West Bloomfield, Walled Lake, Orchard Lake

More success on the horizon for the Lakers; Walled Lake Central wins district opener

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Roy Feldman Nick Asker (3) and the West Bloomfield soccer team had the 2012 season come to a close Oct. 17 in a 2-1 loss to Walled Lake Northern. Photo by Roy Feldman Nick Asker (3) and the West Bloomfield soccer team had the 2012 season come to a close Oct. 17 in a 2-1 loss to Walled Lake Northern. Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Chase Davies (10) and the Walled Lake Western squad played in a D-1 district semifinal after press time. In the West Bloomfield district, Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Northern met in the final, also played after this edition went to press. 0 Photo by Patricia O’Blenes Chase Davies (10) and the Walled Lake Western squad played in a D-1 district semifinal after press time. In the West Bloomfield district, Walled Lake Central and Walled Lake Northern met in the final, also played after this edition went to press.

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Another bounce their way may have shifted everything.

Who knows, maybe even having the wind at their back would have helped guide the guys on the West Bloomfield High boys soccer team past Walled Lake Northern and into the final of a Division 1 district.

But it was not to be.

Not yet, anyway.

“In the end, I think it was a good, exciting game,” Lakers coach Jason Clark said following a 2-1 loss to Northern in a D-1 district semifinal Oct. 17 at home. “We just couldn’t find that second goal.”

Northern moved on to play Walled Lake Central in the district final after press time.

With a strong and gusting wind at its back in the first half, Northern got two early goals from junior Kyle Boulier and took a 2-0 lead into the break.

Knights coach Chris Stevanovic called the early advantage “huge,” saying he knew his team would need a cushion.

And it did.

West Bloomfield came to life in the second half, getting an early goal from junior Vikram Mathias, and sustained constant pressure the rest of the night.

The Lakers’ best, and final, chance came on a corner kick with just minutes remaining, but the bouncing ball was cleared in a play of desperation from the front of the Northern net.

With that, a record-setting season came to an end for the guys in green and white.

“This was a phenomenal year,” Clark said.

West Bloomfield closed the 2012 season with a 16-6-1 overall record, and its 10-1-0 mark in Oakland Activities Association Blue Division play was good for the first league title in 10 years for the program.

“That was awesome,” Clark said. “Not just for the program, but for this group of seniors that had been so close before, but now got to leave its stamp on the program.”

When asked about the future, Clark said expectations are certainly on the rise.

“We’re going to bring back a lot of talent,” he said. The Lakers have 15 players on the current roster who could be back in 2013. “We feel like this is losing too early. Next year, we’ll eye that district final and beyond.”

In other playoff soccer action
Walled Lake Western drew a bye in the opening round of the D-1 district at Pinckney. Western faced South Lyon High in a semifinal played after press time.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s had its season come to a close in a 3-2 overtime loss to Bloomfield Hills Lahser in the opening round of a D-2 district at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood.

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