corsairs grab lead in LVC race

PREP GIRLS SOCCER

Waterford Mott nets road victory over Walled Lake Northern to claim top spot in conference

Waterford Mott’s Karli Koskinen, left, and Walled Lake Northern’s Kenna Thompson vie for a 50-50 ball during the 2-1 Corsairs’ victory Thursday night in Walled Lake. PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY ARRICK — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP

Waterford Mott keeper Jessica Romo, center, knocks away a corner kick during her team’s 2-1 victory Thursday night.

Image

By Michael J Wallwork

For MediaNews Group

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP >> The Waterford Mott Corsairs held off a late surge Thursday night by the Walled Lake Northern Knights, claiming a 2-1 win and moving into first place in the Lakes Valley Conference.

The Corsairs built a 2-0 lead in an offensive-minded first half that saw both teams roam the pitch at a good tempo and generate chances in the early going, but it was the visitors who cashed in a pair. They opened the scoring with 14:07 remaining in the first half when Abby Ellis fired a cross from the left side that found Morgan Koskinen in front. Koskinen ripped a shot, but while Knights goalie Macie Hunter got off her line to make a spectacular sliding save, the rebound squirted to the right side where Lorna Kymia was waiting to scramble it over the line.

Mott made it 2-0 with exactly eight minutes remaining in the half when Ellis played a through ball for Koskinen. This time, Koskinen had a little more room to work with and slotted the ball in past the charging keeper to double the lead.

“We always talk about staying in the game and just executing each moment as best as possible, and that gives us a chance to score goals like that,” Mott head coach Kevin Tapchom said.

The second half was a more defensive affair, though both teams still managed to create a couple of good chances each. Still, it was the defenses who dominated the second half more than the offenses, whose shot totals were down at both ends of the field.

Northern was able to generate a push at the end as it tried frantically to tie the score. The Knights got one back with 3:42 to play when Meghan Woldring crossed a ball for Brooklyn Zeleny, who got to the ball just before the keeper did and pushed a shot into the net to make it a one-goal contest.

But the Mott defense, led by the play of Olivia Hubbell, held for the final few minutes and the Corsairs got an important three points in the league standings.

“We responded fantastically in the second half,” Knights head coach Mitch Thompson said. “We had the belief that we’re just going to go ’til the last minute, and that’s what makes this program so special.”

With the win, Mott improves to 6-0-3 overall and takes over first place in the LVC with a 4-0-2 record. The Corsairs still have a pair of league games to play, starting with a home game against Milford on Tuesday. Mott can clinch the outright regular season title and top seed for the league tournament by winning both games, but the Corsairs have no margin for error holding just a one-point lead over three other teams, including the Knights.

“We’re in control, but we’ve got two tough teams,” Tapchom said. “So we’re going to have to be at our best for the last two games. We’re not taking anything for granted.”

The Knights (5-3-2, 4-1-1 LVC) play Cranbrook in a non-league game next Tuesday before hosting Waterford Kettering on Thursday.

“Congrats to Mott. They came out, and they did well. Congrats to Kevin and the coaching staff. They did phenomenal,” Thompson said. “And congrats to my girls. I don’t take anything away. They’re going to feel hard done that they lost, but that second half we proved that we’re a threatening team.”