Salem earns classic 3-2 double-OT district final triumph over Plymouth
Members of Salem’s soccer team pose with their MHSAA District 10 championship trophy Friday night.
With 48 seconds remaining in the second overtime period, and Salem and Plymouth deadlocked at 2-2, Friday’s MHSAA District 10 championship match was begging for a hero.
Salem junior super-sub Omar Algahaim answered the call with a goal straight out of a video game.
With a PK shootout looming, Algahaim, who was inserted into the lineup due to teammates suffering from leg cramping, settled the ball about 25 yards from the goal and ripped a David Beckham-esque bender that barely eluded Plymouth’s diving keeper Evan Gaylord before caroming off the right post and into the back of the net, igniting a jubilant celebration on the Salem sideline.
“I’ve never had a goal like this; nothing even close,” said Algahaim. “It was pretty surreal.”
(Check out a postgame interview with Omar Algahaim and a look at his game-winning goal by clicking here.)
Pioneer on deck for Salem
With the win, the Rocks advance to Tuesday’s Region 3 semifinal against Ann Arbor Pioneer. The game is set for the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park campus, although a specific field was not yet available as of this writing.
Tuesday’s match-up should be a doozy as Pioneer brings a 20-3 record into the match while Salem is 16-3-2.
Plymouth struck first Friday night when senior Henry Maitland headed the ball into the back of the net in the game’s first 10 minutes.
Salem scored the equalizer moments later when Tyler Veresh rocketed a diving header into the net off an assist from senior Alex Zurmuehlen.
Veresh strikes again
Veresh’s second goal of the match with 90 seconds left in the first half gave the Rocks their first lead, 2-1.
Early in the second half, the Wildcats stayed within a goal of Salem thanks to the heroics of Gaylord, who turned away two point-blank shots in a matter of seconds.
Plymouth re-tied the game with 14:31 left on a successful penalty kick by Anthony Ljubervski.
Both teams had multiple chances to score toward the end of regulation play, but the defenses came up big — especially Gaylor and Salem senior net-minder Peter Demetter.
From super-sub to hero for a day
Following a scoreless 10-minute first overtime, both teams mounted threats throughout the second 10-minute extra session, but the scoreboard remained at 2-2 until Algahaim’s stunner found its way to the back of the net.
Plymouth didn’t pose a real scoring threat during the final 48 seconds, leading to an epic celebration by the Rocks.
Salem won the two teams’ lone regular-season match-up, 1-0.
The Rocks and Pioneers did not meet during their 2026 regular seasons.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
