WHAT slow start?
After starting this soccer season at 0-5-2, the Oxford soccer team has made up for lost time as they have now defeated three playoff opponents en route to winning their sixth district championship in seven years.
On Oct. 15, the Wildcats had earned a district final berth by defeating Marine City 2-1 at East China Stadium in East China, Mich. Most recently, at the same stadium on Oct. 18, the Wildcats ousted North Branch with a 1-0 shutout.
The district victory against the Broncos puts Oxford at 9-10-3 on the season. Their next game was Oct. 21 in the evening against Laingsburg-Bath at Flint-Kearsley in the regional semi-finals.
For the Wildcats, the win in the one-elimination playoffs was particularly satisfying since they entered the game against underdogs to North Branch (despite having shut out the Broncos at home 2-0 on Sept. 25).
Wildcat Head Soccer Coach John Thaler described the game as a tough one, marked by a defensive battle between the defenders and goalkeepers.
About 10 minutes before halftime, after many corner kicks, Oxford got on the board when senior captain Steven Walker launched a throw-in into the Bronco box. It was cleared out, but junior Corey Olson rifled the ball back in and past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
North Branch opened up the second half by switching strategies and trying to get more aggressive on offense. Senior goalkeeper Tim Bachner had to stretch out all the way and fingertip the ball away from the goal on one play to keep the Broncos from scoring.
Defender Matt Versteeg helped provide the insurance the Wildcats needed by keeping the ball cleared out of the Wildcats zone and not allowing any North Branch players with the ball inside the 18. From there, the Wildcats defense bore down and prevented any further Broncos threats.
Against Marine City, the Wildcats scored almost immediately. Three minutes into the game, senior captain Mitch Seeling got on the end of a long throw-in and found junior Travis Roth at the top of the six-yard-box. Roth calmly shot past the goalkeeper to help Oxford go up 1-0.
The Mariners didn’t score until the second half when what Thaler described as an ‘odd cross into the lights? went towards the Oxford goal and barely caught the far post to go in.
The Wildcats put away the game for good when Walker slotted a pass into the goal box with less than 20 minutes to go. Senior Jake Shafer slid onto the ball to re-direct it into the back of the net.
From there, Oxford’s midfielders, along with defenders Versteeg, Mark Hurrish, Tyler Hruska and Mike Kitchner held the defensive line and prevented any more goals.