BOYS SOCCER: Liggett ends Everest’s dream run in D-4 state semifinals
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
TROY — It’s been two decades since Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett ruled the roost in Division 4 soccer.
The second-ranked Knights are headed back to the Division 4 finals for the first time since 1999, which is also the last time University-Liggett won a state title.
The Knights scored five times in the final 32 minutes Wednesday and rolled to a 5-0 victory over unranked and first-time state semifinalist Clarkston Everest Collegiate in a Division 4 showdown at Troy Athens.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate’s Lucas Cross (left) battles Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett’s Markus Wiegel for possession during Wednesday’s state semifinals.
It will mark University-Liggett’s eighth trip to the state finals. The Knights won state titles in 1982 (Class D), 1983 (Class B-C), 1986 (Class C) and 1999 (Division 4), while they finished as the state runner-up in 1987 (C-D), 1994 (C-D) and 1996 (D).
‘It’ nice to be going back because it’s been a while,” said Liggett coach David Dwaihy. “In the first half we really didn’t create many chances because of individual efforts. (Everest) is very difficult to break down. We talked a little bit at halftime of the importance of keeping the ball on the ground with the slippery conditions. We knew that was the only way we were going to crack them open. Sure enough we got those two nice passes for breakaways. I think in a game like this when there’s so much pressure. I think once you score one you play more relaxed. We were able to put a few more in after that.”
Liggett will face fourth-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian at 3 p.m. Saturday at Novi in the Division 4 finals. WMC, which defeated fifth-ranked Dansville, 2-1, in the other semifinal, will be making its 14th title-game appearance and is 6-7 in state finals games.
“We don’t really have any common opponents and don’t really know much about them,” said Dwaihy. “We certainly know that they are an amazing program and we’ll go into it and see where we stack up.”
After a scoreless first half against Everest Collegiate, Liggett began attacking with a flurry and junior Sheikh Manneh scored a pair of goals in a span of 3:42 span to open the flood gates. He got in behind the Everest defense twice and scored breakaway goals with 31:07 and 27:25 remaining, respectively, which proved to be an insurmountable peak for the Mountaineers to overcome.
Senior Matthew Summers upped the Liggett lead to 3-0 with 17:36 to go when he laced a direct free kick into the goal from 19 yards out.
Senior Nolan Ondersma made it 4-0 with 15:56 remaining when he chipped in a shot from 25 yards out.
The Knights (18-2-1) capped the scoring with 7:32 left when sophomore Alex George ripped in a shot from 22 yards out.
Junior Sam Sword made three saves for Liggett’s 10th clean sheet of the season.
“For me who works with these boys day-in and day-out is great. It’s such a nice group of boys. They are so selfless and to be rewarded for this, to (be able to) make a run and get to play in the (state) finals is incredible.”
It marked the end of Everest’s Collegiate’s best season in school history. The Mountaineers (15-4-1) captured their first district and regional in the program’s short-lived nine-year lore — and Everest surrendered only nine goals all season until Liggett’s five-goal explosion.
“When they finally scored, we had to push another guy forward trying to get a goal back and they were able to finish a few more,” said Everest Collegiate coach John Haezebrouck. “When they were up 2-0, it’s a challenge to come back.
“I am super proud of all their effort,” continued Haezebrouck. “For a team that five years ago had just one win and now is in the Final Four, it’s incredible. I told them they can be disappointed in this result, but not to hang our heads at all. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win a district championship. We got that and then we pushed for the regional and got that. They can always look back and say we were one of the Final Four teams in the division.”
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