As an underdog entering their first round boys’ soccer district matchup against Powers Catholic on October 9, Birch Run clearly had a strategy.
The Panthers had a compact approach, surrounding their keeper and trying to limit Powers from getting scoring opportunities. And for a few minutes, they had some success thanks largely to freshman goalie Tyler Licht making four nice saves in the first 14 minutes of the game.
That success didn’t last long, though, as the patience of Powers’ attack quickly seized control and wore down Birch Run’s defense en route to an 8-0 win.
“I thought that the Birch Run team was really organized defensively,” said Powers coach Paul Stravato. “And (they were) trying to prevent us from getting opportunities. I think we adjusted well in finding ways through them.”
The scoring was started by senior Revan Helal, who put a header past Licht on a nice pass from Aiden Walsh just under 15 minutes into the first half.
“They were going to let us have the ball and make sure they had numbers goal-side and a lot of support defensively in the middle of the field,” Stravato said. “We’ve played a pretty tough schedule and been under a lot of duress in some of the games we’ve played, so I think when we had the ball, we were able to figure it out and play the chess match. I don’t think anybody really got frustrated, we just kept at it.”
Junior William Bade rebounded his own shot after it hit the crossbar and scored with 18:28 left in the first half. Senior Reagan Cameron hit a long shot from about 30 yards away from the keeper just two minutes later to make it 3-0.
Helal scored his second goal of the game after fighting through three defenders to make it 4-0 with just over 15 minutes left in the half, followed by Cameron’s second goal on another long shot just two minutes later to put Powers up 5-0. Junior Colin Johnson scored with 3:48 left in the half to give the Chargers a 6-0 halftime lead.
The large lead allowed Stravato to play more reserves, including some younger players who had been called up to the roster for the playoffs. Even with their less experienced lineup in to start the second half, the results stayed the same. Powers controlled the ball and continued to put pressure on Birch Run’s keeper.
“It felt great to get some players that don’t play as much some more playing time,” said senior Grant Roberts. “It felt great to just kind of get warm out there, and then just get ready for what’s to come. They (the reserves who played) all work really hard. We all practice together and it’s a hundred percent always is the mentality we have.”
Junior Ethan Pfeiffer scored on a rebound to make it 7-0 11 minutes into the second half, and junior Lincoln Rainney ended the game on a breakaway to make it 8-0 just minutes later. Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) rules invoke a mercy rule if a team gets an eight goal lead in the second half.
“On any team, successful players are going to be able to deal with contact and fight through it and keep the ball,” Stravato said. “When they’re defending in a compact nature like that, the wide areas are where all the space is. So we were able to exploit the wide areas and then attack from there and I think that helped us score a few goals.”
Starting districts with an impressive showing is an important first step, but Powers has larger goals this season. The team is typically among the best soccer teams in the state, and they are currently ranked No. 3 in the most recent MHSAA Division 3 soccer rankings. With an experienced roster leading them to a 13-6-3 record, including four straight wins, they have reason to be optimistic while also treating each opponent as capable of winning.
Powers advances to play Caro on October 13 and also has a tough Frankenmuth team, currently ranked No. 9 in Division 3, in their bracket as well.
“In this district, we’re in the semis now and there are good teams left,” Stravato said. “I would say that the top ranked team in the district (besides Powers) is Frankenmuth, so that’s one (tough opponent). But we can’t, we can’t look past our next opponent. We just have to be ready for Monday and the next game up. We have to get over the hurdles and keep going.”
Even with an eye on larger goals, Powers crossed one big one off their list with a 2-1 win over rival Grand Blanc earlier this month to clinch the Saginaw Valley League title. That win was even more special because they won in Grand Blanc and ended the Bobcats’ streak of three straight league titles.
“That was the greatest sports experience in my life,” Roberts said. “It was so much fun.”
“The league title, that’s great for the kids,” Stravato said. “Grand Blanc’s a solid team, they defend really well and are tough to score on. It was at their place, the kids all know each other, and it was just a really competitive environment. I think it helps our mindset looking forward, having accomplished that. But the problem is, if we look at our accomplishments and we look backwards, sometimes we lose sight of the opportunity going forward. So we have to feel good about that, but use it to carry on forward.”
As Powers moves forward with its season, one of their biggest plusses at the moment is simply health. The team dealt with injuries throughout the season, but some of those players, including key scoring threat Mason Mather, have all returned recently and helped lead a strong close to the regular season.
“We just have to stay working hard, play as a team and control what you can control,” Roberts said. “We’re all great friends, we grew up together, and I love how close we are as a team.”
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