8 IS ENOUGH: Plymouth mercies Churchill in KLAA tournament
Plymouth freshman Samantha Humes, who later scored a goal, advances the ball up the sideline during Thursday’s victory over Churchill.
There could be silver lining looming for the Plymouth girls soccer team’s 2025 season.
On Thursday night, the Wildcats dominated Livonia Churchill in the first round of the inaugural Kensington Lakes Activities Association’ tournament, earning a semifinal berth set for May 13 at Livonia Franklin.
For the first time in conference history, the top four teams in the KLAA’s two eight-team divisions were placed in the Gold Division and seeded depending on their regular-season records.
The eight non-Gold teams were placed in the Silver Division.
Sites set on Silver title
A victory over Franklin would propel the Wildcats into the Silver final against the winner of the May 13 Livonia Stevenson-Westland John Glenn match.
Remarkably, the eight goals by Plymouth on Thursday were scored by eight different players — a testament to the Wildcats’ balance.
A pair of freshman — Samantha Humes and Celia Krzyzowski — netted the winners’ first two goals, with Humes’ coming at the 37:29 mark, just over 10 minutes before Krzyzowski’s net-finder.
Junior Maria Capaldi — who golfs for the Wildcats’ perennially strong links team in the fall — converted a centering pass from Lenna Seed 12:34 before halftime to cushion Plymouth’s lead to 3-0.
(To check out a video of Capaldi’s impressive goal, click here.)
Strong-footed Armstrong scores
Junior Niyah Armstrong capped the first-half scoring with a perfectly-placed shot from about 30 yards out that zoomed between the outstretched fingertips of Churchill keeper Brigitte Chick and the bottom of the cross-bar six minutes before halftime.
Four more Wildcats got into the scoring act in the second half as Abby Kuehneman, Kenleigh Ball, Camryn Wingrove and Samantha Portman all ripped shots into the back of the net.
Wildcat freshman keeper Ashleigh Meldrum registered the shutout as she was rarely challenged thanks to Plymouth’s well-orchestrated defense.
Plymouth won despite playing without two of its top performers: Victoria Powell and Emma Johnson.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
