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Sienna Snyder wins position and then dives into her shot for Saline's second goal.
5-29-2025 1:16am
SOCCER: Saline Opens the Playoffs with 2-0 Win Over Skyline
Saline went 17-0-2 during the regular season. Both of those ties came against Skyline. Saline left no doubt which team was best Wednesday night, as the Hornets won 2-0 to advance to the district championship game against Huron.
Huron defeated Pioneer, 2-1, in overtime. Saline defeated Huron 5-1 on April 24. When the teams met again on May 8, Saline won 1-0.
Wednesday was one of Saline's most convincing efforts.
"I thought we played really well in all phases of the game - attacking, defending, transitioning," coach Leight Rumbold said. "The effort was outstanding. We were winning first balls, second balls, creating chances and limiting their chances."
Rumbold said Saline has done that a few times against Skyline, but had failed to put the ball in the back of the net.
"It was good to see when it mattered, we put it in the back of the net. Ideally, we would have liked a couple more, but..." Rumbold said.
On a gray and sometimes rainy early evening at Hornet Stadium, the Hornets took an early lead during a 20-minute dominant stretch.
Nada Derneika opened the scoring during a mosh pit after a corner kick by Caylin Sturms.
"It was Caylin's corner. It was a perfect corner. There was a little scramble in the box. I was just in the perfect spot. It came right to me and I put it in," Derneika said.
That goal just seemed to energize the lightning quick Hornets, who had chance after chance for the next 15 minutes before Skyline leveled the field for the rest of the half.
Saline opened the second half with a flurry of great chances. The Skyline keeper was injured stopping a third chance, a header from in close.
Laney Tousa races down the wing and fires a shot just wide.A new goalie came in and Saline continued the onslaught. Saline went up 2-0 on a highlight reel goal by the captain Sienna Snyder. Bettina Soares played a ball up the middle. Snyder was racing a defender, 1-on-1. They locked arms. Snyder out-raced and out-muscled her opponent.
"I played it to my feet, turned the girl and slid the ball into the goal," Snyder said.
Goalie Kaylee Mitzel wasn't busy, but she was perfect.
This Saline team isn't particularly old with only five seniors on the team. But they are very experienced with a couple SEC Championships and a long run to the MHSAA Semifinals in 2022-23.
"We have a lot of players who've played in big games, either for big games or for club. So their composure and their mentality doesn't waiver," coach Rumbold said.
More News from Saline
- LAX: Saline Defeats Tecumseh to Advance to Regional Championship The Saline girls' lacrosse team defeated Tecumseh, 15-2, to advance to the MHSAA regional championship Friday evening.
- Loving Wife and Mother Lois Albright was a Faithful Christian Lois Jean Albright, age 99, of Saline, MI was called to her heavenly home on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
