Bloomfield Hills

Cranbrook soccer ends 2012 one win shy of state final, falls to Petoskey 3-1 in semi; Ford II falls to Grand Blanc

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by David Schreiber Guys on the Cranbrook soccer team celebrate a goal during a district final win. The Cranes' season came to a close Wednesday night in the D-2 semifinals. Photo by David Schreiber Guys on the Cranbrook soccer team celebrate a goal during a district final win. The Cranes' season came to a close Wednesday night in the D-2 semifinals.

A game for a trip to the state finals turned into a game of corner kicks.

In the end, Petoskey High had four of them, and as Cranbrook coach Chad O’Kulich explained, “three of them ended up in our net.”

That was the story for the Cranes and how the 2012 season ended, a 3-1 loss in the Division 2 semifinals Wednesday night at Midland High.

“I’m so happy with how the kids played,” O’Kulich said. “They left everything on the field. We just had some bad luck, and they capatilized on their corner kicks.”

Cranbrook grabbed a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game when Constantin Kirberger scored on a penalty kick.

Petoskey evened the game 10 minutes later on its first corner kick.

The game was tied 1-1 at halftime, but the Northmen scored on two more corner kicks in the second half, one 90 seconds into the second frame and the final with just 15 minutes remaining in regulation.

“We had enough chances to win,” O’Kulich added, noting his team hit the crossbar once and the post on another shot. “We just didn’t cash in enough. But this was a great year. I’m so proud of what these guys did.”

Cranbrook ends the season 17-3-2.
 

In other local soccer news:

The Utica Ford II boys soccer team gave up its first two goals of the postseason in a 2-0 loss to Grand Blanc in a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state semifinal match played Oct. 31 in Lake Orion.

Grand Blanc (15-4-2) was able to solve the Falcons' defense, scoring two goals in the final 10:10 of the match to get the win. Grand Blanc senior forward Dominic Mastromatteo scored both goals for the Bobcats.

Grand Blanc advances to face East Kentwood High in the D-1 final, set for 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Troy Athens.

Ford II finishes the season with a 12-7-5 record.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1038. Follow Mike on Twitter.