BOYS SOCCER: Adams edges Clarkston in shootout, advances to regional finals
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BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — It’s hard to call Rochester Adams an underdog in boys soccer. But after finishing fifth in the OAA Red Division this season with a young team, the Highlanders are still alive and kicking in the Division 1 postseason.
Adams picked up its sixth shutout of the season and third in the postseason, edging Clarkston 1-0 in a shootout Tuesday at Rochester High to advance to the regional finals.
Traverse City West advanced with a 2-1, double-overtime win over Walled Lake Central and will play the unranked Highlanders (10-6-6) at Midland Dow Saturday at a time to be determined for the regional championship.
NO WIGGLE ROOM: Clarkston’s Mitch Menard (left) tries to slip past Rochester Adams’ Jonathan Kmiec during Tuesday’s Division 1 regional semifinal. Photo | Ken Swart, Swart Photography
“This team has faced a lot of adversity this season,” offered Adams coach Josh Hickey. “It was always something. We had injuries all season. We lost some kids (to graduation and the U.S. Soccer Academy). But these kids are coming together.”
Adams edged Clarkston 4-3 in penalty kicks to advance. Senior goaltender Eric Mclean, who was hurt in last week’s shootout win over Utica Eisenhower and did not play during the double-overtime sessions or shootout in that district semifinals game, returned to the net and stymied senior-laden Clarkston the whole night.
For 100 minutes of play, Mclean made four saves and added two saves during the shootout, including on Clarkston’s third and fifth shooters, to keep the Highlanders’ Cinderella season very much alive.
“Both of our goalies are solid, one’s a freshman and the other’s a senior. Eric Mclean got hurt in the Eisenhower game,” added Hickey. “But he came back tonight. There’s confidence with the kids — they want him (in goal).”
With only two of the top 10 teams in Division 1 actually winning district titles in boys soccer, the door for a Cinderella run was left wide open and the Highlanders have more than seized the opportunity.
“I wouldn’t trade this team for anything,” smiled Mclean. “I know we lost some good guys, but we’re all so very close and (we’re winning games).”
Adams outshot Clarkston by a 10-5 margin overall in the defensive battle, including 8-4 with shots directly on frame, and even held a 5-2 edge on cornerkicks.
Clarkston junior goalkeeper Grant Gotaas, who starred in the Wolves’ 1-0 upset of previously-unbeaten Grand Blanc in Saturday’s district finals, collected eight saves in the contest to set up the shootout. Gotaas also made one save in the shootout.
Dylan Brown, Patrick Spike, Kevin Lencioni and Shayan Shushtari all scored for Adams in the penalty kicks, with Shushtari nailing Adams’ fifth shot to provide the winning margin.
Adams, which began the season 1-4-2, advanced to the regional finals for the first time since 2009, the last year the Highlanders reached the Final Four.
“We had a solid core on this team to begin with,” noted Hickey.” It was just us battling back. That was the main thing for us, from the beginning of the year until now. We had injuries that kept happening, causing us to have to tweak some things. We’ve had to overcome some shear adversity.
“Going to PKs isn’t the best thing, but it is what it is,” added Hickey. “We went to the wire with them and we found a way (to win).”
Clarkston (15-7-3), honorable mention in the final regular season coaches poll, loses 13 players from this team. The Wolves did not carry the same magic as Saturday when they knocked off Grand Blanc.
“We got fatigued, so the last stanza of overtime I (didn’t) mind (going to) the shootout,” said Clarkston coach Curtis Payment. “They were fatigued as well. We had a really good keeper and I thought he could come through and he did. Their (keeper) was just even better.
“PKs (stink),” added Payment. “We are holding our heads high. We competed at the highest level this season. We knocked off a really good team (in Grand Blanc) and we wanted to validate that tonight. Adams is for real. I don’t think we’re going to hold our heads low. We had a really good season.”
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FOR MORE SOCCER COVERAGE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=soccer&x=0&y=0
Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com
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