Longtime Salem soccer teammates share pitch-perfect friendship

One day in the next month or so, the long, fun-filled and successful playing-soccer-together years of Salem senior teammates Lauren Fowler and Aubrey Krischano will come to end.

Who knows, it may be the day of the MHSAA Division 1 state championship game in East Lansing … or sooner.

One thing is for sure, though: After that last game is played, Fowler and Krischano’s friendship will persevere for decades to come.

“Ten years from now, if we’re not living close to one another, which I hope isn’t the case, and we randomly see each other at a store or someplace, the first thing we’d probably do is hug and then do the handshake we came up with together,” Krischano said.

Growing up together

Teammates since early elementary school when their soccer prowess first started to take shape as members of a Plymouth Reign club team, Krischano and Fowler have developed a prolific one-two combination on the pitch.

Both skilled ball-handlers, next-level passers and scorers, the dynamic duo have served as leaders — both in statistics and in off-the-pitch guidance counselors, or sorts, for their younger teammates.

“Both Aubrey and Lauren bring so much to the table,” said Salem Head Coach Kyle Karns. “Both on the field and in a leadership role — they’re both captains — they’re going to be hard to replace next year.

“They’ve both made such huge contributions to our program the past four years. Most importantly, they’ve strengthened the belief in team over individuals. When they score, they emphasize we not me scored.”

Luck of the draw

The pair were club teammates for multiple years before they found out which Plymouth-Canton Educational Park high school they would attend based on a random draw that could have sent them to Salem, Canton or Plymouth.

“When the results of the draw came out, our parents had a text chain going, so we knew we both drew Salem, which was very exciting,” Fowler remembered. “Five or six of our Reign teammates also drew Salem, which was perfect.”

Fowler and Krischano mesh like peanut butter and jelly on the pitch, often assisting on the other’s goals.

Although they’ve played together for over a decade, their friend’s superior skills still amaze both of them.

‘Such an amazing turn’

During a recent match against Canton, Krischano dribbled around of pair of Cobra defenders before sliding a pin-point pass across the pitch to Fowler, who settled the ball before turning to her left and launching a rope that settled into the back of the net.

“I’ve seen Lauren do some amazing things on the soccer pitch, but I was not expecting that,” said Krischano, smiling, while reflecting on Fowler’s highlight-reel goal. “That was such an amazing turn; I think it caught all of us off guard. I remember jumping as high as I could, I was so excited.”

Only sophomores, the duo played key roles in helping Salem advance to the MHSAA Division 1 Final Four in 2024.

“One of the plays I remember most about that run was when we were playing Canton in the district semis,” Krischano reflected. “They had beat us earlier in the season and we were losing 1-0, and they were already celebrating a win.

“Just before the game was temporarily stopped because there was lightning in the area, I rolled in a goal to tie it and we got all hyped up. When the delay was over, Lauren banged in a shot from way far out to win it. Those are great memories.”

Energizer bunnies

Among Fowler’s most-memorable goals came in a regional game against Ann Arbor Skyline. With the match scoreless, she intercepted a Skyline clearing pass 30 yards from the net near the left sideline.

One dribble and one rising right-footed rocket later, Fowler scored to record the intense match’s lone goal, sending Salem into the regional final against Grosse Pointe South.

“It takes so much energy to get a goal,” explained Fowler, who leads Salem in scoring this season (Krischano was tied with senior Alex L’Heureux for second in goals earlier this month). “But once you shoot and you see the ball go into the net, all that energy you expended comes back, and then you get to go hug and celebrate with your teammates.”

Emotional farewell on the horizon

Tears will no doubt be shed once Fowler and Krischano walk off a pitch as teammates for the last time.

Fowler has committed to play collegiate soccer for Wayne State University in the fall — it will be the inaugural season WSU will field a women’s soccer team. She plans on pursuing a degree in Health Sciences.

And Krischano will take her skill set to Ashland University in Ohio, where she intends, for now at least, to pursue a degree in psychology.

“If Aubrey doesn’t like Ashland, she’s coming to Wayne State to play with me,” Fowler quipped, igniting smiles from both young ladies. “I’d do anything to play four more years with her, but it just didn’t work out.”

Like peanut butter and jelly

Karns said it’s been a blast watching his two stars/friends unleash their chemistry together the past four years.

“They both have such a competitive edge and I think they use that to push each other,” he said. “Most importantly, they’re both team-first players and it shows every match they play together.

“And for two players of their ability to play on the same club team for 10 years or so is just unheard of these days. That’s why they have such great chemistry.”

After scoring an eye-popping goal against Dearborn earlier this month, Fowler was surrounded by joyful teammates whose smiles reflected the admiration they have for their high-scoring senior captain.

Unbridled joy

As the group hug broke up, Krischano and Fowler stepped away for a second and exchanged a well-choreographed handshake before capping it with a spinning dance move.

The same celebration they’ll no doubt share 10 years from now if they meet up again in a random reunion at a store or a restaurant.

The celebration will be the kind of moment that reminds us all that they were teammates for a long time, but friends for life.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.