GIRLS SOCCER: Notre Dame Prep avenges Flint Powers to reach first state final
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BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ORTONVILLE — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep didn’t show its best deck of cards playing in only its second state semifinals last June on the soccer pitch. In their third appearance Wednesday, the Fighting Irish more than made a statement.
Notre Dame Prep avenged a loss in last year’s Final Four, a 2-0 setback to Flint Powers Catholic, this time around by downing the Chargers in convincing fashion, 4-1, in a Division 3 girls soccer state semifinal at Ortonville Brandon.
The Fighting Irish advance to their first-ever state finals match and will face Grand Rapids South Christian at 12 p.m. Saturday at Mason High School.
“I figured we were a year older and more mature and we would have a better showing this time,” offered Notre Dame Prep coach Jim Stachura. “I thought we played fantastic, one of our best games of the year. We were all over them from the opening kickoff.”
NEXT STEP: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s Christine Scheer maneuvers around Flint Powers Catholic’s Julia Dubiel during Wednesday’s Division 3 state semifinals. Photo | Ken Swart, Swart Photography.
Notre Dame Prep (21-2-2), already establishing a new school record for wins and win percentage this season, entered the regional week ranked second in the coaches poll and will now face the top ranked team in Division 3 in South Christian.
Powers finished 10-6-1.
“We’re looking forward to that match. The girls are excited. This has been our goal all season long,” noted Stachura. “Last year we didn’t have our best game in the semis and lost to Flint Powers. This year we played much better and now we’re in the state finals. We took another step.”
Behind three first-half goals, Notre Dame Prep built a 3-0 advantage and never allowed the eighth-ranked Chargers must of a chance. Powers’ only goal came late in the contest after Stachura had cleared the bench.
Junior Taylor Timko, who should be the frontrunner for Miss Soccer 2014, assisted on three goals and wreaked havoc on the Powers defense all night. The Irish swarmed the Chargers’ net like flies on a rib roast and left no drama of which team would advance to the final day of the season.
“It’s kind of strange, not to have Taylor Timko or Lindsey Klei score for us tonight, but they do so much on the field and open up things for us,” said Stachura. “Taylor has 39 goals this season, but we are more than just her. We have other players stepping up all the time.
“I knew that Powers wasn’t has talented as last season. They lost a few players to graduation and a couple of others to ECLN (club soccer),” continued Stachura. “I think we had a little bit of a chip on our shoulders, something to prove. We wanted to go further this season and I think we have played fantastic in our run.”
Sophomore Sarah Mazur put the Irish on the board first in the 16th minute, when she blasted a feed from Timko into the net from 18 yards out. In the 28th minute, junior Gabriella Galloway finished off a breakaway pass from sophomore Christine Scheer.
In the 38th minute, Scheer again struck gold when she retrieved a pass from Timko and ripped a shot into the goal from 15 yards out.
Timko helped set up the fourth goal in the 71st minute, this time with Taylor Stinson slipping in a breakaway shot to put the Irish up four goals.
Alex Arnoldy, who finished with five saves in goal for NDP, surrendered a late goal to Powers’ Andrea Glubzinski with 4:17 to play.
Still, Notre Dame Prep had long since earned its berth in the state finals.
“We have our work cut out for us. Everything I’ve heard about South Christian is that they are very good,” noted Stachura. “I know a coach out in Grand Rapids. I need to give her a call to get a scouting report on them and try to get some film. But we’ll be ready.”
South Christian, which has allowed only nine goals all season, blanked Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 4-0, in Wednesday’s other state semifinal and improved to 15-1-3 with the win.
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