To the last minute: Faith Baptist posts stunner of defending MACS champion Troy Bethany

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

ROCHESTER HILLS — Davison Faith Baptist’s school nickname is the Eagles. Perhaps the school administration should consider changing it to the Minutemen.

Faith Baptist scored in the final minute of regulation, and on the brink of elimination, overcame a 2-0 deficit in a penalty kick shootout to escape with a 2-1 victory over defending Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state champion Troy Bethany Christian in a state semifinal at Rochester Hills Christian.

The third-ranked Eagles advance to the MACS Division I state title game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Clarkston Springfield Christian, where it will face unranked Rochester Hills Christian.

Rochester Hills toppled top-ranked Vassar Juniata Christian, 2-0, in the other semifinal contest to advance to the finals for the first time since 1993.

KEEPING IN CHECK: Davison Faith Baptist junior midfielder Jason Stebbins (left) clears the ball away from Troy Bethany Christian senior midfielder Tim Crisan during Tuesday's MACS state semifinal. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

“We just kept playing hard and we were able to get it to overtime,” smiled Davison Faith Baptist coach Mike Knakal. “When we got there, I thought we might be in trouble. They beat us pretty good in a shootout (4-1) in a game earlier this season. But (goalkeeper) Austin (Brantley) came up big.”

In the shootout, Faith Baptist (10-3-3) misfired on its first two attempts with Troy Bethany (17-4-1) converting both shots. The Eagles missed their third attempt, giving the Bruins a chance to make their third attempt and win the game.

It didn’t happen.

The shootout went seven deep with Bethany Christian missing its third, fourth, fifth and seventh attempts. Faith Baptist converted its fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh attempt to prevail, with seventh shooter Billy Wylie getting credit for the game-winner.

Brantley made three saves in the shootout with Bethany Christian’s final shot soaring harmlessly over the crossbar to send Faith Baptist to the MACS title game for the seventh time in 10 years.

“It was an awesome game,” offered Brantley, a junior. “We all worked hard and tried our best, we all played our best.”

The Eagles’ bend but don’t break defense came through to help set the stage for the shootout.

“We’ve been that way the whole year,” continued Brantley. “We have a great defense, where we all work together.

“We were able to get it to a shootout (where anything can happen),” added Brantley.

HEADS UP PLAY: TRoy Bethany Christian junior midfielder Ryan Woodham clears the ball out of danger during Tuesday's clash with Davison Faith Baptist. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

It was the second time the two teams played a shootout game this season. Troy Bethany posted a 4-1 edge on PKs at a tournament in September for a 2-1 victory over Faith Baptist.

Bethany Christian also defeated Davison Faith 2-0 in last year’s MACS title game.

“This is the first time we’ve beaten them in a few years, I think in six games,” said Knakal.

The Bruins scored first just 2:30 into the game, when Daniel Sprankle sent Noah Francis with a breakaway feed and Francis laced a shot from 20 yards out that deflected off the hand of Faith Baptist’s Brantley and spun over the goal line.

Bethany Christian continued to control play for long stretches of the game, and held a large advantage in scoring chances. The Bruins outshot Faith Baptist 24-14 overall (both teams had 11 shots directly on frame) and even held a 13-9 edge on cornerkicks, but could not convert again over the next 97 minutes.

That set up Davison Faith’s last-minute heroics.

Sophomore Nick Tungl was pushed up from defense and he scored the game-tying goal with only 40 seconds left in regulation. Picking off a pass 30 yards out, Tungle turned, dribbled once and fired a left-footed 25-yard shot that bent inside the far post to send the game into overtime.

Faith Baptist thought it scored the game winner at the end of the second overtime, but the whistle blew two seconds before the ball sailed into the net. Twenty seconds earlier, Bethany Christian’s Landon Cathers headed a ball away in front of the goal line.

CLOSING IN: Davison Faith Baptist junior Robert Slayton (No. 13) marks up Troy Bethany Christian junior Noah Francis uring first-half play Tuesday in the MACS state semifinals. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

Despite not losing to another MACS-member school in two seasons up until Tuesday’s defeat, the Bruins did not manage the pressure well in a tight game.

“I think our strength of schedule, or lack thereof, hurt us,” said Bethany Christian coach Phil Fourgere, who graduates five seniors from this year’s squad. “We did not have to play consistently at this level in a lot of our games and that hurt us. We had so many chances in this game, but we just didn’t finish after our first goal. We had them in the shootout and didn’t put it away. It’s disappointing because we had so many chances and so many cornerkicks in this game.”

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Tags: boys soccer, Davison Faith Baptist Boys Soccer, featured, high school boys soccer, Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I Boys Soccer Tournament, Prep Boys Soccer, soccer, Troy Bethany Christian Boys Soccer

Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy Bethany Christian