MHS girls varsity soccer kicks off spring season!

photo courtesy of Scott Somerville.

submitted by Scott Somerville

The 2021 Manchester High School Girls Varsity Soccer Season has kicked off after missing the 2020 season due to the COVID shutdown. The absence of last year’s season was particularly concerning for the coaching staff of Dan Tar and Scott Somerville knowing that, entering this season’s first match only one player, junior captain Hayley Ray, had any high school soccer game experience. As well, this year’s team would be primarily composed of sophomores and freshmen.

Those concerns were eased after the Lady Dutch team completed their first game with a 4-0 victory against the Gryphons of Ann Arbor Greenhills on April 8 at home. In the first half, four goals were converted from corner kicks by sophomore striker Mary Sangster. Three of which were direct goals from the kick and one from an excellent tap-in from freshman winger Emma Woods.

Entering half time, Manchester had a comfortable 4-0 lead. In the second half, the Gryphons made adjustments to contain the Lady Dutch and no goals were scored by either side to give Manchester the victory and a shut out for freshman goalkeeper Megan Edwards.

The Lady Dutch team played their second game against rival Clinton on April 16 at Clinton. In a very physical match from the start, Clinton jumped out to an early two-goal lead. Manchester got on the scoreboard at the 13-minute mark by a Sangster goal with assist by Woods. Clinton converted another to take a 1-3 lead. The Manchester coaching staff made adjustments to the defense line of freshman Lydia Bennett, sophomores Emma and Sara Hock, and junior Madison Chizek. Those adjustments, combined with an extraordinary athletic effort by the defense, neutralized the main goal scorer for Clinton and allowed Manchester to get back into the match.

At 28 minutes, Sangster scored Manchester’s second goal unassisted from a corner kick, and Ray scored the third goal from a throw in by freshman winger Meghan (MJ) Somerville. From there it was all Lady Dutch, with three more Sangster goals all assisted by sophomore mid-fielder Marlena Ballnik. Entering half-time, Manchester enjoyed a 6-3 lead.

In the second half, the seventh and final Manchester goal was from sophomore striker Grace Helmke, assisted by Ballnik for a 7-3 final tally.

The next contest for the Lady Dutch will be Thursday April 22 at Home vs. Grass Lake with a 5:30 pm start time.

Courtesy photo by Scott Somerville.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.