2-year-old Skyline girls soccer program wins first district title
Skyline's Alex Tennant, left, tackles Chelsea's Amber Plemens during their Division 2 district title game Saturday at Chelsea. Skyline won, 3-1. (Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com)
The Skyline High School girls soccer team has heard it all this season. From being dismissed as a junior varsity team to being told by one opponent that they need to change their diapers.
Now, there’s something else people can call the young group of Eagles: District champions.
Freshman Lauren Halpern scored two goals and Skyline frustrated Chelsea defensively throughout Saturday’s 3-1 win in a Division 2 district championship game Saturday at Chelsea.
“It’s a huge deal because we’re a new school and we were the underdogs,” Halpern said. “We’re only freshmen and sophomores and they have seniors, so we’re not expected to win.”
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Skyline coach Chris Morgan said he did expect his team to be in a position to win a district title in just its second year of existence. And now? Who knows?
“This really raises expectations and sets the bar so high,” said Skyline coach Chris Morgan. “For these girls that we have coming in next year, they know what’s expected of them. … We will be an impact team.”
Halpern opened the scoring at the midway point of the first half, but Chelsea quickly answered with an Anna Rode goal just 82 seconds later. It was like déjà vu for the Eagles, who took an early lead but soon relinquished it in a 1-1 tie to the Bulldogs during the regular season.
But the Eagles finished what they started this time around.
Carmen Flesher scored the eventual game winner on set piece in the final three minutes of the first half for a 2-1 halftime lead and Halpern added an insurance goal midway through the second half, knocking in a rebound for a 3-1 lead.
“I was just pushing really hard and trying to be in the right position so that when people passed it I could get it in,” Halpern said.
Chelsea coach Kirsten Smart said her team came up on the short end of a clash of styles.
“(Skyline) is a very direct and physical team and we’re used to playing with possession,” she said. “That was hard to do with their defense because they’re very athletic, very fast and able to send the ball very far.”