BOYS SOCCER: Midland Calvary stuns top-ranked Rochester Hills Christian for MACS Division I state title
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BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
CLARKSTON — Soccer is a game of finishing. It doesn’t matter how many attempts a team creates over the course of a game, not finishing chances leaves the door open for the opposition to steal away a win.
It happened Saturday at Clarkston Springfield Christian, site of the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state finals.
Rochester Hills Christian, the top-ranked team all season, dominated play for most of the contest against sixth-ranked Midland Calvary Baptist. In the end, it was Midland Calvary that finished one grand chance and came away with a 1-0, double-overtime upset to earn its first state title since 2001.
LOOKING FOR SPACE: Rochester Hills Christian senior midfielder Christian Oly brings the ball upfield past Midland Calvary Baptist’s Micah Harris during Saturday’s MACS Division I state title game. Courtesy Photo | Amy Zolno
It marked Midland Calvary’s fifth state crown in a 30-year span. Rochester Hills Christian played in its eighth state title game in 25 seasons but came up short in its bid to repeat and bid for a sixth crown. The Eagles won four straight from 1989-92, also won last year and finished as the runner-up in 1993, 2011 and now this season.
Sophomore Jeremiah Altenburg scored with 3:30 left in the second overtime to lift the Kings to the stunner of the defending state champions, who were playing in their third straight state title game.
RCH defeated Davison Faith Baptist, 1-0, in a shootout in last season’s title match, while Davison Faith edged Rochester Hills Christian, 2-1, in the 2011 MACS-I finals.
“I can’t explain it,” sighed Rochester Hills Christian coach Jerry Slota. “I never have seen a team take so many shots on another team and never score a goal. We had (24 shot attempts) in the first half alone. We just couldn’t score. It’s so disappointing. We controlled play for virtually all of regulation.”
Rochester Hills Christian outshot Midland Calvary 40-12 in the contest, including 25-8 with shots on frame. It marked the first time this season that the Eagles (14-7-1) had been shut out by a Michigan opponent.
Rochester Hills Christian’s Jesse Montgomery, who finished the season with a school record 44 goals and is one of the all-time most prolific goal scorers in Oakland County and state history with more than 150 career goals, was held in check by Calvary Baptist sophomore Micah Harris, who man-marked the talented sniper for most of the 100 minutes.
Rochester Hills Christian had defeated Midland Calvary three weeks ago in a non-league game, 4-2, but came up drawing blanks this time around. John Reece made 25 saves for the shutout for the Kings (11-2-1).
“We had so many shots right at their goalkeeper or wide or over the net,” said Slota. “I guess the better team won. They didn’t have that many chances but they had one really good one and they put it away. We had chance after chance after chance and could not score. Credit to them for playing hard and scoring when it counted most. It was a really nice goal. Not too many goalies would have saved that shot.”
Midland Calvary forced overtime and picked up some momentum in the extra sessions. Junior Brian Shim slipped the ball over to Altenburg, who ripped home a shot from 20 yards out that hit the upper right corner of the goal past the outstretched arms of RHC senior goalkeeper Jared Brown.
Brown, who played in three state title games as a starting netminder, finished with seven saves for the Eagles.
“We built around this team, our nine seniors, for four years now,” said Slota, who had nine seniors on a 19-player roster this season, eight that were regular starters. “We got to the semifinals when they were freshman and the finals as sophomores. We won it last season with mostly juniors and had hopes of winning it again with all of those seniors. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
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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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