Athens, Rochester find positives in 2-2 draw despite losing ground in OAA Red race

Rochester freshman Izzy Greenslade (21) runs in the final third in front of Troy Athens senior defender Spriha Shibu in the second half of Monday’s OAA Red match. Greenslade’s goal in the final 10 minutes leveled the game and allowed the Falcons to leave with a 2-2 draw. PHOTOS BY BRYAN EVERSON — MEDIANEWS GROUP

Troy Athens sophomore Charlotte Cotta (2) pokes in her fourth goal of the year, one which tied Monday night’s home game against Rochester before the Red Hawks almost immediately took the lead. The Falcons scored late to force a 2-2 draw.

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By Bryan Everson

MediaNews Group

TROY >> In a vacuum, both Rochester and Troy Athens had reasons to feel quite satisfied with Monday’s match between the two sides.

Truthfully, though, Bloomfield Hills emerged as the biggest winner from the 2-2 draw between the fourth-ranked Falcons and No. 10 Red Hawks.

Athens led for nearly an hour of action until Rochester freshman forward Izzy Greenslade deposited a ball with 5:40 remaining to to even the contest, resulting in each team earning just a point in the race to catch the Black Hawks, leaders in the OAA Red roughly midway into the chase for the league title.

Finding satisfaction in dropping points isn’t for everyone, but this is a division that’s produced the last three D1 state champs (Rochester Adams, Stoney Creek, Bloomfield Hills) and a finalist in Athens the year before that.

“Would we have loved to have won? Yeah, but we’ll take a point in the OAA Red on the road,” Rochester head coach Doug Steinard said.

“It’s the OAA Red, right? The margins are super thin,” added Red Hawks head coach Jason Clark. “I mean, Rochester’s a top-five team, so for us to come out and answer the bell, going down one and going up one, it’s a big sing, and I’m really proud of the girls for that.”

That response was all part of an opening 40 minutes that began with a header by Rochester’s Kiely Robinson from an outswinging corner kick that forced a clearance off the line and continued to deliver on action until the halftime whistle.

The Falcons grabbed the initial lead when junior Ally Jeric kept her composure with a center back hot on the trail and drove a left-footed shot across her body and in with 25:07 to play in the opening half.

Athens forward Charlotte Cotta, denied by Falcons goalkeeper Alice Max on one of the game’s best early chances, made good on her next opportunity, winning a footrace with the Falcons’ defender before poking a shot past an onrushing Max to quickly draw the game level.

Cotta played a part in her team taking the lead, too, playing a ball behind the defense that found Lauren DeJonckheere, and the senior forward finished with her right foot to make it 2-1 Athens just over five minutes after the Falcons grabbed the opener.

“We talked about finishing opportunities — that was kind of our main focus before the game — and as soon as we went down the goal, I was proud of the girls (for responding),” Clark said. “We’ve put a big emphasis on not putting our heads down early. They have a great goalie who will save anything in her area and made a few big saves early, and once the girls realized they had to really place it and beat her cleanly, that was the real deciding factor, could we place it around her? So it was all about where you place the ball, especially on those finishes.”

Max’s counterpart, senior Ashley Miller, punched a ball up and out of play in the last few minutes to keep the Red Hawks’ lead intact midway through.

Steinard told his team that vying for a league or district title means sometimes having to deal with being down at halftime. The message took some time to pay off, but a physical second half finally produced Greenslade’s goal that was partially created by Robinson and Jeric.

“It’s cool for a freshman to score,” said Steinard, hopeful that a trip by Greenslade to the trainer’s room was nothing that would compound the team’s injury problem. “We had three kids out tonight, so we’re on some thin ice right now. But we’ve got kids stepping up.”

Max was in fine form when called upon again in the final three minutes, denying Athens sophomore Ashley Thornton at the near post.

“I am probably biased, but I think she’s the best goalkeeper in the state,” Steinard said of Max. “She’s really hard to score on, and I mean today, like, two breakaways, not much she’s gonna do (with those). But in terms of shot-stopping and defending corners, stuff like that, she’s really hard to score on. She played great today.”

Overall, both Athens (9-1-1) and Rochester (7-0-3) remain nearly unbeatable on the season, justifying their poll positions. But the Falcons have drawn three of their four league games and the Red Hawks’ only loss of the season was at the hands of Bloomfield Hills. The Black Hawks’ four-point league lead could have been cut to one by Athens if not for Greenslade’s equalizer.

Now, Adams or Oxford will have to provide the other title hopefuls a lifeline in Bloomfield Hills’ last pair of league games if the Black Hawks are to not win outright.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time, trying to be present in the moment this year,” Clark said. “That’s been our focus, to not get too far past what’s currently in front of us.”

Both teams resume the battle for the league on May 6 against city rivals as Athens takes on Troy and the Falcons host Stoney Creek.