BOYS SOCCER: Everest Collegiate peaking at right time, advances to second straight regional finals
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
MADISON HEIGHTS — It’s not how you start, but how you finish. Clarkston Everest Collegiate is living proof to that theory.
After graduating two key defensemen and starting goalkeeper from a team that finished 15-4-1 last year, the Mountaineers had to do some quick retooling of their lineup at the beginning of this shortened season — and they didn’t have those early-season non-league games in August to answer those question marks.
Everest Collegiate started the campaign 1-3-1 and looked far from the unit that made a run to the Division 4 Final Four last November.
The Mountaineers have been playing a solid brand of soccer as of late, and have long since plugged some holes from the beginning of the season and reloaded their lineup. Everest Collegiate made Riverview Gabriel Richard its fifth straight victim Tuesday night, topping the Pioneers 3-0 in a regional semifinal at Madison Heights Bishop Foley Catholic.
Everest Collegiate (9-5-2) will take on Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett (12-1-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the regional trophy, also at Bishop Foley. Liggett advanced with a 6-2 victory in the second game Tuesday over previously-unbeaten Royal Oak Shrine Catholic.
“We lost our starting goalie, who was very good last year, and we also lost two of our starting defenders, so I think it took some time to kind of rebuild our defense a little bit and move guys around back there,” said Everest Collegiate coach John Haezebrouck. “We lost some games early, but I think we’re playing a lot better now.
“I thought we moved the ball very well. We communicated and we didn’t give up much defensively,” continued Haezebrouck. “We never really allowed them to gain much momentum and offensively once we scored we really started to attack well.”
Everest Collegiate scored two first-half goals and added a late insurance tally against Gabriel Richard in advancing to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.
Senior midfielder Dominic Cross set up what proved to be the game-winner, when he beat a defender on the right side, slotted a ball across the penalty box, and sophomore forward Luke Walker was in the left corner of the box to uncork his shot into the goal with 11:42 left in the first half.
Junior midfielder Lucas Cross, an All-State First Team selection last season, scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season when his left-footed blast from 22 yards out curled into the far post for a 2-0 advantage with 2:32 remaining before the intermission.
The Mountaineers scored a third goal with 3:04 remaining in the game. After Cross was taken down in the box from behind while attempting to shoot the ball, senior midfielder Anthony Felix blasted home the ensuing penalty kick to cap the scoring.
“I thought we dominated possession tonight,” said Haezebrouck. “We had a ton of chances and I think we could have scored more. Their goalie did a nice job, keeping them close. I am proud of these boys for putting it together and make another run. We’ve only lost once in the last (month).”
Senior goalkeeper John Suran, also a standout on the Mountaineers football team, notched the shutout on two saves. The clean sheet was the sixth of the season and third in the last four games for Everest Collegiate, which will need to be at the top of its game to upset University-Liggett in the regional finals.
“Liggett is very good. They brought back a lot of players and they are very good up top,” noted Haezebrouck. “They also have a really good playmaker in the midfield, (Stewart) Smith, who is kind of their engine. We’ll need to find a way to slow them down. Last year they beat us in the semifinals. Hopefully we can have a better showing against them this time.”
Liggett upended the Mountaineers 5-0 in the state semifinals last season and finished as the state runner-up after losing to Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 1-0 in a shootout in the D-4 title game.
Under slick, rainy and cold conditions, Everest Collegiate dominated Gabriel Richard, who was missing two key starts to injury, including its leading goal scorer. The Pioneers never even attempted a shot until there was 28:30 remaining in the half when a shot hit the top of the crossbar, dropped into the goal-mouth and Everest’s Suran covered up the rebound attempt.
Gabriel Richard was making its first regional appearance since 2001. A once state powerhouse program that captured the Class C-D crown in 1993, finished as the state runner-up in both 1991 and 1997, reached the regional finals in 1992 and lost in the regional semifinals in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 — the Pioneers have been ice cold in the postseason until this year.
Gabriel Richard (6-5-1) also had its four-game win streak snapped with this loss.
“We finally beat (Allen Park) Inter-City Baptist in our district and we haven’t been this far in 19 years,” noted Gabriel Richard coach Eric Perilla. “This group has changed some things and I’ve been with these guys for three years now. We finally got back to the regionals and I thought we had a chance. But we were missing a couple of players, one who (was out sick) and he was one of our goal scorers. The other had a hip-flexer in our district final last week and wasn’t ready to go. We were really missing those guys today.”
Everest Collegiate dominated possession, posting a lopsided 27-6 shots edge in the game, including 21-2 with shots on frame. The Mountaineers also held a 8-1 differential on cornerkicks and did not allow the Pioneers to even attempt a shot in the first half.
Gabriel Richard senior goalkeeper Kyle Paoletti kept the Pioneers close, as he collected 18 saves in the game.
“He has been amazing for us all year. He’s just been rock solid and he’s left some big shoes to fill for whoever does assume that role moving forward. And our back line stepped up, I’ve been very happy with how they’ve played,” added Perilla.
Category: Clarkston Everest Catholic, High School, High School (M-Z), Most Recently Updated Stories, Prep Wraps, Soccer, Sport, Top Stories, Uncategorized
