By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
jnewell@mihomepaper.com
ORION TWP. — The Lake Orion varsity girls soccer team started the season with a 4-1 rout over Lapeer on March 19 in the Dragons’ regular season opener at Lake Orion High School.
Junior Morgan Wilcox put Lapeer on the board one minute and three seconds into the non-league game with a shot past Lake Orion goalkeeper Kylie Kopitzki inside the 18-yard box, giving the Lightening the early 1-0 lead.
Lake Orion senior Dylan Verlinden got the equalizer just over 11 minutes later, sliding the ball to the left of the Lapeer goalkeeper and into the back of the next.
The Dragons predominately controlled the game after that, keeping pressure up on the Lightening while taking the ball into the Lapeer half of play for most of the remainder of the first half. Lapeer threatened to score on a few counterattacks, but Kopitzki and the Dragon defense turned away all the Lightening’s attempts.
A little over 11 minutes into the second half, Verlinden netted a second goal to give Lake Orion the 2-1 lead. Verlinden received a cross around the six-yard line, trapped it with her chest and booted a shot past the Lapeer goalie for the eventual game-winning goal.
After that, the Dragons dominated play largely keeping the ball in Lapeer’s half of the field.
Senior Sydney Goodman added two goals in the second half to put the game out of reach for the Lightening and secure the victory for Lake Orion.
Goodman scored her first goal with just over 28 minutes remaining in the game, firing a shot from the right side of the goal to the upper far post. Her second goal came with 18:26 to play when she launched a shot from around the 25-yard line that went off the Lapeer keeper’s fingertips, giving the Dragons the 4-1 lead.
Lake Orion’s next game is 7:15 p.m. April 1 against OAA White division rival Oxford in Wildcat Stadium. The team is on the road again on April 8 against Birmingham Groves and April 10 against Birmingham Seaholm.
The Dragons’ next home game is a 7:15 p.m. non-division matchup on April 15 against OAA Red division opponent Berkley High School.
Lake Orion finished the 2024 season at 16-7-1 and were MHSAA District 5 champs, beating Davison 2-1 in the final. The Dragons lost 3-2 to Hartland High School in the first round of regionals last year. Lake Orion has won three of their last four district championship games — 2024, 2022 and 2021.
The Dragons return a lot of experienced players this year, with 10 seniors and seven juniors. There are also three sophomores and one freshman rounding out this year’s varsity roster.