GIRLS SOCCER: Notre Dame Prep molds together first district title since 2017
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
Dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
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CLAWSON – After a season of band-aids and hodge-podge lineups due to injuries of significant players, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is starting to put it all together.
The Division 3 third-ranked Fighting Irish have molded together quite a dangerous lineup as of late and are at peak form as their district results last week indicated.
After defeating defending state champion Birmingham Detroit Country Day Wednesday (2-0), NDP surged back with a dominating effort over 10th-ranked Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the form of a 5-1 victory Friday over the fellow Irish in the district finals at Clawson City Park.
Notre Dame Prep last won a district in 2017 when the Irish were up in Division 2. NDP reached the regional finals that season before being upset by Linden (3-2). The drought last five years.
“There was a time in the middle of the season or right after spring break when we weren’t ourselves,” admitted NDP coach Jim Stachura. “We had some injuries and some key players out of the lineup, and we weren’t playing well. I think now that we have almost everyone back healthy, we are starting to see the team I envisioned earlier in the (school) year.”
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s girls soccer team captured the district crown Friday with a 5-1 victory over Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard.
The Irish (15-4-3) have now won seven in a row and enter Tuesday’s regional semifinals at home against Warren Regina (5 p.m.) on a bit of a hot streak. Notre Dame Prep has outscored the opposition 18-1 in that seven-game streak, have outscored its foes 25-5 over the last 10 games with an 8-1-1 record in that stretch. Overall, the Irish have outscored its 22 opponents by a 50-13 margin with 13 total shutouts – and seven shutouts in the last eight games where they have surrendered only one goal.
“We’re playing some of our best soccer right now and that’s what you want to be doing in the tournament. You want to beat the teams you should and be prepared for the tough games,” added Stachura. “We really came to play against Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. We were up 6-0 at the half and it could have been 8-0. We really took it to them and they were ranked 10th in the state.
Mary Timko scored the first goal, followed by tallies from Norra Silver, Marisa Ricci, Silver and McKenzie Scherle. Silver finished with two goals and two assists, while Timko had a goal and an assist to lead the way.
Michelle Pieper earned the win in net on five saves, allowing only a second-half goal after the NDP’s coaching staff emptied its bench and played 24 total players.
Having a full lineup helps. We have a few players that have comes back from injuries and we’re really starting to play well,” noted Stachura. “Having Mary Timko back really helps. She was All-State (Third Team) last year. We’re really starting to move with all of the pieces of the puzzle finally here.
“We have a big game coming up against Regina,” continued the coach. “They have some really nice players and are ranked sixth I believe. They should be a nice challenge for us.
“It’s nice to bring the (district) trophy back after not winning one for a few years,” noted Stachura, who was at the helm in 2016 when NDP captured the Division 2 state title. “It’s been five years since we’ve won a district.”
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