BOYS SOCCER: Adams advances to Elite Eight with win over Bloomfield Hills
BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
FRASER — Experience is an ingredient that one cannot teach in practice.
It’s also one of the true strengths for Rochester Adams on the soccer pitch this season.
The Highlanders, a senior-laden team, kept their postseason hopes alive Wednesday, topping short-handed and unranked Bloomfield Hills, 1-0, in a Division 1 regional semifinal at Fraser High School.
Third-ranked Adams (16-6-3) advanced to its third straight regional final and fourth in seven years and will have a 4:30 p.m. date Friday at Fraser with fourth-ranked Utica Ford, a 2-0 winner over Utica Eisenhower in the other semifinal Wednesday.
Junior Dylan Brown was rarely tested in recording his 11th shutout of the season and the Highlanders 13th overall. Adams, which reached the state finals last season and the regional finals two years ago, has yet to yield a goal this postseason.
“We are very focused. We had a game plan and we came out and executed it,” offered Adams coach Josh Hickey. “we possessed very well, we attacked and we scored when we had the chance. We did what we needed to do.
“Our defense was solid again tonight. We didn’t give up much,” continued Hickey. “We have a ton of experience on this team. They have been here before. And when you play the type of schedule we have, not much phases these guys.”
Senior forward Lennart Zorn scored the game’s only goal with 16:10 left in the first half. Sophomore Alex Kim’s serve into the box was redirected home from close range.
It was Zorn’s team-leading 17th goal of the season.
Adams (16-6-3) controlled play throughout the contest, consistently thwarting the Blackhawks’ counter attack. The Highlanders outshot Bloomfield Hills (9-9-4) by an 11-2 count, including 6-1 with shots on frame, and even held a 9-1 edge on corner kicks.
Adams nearly added an insurance tally with 16:13 left, but senior Cameron Vogt’s shot sailed just wide of the post.
Bloomfield Hills won its third straight district, but had multiple starters out in the later stages of the campaign and could not match up with Adams, which is one win away from its sixth Final Four.
UTICA FORD 2, UTICA EISENHOWER 0: Ford scored a pair of first-half goals and Frank Catanzaro made for saves for the shutout in the Falcons’ regional semifinal win at Fraser.
Robert Wist and Zac Waldorf scored for the Falcons (18-2-2). Alejandro Steinwascher and Javier Steinwascher picked up assists for Ford.
Eisenhower finished the season 15-5-3.
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