Huron Valley soccer showdown ends in a tie

Any Milford vs Lakeland event is one to attract attention, and the Milford vs Lakeland Varsity boys soccer game on Sept. 27 was no exception. The soccer student section, also known as the Flop Squad, came in large numbers to rally behind the Mavericks.  As the team ran onto the field and began warming up, the stands roared with chants from the Flop Squad and the rivalry student section from Lakeland. As the clock began the energy changed and everyone, players and spectators, entered game-mode.

The Eagles came out strong, scoring a goal in the first 10 minutes. The first half was all about holding off the opponents for the Mavericks and trying to get out of the one goal deficit. Milford Coach Thomas Hipple said “We came out sort of flat, which isn’t normal for a rivalry game. It was a mostly boring first half with a score of 1-0.”

However, that didn’t diminish the Maverick’s fighting spirit. Goalie Wyatt Lesnew had incredible saves throughout the entire game and helped hold the Eagles off.  After the Eagles scored a second goal in the second half, Hipple pulled his team together and knew they had some work to do. “Any time you go down 2-0 it’s all about coming together and composure. I think we did that very well,” Hipple said.

Senior Captain Matthew Mrozinski made two penalty kicks to bring the game to a tie. “A highlight of the game for me was definitely those two penalties. Those moments were crazy. Definitely a lot of pressure, but that’s what makes it fun,” Mrozinski said.

After those moments, the energy in the student section increased tremendously, which also helped the team. As the crowd got more into it, the players did as well, and were quicker to the ball playing off the crowd. Mrozinski said, “The crowd influenced our performance in the game a lot. It feels like having a 12th man on the field willing us all night. It created a truly great atmosphere.”

Spectators shared the same sentiments. Senior Flop Squad member Emmalee Neils said, “It was really cool that our student section was bigger and louder than theirs on their home turf. It proved how close and connected we are as a school and that we really are a family.”

This game brought yet another tie to the Mavericks’ record. According to Hipple, this is the longest he has ever gone with only one loss in his 25 years of coaching, and the most ties he has seen.

The next goal for the Mavericks is to bring home the District Championship after the league is wrapped up.

The team looks forward to kicking off postseason and continuing on with their great year so far with their record being 4-1-5.