Caldwell’s overtime goal help Bucks shake their “Menace” in regional semifinals

ON THE MOVE:Michigan Bucks midfielder Scott Caldwell pushes the ball past Des Moines midfielder John Sosa during Friday's PDL Central Conference semifinals. Staff Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

PONTIAC — Scott Caldwell picked up an opportune time to score his first goal of the season in a Michigan Bucks uniform.

Signed to the team just weeks ago, the University of Akron product received his first start and scored in the 105^th minute Friday night in leading the Bucks to a come-from-behind, 3-2, double-overtime victory over the visiting Des Moines Menace in the USL-Premier Developmental League Central Conference regional semifinals at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

Latif Alashe’s through pass was deflected by a Des Moines defender right to a wide-open Caldwell, who left no doubt by lacing a waist-high shot from 30 yards out that curled inside the left post in the 114^th minute.

“The whole game my job was to seal the box on set pieces and the ball came back. Latif made a touch towards me and when I hit it, it took a slight deflection and went into the net,” said Caldwell. “It was definitely a good time to be here and a great moment for the team.”

With three key players unavailable for the game, Bucks coach Gary Parsons changed up the lineup and used all available six subs during the game to generate offense. Michigan controlled play throughout but needed some late-game and overtime heroics to avoid the upset and advance to Saturday night’s Central Conference regional finals, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

Michigan (13-2-2) will play the Thunder Bay (Ont.) Chill, a team that knocked out the Bucks in last year’s regional finals. The Chill ousted the Chicago fire Premier, 1-0, in Friday’s first semifinal.

“The guys coming off the bench did a great job,” said Parsons. “It was that energy that we needed to get ourselves back into the game. We controlled play, but they weren’t getting it done offensively. We had to come from behind twice. We haven’t been in that position. The bench did a fabulous job getting done.

“Scott came in and score the big goal and Tommy (Catalano) has been special for us,” said Parsons. “He ties the game up and made some plays. Latif scored a goal off the bench, which was huge. What happened with Scott was he was in summer school down in Akron. We told him he could come play here when he was available and we were able to sign him.

“We needed some guys to step up and make plays late in the game and they were able to do that,” added Parsons.

Des Moines was able to do something that no other team had done against the Bucks in an in-state game this season — score on the Central Conference’s top seed at home.

Chasing down a long clear to the opposite corner, the Menace’s Lebogang Moloto beat his mark and slipped a cross through traffic to John Sosa, who headed the ball of the crossbar and then straight to the ground. Sosa’s shot was ruled to have crossed the goal line, giving the fourth-seeded Menace a 1-0 lead in the 45^th minute.

Michigan outshot Des Moines 24-9 from the game, including 11-6 with shots directly on goal, and held a commanding 9-2 edge on cornerkicks. It was such a restart that the Bucks were able to convert and finally knotted the game at 89:58.

On a controversial call, the Bucks picked up back-to-back cornerkicks, with Tom Mellor’s serve into the box on the second corner headed home by Tommy Catalano just seconds before stoppage time. It was Catalano’s team-leading 11^th goal of the season.

In overtime, the Menace took another one-goal lead when Sosa was dragged down from behind in the penalty box and converted the ensuing penalty kick in the 98^th minute. Michigan’s Kofi Opare was ejected on the play.

The Bucks again had the answer in the 110^th minute, when Alashe deposited a cross from Catalano, which set the stage for Caldwell’s game winner minute later.

Des Moines’ Sosa was ejected for arguing a call in the second overtime, as both teams played the rest of the extra session with 10 players.

Mitch Hildebrandt finished with four saves for Michigan, while Jhojan Obando turned aside eight shots for Des Moines.

Menace coach Laurie Calloway felt that the game was intense and competitive but full of “phantom calls” which went against his team.

“I thought it was a great game, until the referee lost control,” he said. “Let’s face it, the bad cornerkick led to the equalizer. What can you do. That’s the (way it is). We’re playing with inexperienced referees in a developmental league. We let the crowd get to us.

“I don’t mind playing in this type of atmosphere if it’s fair,” continued Calloway. “The two cornerkicks obviously I have no idea where he got that one from. The second one their guy played it out of bounds. They got another cornerkick and they got a goal from that.”

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Tags: Michigan Bucks, Premier Developmental League

Category: Campus Clips, Colleges / Other, Michigan Bucks