The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Hornets still unbeaten after first-ever win over Canton
Saline goes 3-0 on week with wins over Chiefs, Tecumseh and Bedford
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 24, 2008
What promised in the preseason to be a very special year for the Saline girls' soccer team looks more and more like exactly that after the Hornets put another undefeated week of play in the books.
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Saline sandwiched their first-ever win over the Canton Chiefs, a 2-1 victory Saturday, with a pair of workmanlike victories over Tecumseh Thursday and Bedford Tuesday night that improved the Hornets' overall record to 5-0-1 and their Southeastern Conference mark to 2-0-1.
A year after the Hornets opened their season with a long succession of draws, it's hardly surprising that head coach Dave Tapping is more than happy with his team's ability to put away its opponents.
"We're taking care of business," he said. "They've worked hard to improve and to have that tangible measure of improvement from game-to-game and year-to-year, it's huge. It's a big accomplishment. We feel pretty good about the run we're on right now."
The big win in those last three, Tapping said, was the 2-1 win over Canton. Playing in Plymouth, Autumn Jacobs bent a corner kick directly into the net for a 1-0 lead. The Chiefs responded to tie the game at 1, but a Kellie Stepaniak assist would free Katrina Hollis for the winning goal.
The Chiefs poured on the pressure in the final minutes, but the Saline defense of Claire Phillips, Angie Hollis, and Monica Mezger and goalkeeper Hannah Ullrich — who have still allowed just the single goal against Canton on the season — stood firm.
"We played extremely well," Tapping said. "We were geared up to play this game. We put the ball where it needed to be and did what we had to do to win. I think it showed the caliber of this team, that if we work hard, we can play with anyone."
The week almost started with a much less impressive result as Tecumseh (and a kind crossbar) held the Saline attack at bay for 70 minutes before Jacobs struck with a 25-yard shot that eluded the Indian goalkeeper's grasp and settled into the net for the only goal of the game.
"We had a terrible warmup and played a lazy game in the first half," Tapping said. "But we regrouped at halftime. Good teams find a way to win and that's what we did. The girls weren't going to let that game get away from them."
Things came easier for Saline at home against the Mules Tuesday. The Hornet goal was rarely threatened and a first-half penalty kick from Jacobs — her third goal in as many games — was all the offense Saline would need. Andrea Sulavik added a goal following a Stepaniak corner kick and Katrina Hollis added a third to polish off the visitors 3-0.
Things promise to be much tougher for Saline in their upcoming slate, however, which includes a match at postseason nemesis Northville Friday and a visit to Dexter Tuesday.
Tapping is far from worried, however, that his team won't be prepared to handle even those obstacles.
"We're absolutely going to be ready," he said. "We've been building this team for three years. We're exactly where we should be. There's no way we're not going to be ready for these games."
Staff Writer Jerry Hinnen can be reached at 429-7380 or jhinnen@heritage.com.
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