The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Saline gains momentum for postseason push
No. 9 Hornets win two heading into Fridayís playoff opener at Ann Arbor Huron
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 10, 2007
The first step will come this Friday at Ann Arbor Huron in the first round of District competition, where the third-seeded Hornets will take on a sixth-seeded team yet to be determined as of press time. While that single win would be enough to advance Saline to the regional tournament (win or lose in the next round), likewise a slip-up in that game mean the end of Saline's season.
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The good news is that the No. 9 Hornets will enter the postseason with some momentum after storming back from a 4-3 halftime deficit to defeat Birmingham-Seaholm 10-6 at home Monday.
"We didn't expect to be down at halftime," head coach Brad Silverman said. "I thought the girls came out in the second half with a lot more intensity, especially on defense.
"Offensively, we missed a few opportunities we normally make, but we knew we'd start making those in the second half. The change had to come on defense and when it did, it helped us out on offense."
The win was an emotional one for the Hornets as it came on the team's Senior Night. Graduating Hornets Lindsey DeHaan, Sammy Haller, Katie Kerch, Ashley Mulder and Emily Vizza were honored before the game.
"Coming on Senior Night, and with Districts on Friday, this was very big win for us," Silverman said. "The girls wanted it and you could see it in the second half."
The Hornets looked ready to cruise early on as goals from Laura Kuzma and Mulder gave Saline a 2-0 lead with 4:16 still to play in the first.
But the Hornets would score only once more in the half as the Maples tied it at 2 and edged ahead by one at the break despite Anne-Marie Giardina's second-period goal.
The third period belonged to the Hornets, however, as three goals in rapid succession from Giardina, Kuzma, and Mulder put Saline back in front. After a Sam Crichton finish pushed the lead to 7-5, Seaholm would trim the lead to one again with 1:17 to play in the third.
But Mulder would respond with two goals, one just before the end of the period and the other with 3:20 to play to put the game away. A Lexi Debol score in the closing minutes pushed the final margin to four.
The win pushed Saline back into the win column after losing their previous two matches, both to seventh-ranked Huron.
The first came in the final match of the Saline Invitational April 27 and 28. The homestanding Hornets had won their first three matches of the tournament, 10-7 over Chelsea, 10-7 over Milford, and 8-0 over Troy Athens. Mulder had totaled eight goals in the tourney with Giardina scoring five in the Chelsea game alone. Kerch marked her return from injury with a pair against Chelsea and one more against Athens.
Mulder added four more against Huron, DeHaan added two, and Alyssa Hart scored one, but it wasn't enough as Huron handed the Hornets a 10-7 loss. The River Rats then repeated the feat 9-4 in Ann Arbor the following Wednesday.
The result was a players-only meeting that paid dividends in the Seaholm win and may continue to in Districts.
"We weren't playing as a team," said Silverman. "That's the key. When we play together, as one team, we can play with anybody. That's what we'll have to do in the playoffs."
In late action Tuesday, Saline defeated Troy Athens 8-6, improving their record to 15-8.
Staff Writer Jerry Hinnen can be reached at 429-7380 or at jhinnen@heritage.com.
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