Varsity girls’ soccer team continues to excel on the field

Junior captain Haley Ray controls the ball vs. Springport. Photo by Scott Somerville

submitted by Scott Somerville

The Manchester High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team had a busy fifth week of spring competition, with four games total, including the 2021 Quincy Soccer Invitational.

The first game, on May 5, the Lady Dutch visited the Leslie Blackhawks in what was anticipated, on paper, to be a close match based on current season records. The Blackhawks entered the game with injury issues which caused many of Leslie’s starters to be side-lined for parts of the game. Manchester jumped out to an early lead with a goal 1:30 into the match from sophomore mid-fielder Marlena Ballnik, assisted by freshman striker Fiona Howard. The second goal came four minutes later by freshman winger Meghan (MJ) Somerville, also assisted by Howard. Sophomore striker Grace Helmke netted the third goal assisted by sophomore striker Mary Sangster.

Near the halfway point of the first half, freshman winger Emma Woods scored Manchester’s fourth goal assisted by junior captain Haley Ray. At 24 minutes into the game, Woods struck again, assisted by Howard. The sixth Manchester goal of the half was from Helmke, assisted by Sangster, and with 10:30 remaining in the first, Howard scored assisted by Somerville. Entering halftime, Manchester held a comfortable 7-0 lead. In the second half, Sangster scored the eighth and final goal for Manchester, assisted by Helmke. Based on the mercy rule, the game was then ended 8-0 for Manchester with 32:18 left on the clock.

On Wednesday May 6, Manchester hosted the visiting Spartans of Springport in what was a “last-minute” game added to the schedule in replacement of a Bronson game cancellation. Springport plays in division 3 and provided a closer match than some of Manchester’s previous opponents. After being deadlocked for the first ten minutes, Ballnik netted the first Manchester goal assisted by Howard. At thirteen minutes into the match, Woods scored the second, assisted by Sangster. Ballnik got the third goal of the half with 12:50 remaining assisted by Somerville. Entering halftime, Manchester held a 3-0 lead. In the second half, Sangster scored the fourth goal for the Lady Dutch at the 45 minute mark, assisted by Somerville.

For the next twenty minutes no goals were scored as Springport adjusted to Manchester’s attack. With 12:15 left in the match, Woods scored the fifth and final goal for Manchester, assisted by a long volley from the Manchester defensive half by sophomore outside back Sara Hock. For the remaining time in the match the team played defensively to secure the win. This was the sixth shutout for Manchester’s defensive players of Ray, Helmke, S. Hock, junior center back Madison Chizek, freshman center back Lydia Bennett and freshman outside back Gianna Turek. As well, it was the sixth shutout for freshman goalkeeper Megan Edwards.

On Saturday May 8 the team traveled to Quincy high school to participate in the 2021 Quincy Soccer Invitational. Due to Covid rules, tournaments must be limited in the number of teams participating. This tournament featured the Lady Dutch, the Orioles of Quincy, and the Vikings from Bronson High School.

The first match of the tournament featured the hosting Orioles vs. Manchester, the second time this season these two teams have faced-off. Manchester opened the scoring 8:00 into the match with a goal from Somerville, assisted by Ballnik. Seven minutes later, Ballnik scored the second, assisted by Somerville. At 19:20, Somerville scored again assisted by Howard. Sangster scored the next two, both assisted by Ballnik and with 2:45 remaining in the half, Somerville netted her third goal of the match for the hat-trick, assisted by Helmke. Entering halftime, the Lady Dutch held a comfortable 6-0 lead. In the second half, the coaching staff changed the line up to get a feel for different players in new positions. This also enabled newer players to get experience on the field and gave some rest to other players in anticipation for the second game of the day. Manchester scored with 4:09 remaining from a Turek finish, assisted by Helmke. The final goal of the match came from a Helmke free kick, ending the game 8-0 with 2:00 minutes on the clock.

After 30 minutes of rest between games, Manchester then faced the Vikings from Bronson. At 1:12 into the match, Howard scored the first goal, assisted by Sangster. Ray scored the second, assisted by Howard, then Sangster for the third goal of the match, assisted by Ballnik. Woods scored the fourth goal nine minutes into the match assisted by Ray, then Ballnik for the fifth goal at the eleven-minute mark, unassisted. At that point, the Manchester coaches adjusted the line up to, again, provide playing time to new players. With 0:30 left in the half, Ray scored the sixth goal, unassisted. In the second half, freshman striker Miranda Austin scored the seventh goal (her first for Manchester), assisted by Sangster. In a surprise move, head coach Dan Tar placed Ballnik in goal enabling Edwards to get some field play. This proved effective as Edwards scored the final goal for Manchester, also her first for Manchester, assisted by freshman striker Francisca. The game was then ended by the mercy rule as Manchester sealed the victory 8-0, and clinched first place in the tournament with the two wins.

When asked about scoring her first Manchester goal, Austin commented, “It felt amazing to be able to contribute to my team’s success. The feeling of support from the other girls was overwhelming.”

The team now holds a 10-0-0 record, with eight shutouts and six mercies. As well, the Lady Dutch are a top-ranked Michigan Division 4 team in both the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Poll and the Michigan High School Athletic Association MPR rankings; #6 and #4 respectively.

For the week of May 10, there is one game on Wednesday May 12 vs. Jackson Christian at Home with a 5:30 pm start.

Freshman Emma Paxton battles for possession vs. Quincy. Photo by Scott Somerville

Freshman MJ Somerville runs downfield vs. Springport. 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.