Early-season Salem-Canton clash enhances rivalry’s legacy
Salem’s Thomas Repp hurdles a fallen Canton player in pursuit of the ball Wednesday night.
How safe is a 3-0 lead when two fiercely competitive rivals are squaring off on a Plymouth-Canton Educational Park soccer pitch?
Barely safe enough for Salem during Wednesday night’s riveting, momentum-shifting rollercoaster ride.
The Rocks improved to 2-0 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association’s West Division by holding on for dear life against Canton (0-1-1), which nearly erased a three-goal deficit with a furious second-half rally.
The rare pre-first-day-of-school encounter between the P-CEP campus neighbors appeared early as if the Rocks would win in a landslide.
Two goals from sophomore Chase Lieb that were sandwiched around an unassisted net-finder off a corner kick by Bryan Baker staked the Rocks to its massive lead in the game’s first 44 minutes.
Baker’s perfectly-struck corner smashed into the far post before caroming into the net.
To check out video highlights from Wednesday’s thriller, click here.
Cobras kept coming
Instead of throwing in the red towel, the Cobras ramped up the pressure in the second half and cut the Rocks’ advantage to 3-2 thanks to goals from Maksim Argot Ulyanova and Siddh Patil.
Ulyanova scored when he tapped in a rebound from the shadow of the cross-bar. Patil’s goal was a gem as he one-timed a corner kick from a improbable angle a few yards right of the right post.
As dusk settled on the game and the night, Canton senior Mason Genthe’s free kick from near mid-field had danger written all over before Salem keeper Cooper Austin leapt high to bat the ball out of harm’s way as Ulyanova elevated toward the ball with intentions to knot the game with a header.
To check out Austin’s lead-preserving save, click here.
A hard-charging Ulyanova came within inches of subduing the Rocks’ first-half mojo when he headed a looping Genthe free kick from 35 yards out, but the well-struck shot banged off the cross-bar.
Bomgaars-to-Leib goal a beauty
Lieb’s second goal was set up by Isaac Bomgaars, who beat his defender on the right flank and slid a ground-hugging dime to his sophomore teammate. Lieb touched the ball past Canton’s diving keeper Keegan Creedon before sharing a joyful group hug with Bomgaars and several other Rock players.
The Cobras kept their feet on the gas pedal until the closing seconds, but Patil’s rush down the right side was defused with a textbook defensive play by Thomas Repp. As the clock hit 0:00 seconds later, Al-Khatib and Patil collapsed momentarily on the turf after their valiant comeback bid fell just short.
Austin’s second-best save of the night unfolded late in the first half when he dove to smother the rolling ball 10 yards from the goal line just before Canton’s Ari Tsikaris could make contact with the loose sphere.
Creedon denies Fletcher’s bending effort
Among Creedon’s highlight-reel stops was a leaping deflection of Grant Fletcher’s bending free kick from 40 yards out.
The Rocks and Cobras will return to action at Saturday’s Gary Balconi Invitational — the event that normally kicks off the boys soccer season.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
