BOYS SOCCER: Clarkston has Adams’ number to ousts Highlanders
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
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CLARKSTON — It’s safe to say that Clarkston has Rochester Adams’ number on the soccer pitch.
The unranked Wolves pulled off the upset of Adams in a Division 1 pre-district Monday — the second straight season Clarkston pulled off that feat. This time it came in a 3-2 shootout win over the No. 2-ranked Highlanders, the three-time defending OAA Red Division champions.
Clarkston (9-6-5) upset Adams 2-1 in last year’s district opener when the Highlanders were ranked fourth in Division 1. The Wolves won the shootout with a 4-3 edge to send them into Wednesday’s 5 p.m. district semifinals at Rochester against Oxford, a 6-0 winner Monday over Waterford Kettering.
It marked the fourth time in five years the two OAA Red Division rivals faced off in the postseason.
“Unbelievable,” smiled Clarkston coach Curtis Payment. “We got them again. We just battled, tied it and then when you get to a shootout anything can happen.”
Junior Noah Bridgeman, the same goalkeeper that starred in last year’s upset, was back at it again in shootout. Bridgeman stoned the Highlanders’ Alex Kim and Ryan Alda on their first two attempts and the Wolves converted their first, second, fourth and fifth shots to prevail.
Ethan Wise, Michael Weiler, Patrick Farrell and Brady Dickens converted in the shootout for Clarkston, which has been involved in several one-goal games this season.
“Hats off to my team, they played great tonight,” said Bridgeman. “I just did my part.
“I knew some of the Adams players through club,” continued Bridgeman. “I knew what way their first shooter Kim was going and I guessed right on their second guy.”
Farrell gave Clarkston a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute when he finished off a cross from Wise, only to see Adams’ Ben Champine tie the game in the 70th minute.
Alda scored four minutes into the first extra season to give the Highlanders (11-6-2) a 2-1 advantage.
Clarkston began applying pressure during the second overtime session, which resulted in Wise’s free kick into the box that was headed home by Maclain Zaremba with 5:27 remaining to force the shootout.
“Our guys are resilient. They never give up,” said Payment. “ We beat a really good team tonight. They won our league the last three years. We just keep attacking and we look to score off free kicks. That’s what we’ve been working on all season. It’s definitely one of our strengths.”
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