ROCK ON! Salem upends Canton, secures 2nd straight district title
Salem junior keeper Addilyn Messer secures the ball after colliding with Canton forward Emily Fagerman.
Welcome to Fowler-ville, the unofficial name of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park’s west turf field during Friday’s MHSAA district championship game featuring Salem and Canton.
Salem junior forward Lauren Fowler didn’t own the field during Friday’s dramatic encounter — just the scoreboard.
She scored both goals — the first off a brilliant assist from fellow junior Aubrey Krischano; the second on an unassisted effort — in the Rocks’ 2-0 triumph.
(Check out video of Lauren Fowler’s first goal by clicking here.)
Salem has now earned two consecutive district titles following a 20-year drought.
The Rocks advanced to Tuesday’s 7 p.m. Division 1 regional semifinal game at Dearborn High School against the winner of Saturday’s Monroe-Woodhaven match.
Fowler’s first scoring strike came in the 23rd minute after both teams’ defenses protected their respective nets with air-tight efforts.
Powerful connection
She sprinted up the heart of the pitch as Krischano slid a perfect cross that bounced twice before finding Fowler’s right foot on the goal’s doorstep.
Canton keeper Campbell Appert, who had allowed just one goal in the previous 102 minutes of the district tournament, didn’t have a chance to stop the Rocks’ potent combination of Krischano to Fowler.
Fowler’s second net-finder came with 2:19 remaining in the game when she juked a Canton defender before ripping a shot into the mesh.
“On the second one, I was going to take the ball into the corner, but thought, why not go for it and make it 2-0,” Fowler recounted.
“The first goal, Aubrey’s pass was so good, I just had to tip it in.
“It feels good winning the district again, especially against Canton because they know us so well.”
Opportunity creator
Salem Head Coach Kyle Karns heaped praise on Fowler, who netted his team’s lone goal in the Rocks’ 1-0 victory over Ann Arbor Skyline in last year’s regional semifinal.
“Lauren is a goal-scorer; she just finds ways to create opportunities,” Karns said.
“Both her goals tonight were completely different. The first one, she put herself in the right spot and finished the scoring opportunity after a great cross from Aubrey. The second one was pure creation and her ability to finish. The second goal wasn’t a tap-in by any means.”
Salem’s defensive backline of Avery VanWashennova, Ainsley Mayer, Peighton Wagner and Isabelle Prantera was stellar all night, making the night relatively uneventful for keeper Addilyn Messer, who was rock solid on the rare occasions the ball managed to squeak through the back wall.
“Our backline did a great job tonight; they’ve been outstandeing all year,” Karns said. “They really do a great job of limiting our opponents’ scoring opportunities.
“When Addilyn does have to make a save, she’s ready.”
The game marked the final high school game for 17 Canton seniors, who could walk off the pitch with their heads held high following outstanding prep careers.
“I thought Canton played really well, which was no surprise,” Karns said. “We play them so often, we know what we’re going to get — an 80-minute battle.”
Even an elite effort wasn’t enough, though, Friday night for visitors to Fowler-ville — a place where players wearing royal blue thrived.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
