10-26-2024 12:26am

SOCCER: Saline Wins its First Soccer Regional Championship Since 2014, 5-1, Over Monroe

For the first time since 2014, the Saline varsity soccer team has won the regional championship.

After a scoreless first half, Saline scored five second-half goals for a 5-0 win over Monroe.

Jaedyn Sifuna scored two goals and Juan Martin Balda, Keegan Cahill and Jake Kartin scored for the Hornets. Goalie Eric Friedholm made several big stops when the game was close, including a brilliant stop on a breakaway with two minutes left in the first half.

Saline has now won the SEC Red, district and regional titles.

The Hornets play in the MHSAA Division 1 semifinal against Rochester Adams at 7 p.m., Oct. 30. The winner faces either Oxford or Byron Center in the state championship game at 6 p.m., Nov. 2 at Grand Ledge.

On a 19-game unbeaten streak, the Hornets are running out of games to win.

"I told the guys, we're having a championship season," coach Bartley J Lydy II said. "We have championship DNA with how close and tightly knit they are. They work very, very hard in training."

Lydy, who came on shortly before the season, reminded the team how close they were to starting the season with a coach.

"That's because you're great. The kids are the best part about this team and I'm really excited for what we can string together," he said.

While Saline came out flying, they did give up a few solid chances, including an early free kick from range that was stopped by Friedholm. But for the most part, it was all Saline. Sifuna, Zach Heisler, Michah Gray and others put shots on goal or over the net.

Strangely, Monroe generated the best chance of the first half.

"Number 13 made an excellent play getting him the ball and he was in alone. It was a bouncing ball and I just tried to stand my ground, get to the best spot to save it and make my body as wide as possible," said Friedholm, the senior goalie, who knocked the ball wide of the post with the side of his hand.

Friedholm knows he came up with a timely stop.

"It definitely feels great. That could have been a big momentum shifter against us, so it feels great keeping the team in the game," Friedholm said.

The teams were scoreless at halftime.

Saline came out and pressured for the go-ahead goal in the second half. Sifuna and Heisler were pressuring when Monroe took a penalty in the box, giving Saline a penalty kick.

They chose Juan Martin Balda to take the shot.

"The nerves are high at the moment, when you're tied 0-0 in the regional final," Balda said. "I have my side and I always hit to the same side. Luckily, the keeper went to the other way."

That goal forced Monroe out of their defensive posture - and Saline took over.

Sifuna scored the first of his two goals. He charged up the middle between two defenders. Sifuna fought threw the first one, which slowed him down enough to allow the second one to catch up, but Sifuna jumped into a kick, getting his foot on the ball a second before the opponent, and the kick beat the goalie.

Moments later Cahill scored for the Hornets. He came flying up the middle and pasted a shot off the crossbar. The ball bounced right out to him, and he got a foot on the rebound as it bounced past the twisted-up defense.

Sifuna came flying in for another high-octane goal between Trojans to make it 4-0.

Late in the game, the freshman Jake Martin scored to make it 5-0.

Sifuna was asked about the way he's dominated the regional tournament - but he credited the team.

"The whole team knew we had to show up and win today. We did what he had to do because we knew if we didn't win, it's over," Sifuna said. "I think we did a great job rising to the level to beat our competition."

Sifuna and the Hornets are soaking in the experiences.

"At the beginning of the year, we had a rough start, we tied a couple of games. I was a little worried. But we feel like throughout the season we've been getting better and working on things. To come this far, win the league, win districts and now win regionals for the first time in my life is an amazing feeling," Sifuna said.

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