CRANES SWOOP INTO tourney final Cranbrook-Kingswood overcomes Mercy with 9-8 triumph in CHSL Central semi

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Cranbrook-Kingswood junior goalkeeper Wynne Gibson is lifted into the air as teammates celebrate around her following Wednesday’s 9-8 win at Farmington Hills Mercy in a CHSL Central Tournament semifinal. PHOTOSBY BRYAN EVERSON — MEDIANEWS GROUP

Mercy senior Alison Smiley looks to the goal before scoring in the final minute of Wednesday’s CHSL Central Tournament semifinal. Smiley finished with five goals but the Marlins lost 9-8 to Cranbrook-Kingswood.

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By Bryan Everson

MediaNews Group

FARMINGTON HILLS >> Cranbrook-Kingswood got a quality performance out of its netminder and survived a late push by Mercy to win Wednesday’s CHSL Central Tournament semifinal 9-8.

The Marlins hit back from a three-goal deficit in the final few minutes, but only after junior goalkeeper Wynne Gibson had made 16 saves to help carry the Cranes into Saturday night’s title game.

“It was the best game I’ve seen her play,” Cranbrook head coach Hilary Petcoff said. “It was awesome. She really shined.”

Following Mercy senior Olivia Lorelli’s goal to make it 8-6 with 9:05 remaining, her team maintained possession and probed for a number of chances as the game entered its final five minutes, at which point the Cranes elected to try and slow the tempo.

It proved an effective strategy, and Cranbrook got what turned out to be some necessary padding of the lead with Audrey Hull’s second goal of the evening, making it 9-6 with 3:09 left.

It was mostly nerve-wracking, but I trust them,” Petcoff said when asked what she was feeling in the final few minutes. “We moved it well, didn’t just have it in one person’s stick. I think that’s really what made the difference.”

Mercy got to back within two goals with 2:20 to go, then Alison Smiley gave the Marlins another spark of hope by scoring with 30 seconds left, but the Marlins (12-2) couldn’t completely dig out of the hole before time expired.

“Yeah, too little, too late,” Mercy head coach Steven Schimpke said. “Cranbrook played a really good game, a little more aggressive than us. I thought they were probably in a little better shape, and we shot very poorly today. It was just finishing. We weren’t moving the goalie, weren’t putting the ball where it needed to go. We were passing to her stick — and she played well, too — we just couldn’t finish.”

The two sides played a majority of the third quarter deadlocked at 5-5 until Lela Lantigua hit the back of the net with 56 seconds on the clock to put Cranbrook, who never trailed, ahead for good. That lead was extended to three within the first 1:30 of the final quarter.

It was Mercy who had the upper-hand previously, winning in Bloomfield Hills 14-9 when the teams met back on March 26.

“We had them the first time we played them,” Petcoff said. “We played a man down from a yellow card (then), and today we really figured out a way to play together and stay disciplined and organized.”

Trinity Dougherty led the Cranes with three goals and assists each, leading to praise from Petcoff, who said she’s “not one I’m ever worried about with the ball on her stick. She’ll find a way to make anything happen, and she did today.”

Cranbrook is now 5-7-1 on the season and plays Marian in the final at Lawrence Tech University. The Mustangs fought back from an early three-goal deficit and edged out St. Ursula 12-11 in Wednesday’s second semifinal in Farmington Hills.

Mercy, despite the loss, has been on the right side of outstanding goalkeeping performances its share of times in recent history. Senior goalie Mackenzie Conway broke the MHSAA record for career saves (679) previously held by Troy Athens’ Claire Balintfy in the Marlins’ 12-8 win over Toledo Notre Dame Academy on April 30.

“We did tie it up (at 5-5), and she sparked that,” Schimpke said of the play by Conway, who is committed to Brown University. “She made some big saves, came out of the goal and made some plays. She did what she always does.”

With the regular season nearly completed, Cranbrook’s playoff push will begin against Rochester on May 19. The Marlins will open against Ann Arbor Skyline on May 21.