Warren

De La Salle coach looks ahead following loss in district soccer final

By Jason Carmel Davis
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Patricia O’Blenes The Warren De La Salle soccer team went 11-2-10 in 2012, but fell 1-0 Oct. 19 in an MHSAA Division 1 district final. Pictured is Pilots senior Steve Lockhart, one of nine players who will graduate this year. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes The Warren De La Salle soccer team went 11-2-10 in 2012, but fell 1-0 Oct. 19 in an MHSAA Division 1 district final. Pictured is Pilots senior Steve Lockhart, one of nine players who will graduate this year.

The Warren De La Salle soccer team lost just one regular-season game under first-year coach Reid Freidrichs in 2012.

On Oct. 19, Friedrichs said that fact constitutes a successful season.

But a 1-0 loss to Utica Ford II Oct. 19 in a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 district final left the Pilots’ coach, and his players, feeling a bit empty.

“(The season) was good,” said Friedrichs, who guided De La Salle to an 11-2-10 record in his first year with the team.

“This puts a pretty big damper on it, but we’ll sit back and assess things as they go and move forward as best as we can.”

Falcons junior midfielder Costa Wells netted the only goal in the D-1 district final, finding the back of the net with 26:38 left in the match. Ford II senior goalkeeper Kyle Kline stopped a penalty shot with 42.2 seconds to play to seal the win for the Falcons.

“We had some chances, but didn’t finish them. … They capitalized on one of their chances, and we were fighting it after that,” Friedrichs said.

Ford II coach Teri Steinwascher said she knew De La Salle had more big-game experience, but told her team to stay composed and positive. If they did that, they’d have a chance.

The match was the second meeting between De La Salle and Ford II this season. The Pilots downed the Falcons 7-1 Aug. 28 in what Friedrichs called a totally different game.

“Last time, they were missing three or four guys. Now, we’re missing five or six,” he said, referencing injuries. “They put a lot of pressure on us (Oct. 19), and we didn’t respond to it well. They did very well. They really worked harder than us.”

Friedrichs’ focus now shifts to 2013, as the De La Salle team loses nine seniors from its 25-man roster.

Sophomore Jacob Townsley will likely serve as the Pilots’ keeper after starting in goal for De La Salle this season. Townsley stopped nine shots in the district final.

“We’ll need a lot of help because we lost so much,” Friedrichs said. “We’ll tell the guys coming back to prepare themselves throughout the offseason to be ready for a game like this next year.”

In other private school soccer action:
Macomb Lutheran North lost in a shootout to Almont High in the opening round of districts.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Jason Carmel Davis at jdavis@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1107. Follow Jason Carmel on Twitter.