned the right to see the top-ranked Wildcats again this season — this time coming on a much bigger stage.
When the two clash at 12 noon Saturday at Michigan State University, it will be for the D-1 title.
“We like the challenge (of playing Novi),” offered Troy coach Brian Zawislak, whose team gave up a counterattack goal to Novi in last year’s regional finals in a 1-0 loss. “We think that we stack up well against them. We’ll prepare the next two days to put up a good game plan against them.
“They are a very good program and they have had a lot of success the past few years,” added Zawislak. “They play with a lot of confidence.”
In the previous meeting between the two state powerhouses, top-ranked Novi (21-0-2) picked up a counterattack goal from Kelly Timar with 14:33 to go and hung on for the victory. Troy (20-2-2) outshot Novi 10-5 in the contest, including 7-1 in the second half, and only allowed one shot in the final 50 minutes of the contest.
Erin Farley, a senior center back and a four-year varsity veteran for Troy, is not only excited about this year’s state title game, but a chance to gain some sweet revenge on last year’s nemesis.
“It feels amazing because every year we’re the team that goes home crying,” said Farley, one of Troy’s tri-captains. “Now it’s my senior year. We just want to put it away now. We want to redeem ourselves now and we want (to play Novi). They say they’re undefeated, but we want to break that (perfect record).”
IN THE FINALS
Troy is currently 2-2 in state finals games, all coming in the past 17 years. Troy won the D-1 state title in 2003, topping Brighton, 2-1 in overtime, for the its last state crown. The other came in its first state title game appearance in 1994, where the Colts captured the Class A title with a 3-2 victory over Brighton.
Troy dropped town other state title games, including the 2001 D-1 final to Plymouth Canton, 3-1, while also losing to Canton in the Class A finals back in 1996 by a 2-0 count.
Novi is going after its fifth state title in seven years and has become one of the state’s most dominant programs in the past decade. The Wildcats have never lost in the state finals.
Last season, the Wildcats toppled Plymouth, 2-1 in overtime, for the title. Novi pulled off the rare three-peat from 2005-2007, defeating Brighton (3-0 in 2005), Northville (3-1 in 2006) and Rochester (2-1 in 2007) for its other titles.
“We’ve had some success (as a school), but this is the first time for these girls and the first time for me (as head coach),” said Zawislak. “We’ll be ready.”
ALL-OAKLAND COUNTY FINAL
This will mark the second time that two Oakland County schools have faced in a MHSAA state final and both have featured Novi.
The last was the Novi-Rochester match four years ago in D-1.
Recently in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools state finals, Troy Bethany Christian defeated Rochester Hills Christian, 1-0, for the Christian schools state championship.
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Category: High School, Prep Wraps, Troy
