Macomb Township

LCN soccer wins as other local squads bow out

By Jon Malavolti
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Deb Jacques L’Anse Creuse North’s Dylan Dorley fends off a pair of defending players during a game earlier this season. Photo by Deb Jacques L’Anse Creuse North’s Dylan Dorley fends off a pair of defending players during a game earlier this season.

FAIR HAVEN – Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s boys soccer team won its first district title since 2005 after beating Romeo High Oct. 19 with a 4-1 victory at Anchor Bay.

The Crusaders advanced to play in a regional semifinal against Birmingham Groves, played after press time. The winner plays in a 6 p.m. regional final against either Utica Ford or Grosse Pointe South at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at Fraser High. Check out www.candgnews.com/sports for a recap of the North and Groves game.

North got a pair of goals from senior Matt Gross, and one each by junior Nathan Peters and sophomore Nathan Featherstone to beat the Bulldogs in the district final.

“It’s huge,” senior goalkeeper and captain Chris Nowak said about the win. “Senior year, been waiting for this for four years. It’s what we’ve been dreaming of this whole season. It’s what we’ve been working for.”

North (12-5-4 overall) advanced to the final after beating Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 4-1 and Macomb Dakota 3-2 earlier in districts.

“We coaches can talk all we want, but unless they listen to us, it doesn’t happen,” North coach Elmir Sabanovic said. “If they listen to the scouting report, if they listen to the things we work on in practice, that gets transferred to the field, and results like this happen.”

The communication channels are especially clear amongst the Crusaders because, although Sabanovic is in his first year coaching varsity at North, he’s familiar with most of the players who he coached on JV previously.

“It’s a special year for me and the seniors because I started coaching their freshmen year at the JV level. We started it together, and we’ll roll in it together.”

Nowak added that there is a “tight bond” between the team and their coach.

Elsewhere in district soccer action, Chippewa Valley and Macomb Lutheran North fell in district play. Chippewa lost 1-0 in the opening round to eventual district champion Utica Ford, while Lutheran North lost in a shootout to eventual district champion Almont.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Jon Malavolti at jmalavolti@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1040. Follow Jon on Twitter.