Stoney Creek celebrates an overtime goal by Kaeli Butcher that gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead against Anchor Bay in a Division 1 regional final at Rochester on Thursday. (GEORGE SPITERI for MediaNews Group)
Anchor Bay has the ability to rattle teams with its relentless work on defense. Stoney Creek was determined not to let it happen to them.
“We had a commitment that we weren’t going to crack,” Cougars coach Bryan Mittelstadt said after Stoney Creek edged the Tars 2-1 in overtime Thursday in a Division 1 regional championship girls soccer game at Rochester High School. “We were going to keep working and keep working and things kind of worked our way.”
Stoney Creek (24-1-1) will host Saline (15-1-5) in a semifinal game on June 14 at 6 p.m.
A goal by senior midfielder Kaeli Butcher with 1:51 left in the first overtime period broke a 1-1 tie.
It was Butcher’s second good scoring opportunity of the game.
“She skied the first one and you could tell the determination when she came back on the second one,” Mittelstadt said. “She’s a very determined kid and she took care of it.”
Butcher said she noticed a slight opening in the Tars’ defense when she got ready for a throw-in.
“I knew I had to push up far because there was an open gap in the middle,” she said. “Previously, that same exact thing was already open so I knew I could take my chance and run to that gap. Lilley (Bosley) threw me the ball, it bounced and I turned and shot it over the goalie. I was just hoping it went in.”
The Cougars had several shots go wide or over the net before Bosley, the reigning Miss Soccer, ended the drought with 17:49 left in regulation.
“We thought those opportunities were good and eventually one would go in,” Butcher said. “We just continued working hard and pushing through. They are a very good team and we knew we had to come in, work hard and give it our all because, as seniors, we know that every game could potentially be our last. We had to come in with 110 percent effort, work hard and execute — which we did.”
Bosley, who was marked closely by Anchor Bay throughout the game, got the ball to the middle of the field, whirled and fired a shot that went inside the far corner of the net and tied the game at 1-1.
“It was a great play by Bosley,” said Tars coach Kevin Grammens. “We had three players on her. It’s execution. At some point you have to tip your hat and give credit where credit’s due.”
Anchor Bay opened the scoring 10:45 into the game. Freshman Cara Brearley took a pass from Makenna Kennedy and fired a high shot from the right side of the field.
“What a great shot by a freshman,” Grammens said. “She came up in mid-year. She got a good look and went upper 90 back side.”
Anchor Bay was the third Macomb Area Conference Red Division team that Stoney Creek has beaten in the playoffs. The Cougars came from behind to edge Eisenhower 3-2, then blanked Romeo 1-0.
“We went through a gauntlet beating three MAC Red teams and two from the OAA Red,” Mittelstadt said. “I think it toughened us up and got us a little bit sharper.”
Grammens wouldn’t be surprised to see Stoney Creek end its season with a championship trophy.
“At this point there are no consolation prizes, but I’m proud of the relentless effort displayed by my team,” he said. “You have to give credit to a team that has firepower in the attack, a great goalkeeper, a solid back line and they don’t give up many opportunities. You look at that side and it’s a team that can win a state title.”
Grammens and his staff made some mid-game adjustments and they were paying off.
“You could see in the first half there were openings through the middle,” Grammens said. “When we were pressing they countered and they countered hard. We took away the counter attack. We threw numbers in the box and we threw numbers behind the ball, but then Miss Michigan from last year turned and scored.”
Anchor Bay finished the year 12-3-7.
“They emptied the tanks,” Grammens said. “The seniors — Sydney Nelson, Tori Kebbe, Delaney Powers, Hannah Whitley and Micayla McGee — left their jerseys in a better place. That’s all we ask, leave the jerseys in a better place.”