HAIL TO THE CHIEFS! Surging Canton wins coveted ‘Park’ crown
Canton’s soccer team celebrates after Scarlett Nuechterlein’s goal gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead over Salem.
More often than not it seems, whenever Canton junior mid-fielder Scarlett Nuechterlein launches one of her patented rainbow shots from 30-plus yards from the net, a pot of gold (translation: goal) is waiting at the other end.
Nuechterlein’s clouds-skimming floater with 17 minutes and 31 seconds left in the first half of Canton’s Park championship-deciding match against Salem Tuesday night barely eluded the outstretched gloved hands of Rock goak-keeper Morganne Jones and touched down inside the net, breaking a scoreless duel and igniting the Chiefs’ 2-0 victory.
The win cemented Canton’s second-place standing in the talent-loaded KLAA West Division. The Chiefs will cap their KLAA season 7 p.m. Thursday at Belleville.
Finishing 9-1-4 in the division — second only to 10-1-3 Hartland — Canton closed its KLAA season by not losing a game since April 9.
To check out video highlights from Tuesday’s match, click here.
Rocks steady
The Rocks, who finished fourth in the West with a 6-3-5 record, needed to defeat the Chiefs Tuesday night to claim the coveted silver P-CEP trophy that goes to the campus team that registers the best record in the three schools’ round-robin divisional games.
Plymouth finished seventh in the West with a 3-9-2 mark, but there are few teams that feel comfortable stepping on the pitch against the Wildcats, who earned draws against their two P-CEP rivals this spring. Five of Plymouth’s nine divisional losses came by one goal.
Canton senior goal-keeper Julia Tasker, who will play collegiate soccer for the University of Michigan-Dearborn — secured her ninth shutout of the season against the high-powered Rocks.
Tasker’s most-impressive save Tuesday unfolded late in the first half when she stonewalled a laser delivered by Lauren Fowler, who had sprinted behind the Canton defense.
Important insurance
Canton added a huge insurance goal with 28:30 to play when Nora Schley’s bending corner kick was directed into the net by teammate Sydney Bohn, who was magnificent on defense as well for the winners.
All three P-CEP teams will compete in an MHSAA Division 1 district tournament hosted by Livonia Stevenson beginning next week.
Salem and Plymouth will meet in a quarterfinal match Wednesday, May 22, at 4 p.m. (according to MHSAA.com) at one of the P-CEP fields. The winner will advance to play top-seeded Canton in a semifinal showdown May 28 at 5 p.m. at Livonia Stevenson.
The other side of the district’s brackets features quarterfinal matches featuring Northville against Stevenson (May 22 at 5 p.m. at Stevenson) and Livonia Franklin against Livonia Churchill (May 22 at 7 p.m. at Franklin).
The district annually is regarded as one of the talent-stocked tournaments in the state.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
