Salem boys soccer needed one perfect cross to defeat Saline, reach Division 1 semifinal

The Region 3 final was deadlocked until the final two minutes

The Salem Rocks (19-4-2) boys soccer team and the Saline Hornets (18-5-1) met at Ann Arbor Skyline for a Regional 3 final on Thursday night.

In a game that was a deadlocked defensive battle, Salem won the game 1-0 following a last-minute header by Salem senior Mark Musai.

Before that score, both teams applied intense pressure, resulting in 10 corners throughout the match.

“That’s playoff soccer; you’re going to have a rollercoaster of a game, and it’s going to go back and forth and both teams will get control at some point. Salem head coach Kyle Karns said. “Ultimately, if we just stick to our game plan, we’ll ultimately find a way.”

With this victory, the Rocks will move on to the MHSAA Division 1 semifinals to face the winner of the Regional 4’s final of New Baltimore Anchor Bay vs. Rochester Adams.

Three key takeaways.

Defense wins championships.

This game was a defensive battle until the bitter end until a beautifully placed cross by Salem.

Both goalies combined for six saves in the first half, and by the game’s end, both goalies had a half-dozen saves each. Both teams fired off a large number of shots. But in the end, it was the final shot by Salem that sealed the game.

Both teams applied pressure

The offense from both teams should receive recognition. Salem pressured and shot early and often, including one that hit the crossbar but narrowly escaped the back of the net.

Saline earned several scoring opportunities but could never capitalize. Without statistics, it is possible to say the first seven minutes of the second half were entirely in Saline's possession.

As mentioned before, if not for the brilliant defense by Salem and Saline, this game could have been a significantly different result.

One play won the game

The scoring play occurred with one minute, 26 seconds remaining in the game. A Salem cross went just past Saline goalie Riley Behrman. While the finish by Musai was brilliant, the perfectly placed cross was the deciding factor.

Coach said:

Following the game’s conclusion, head coach Karns could not contain his excitement following the narrow victory.

“It’s exciting. Last year we got to this point, but unfortunately, we lost in the regional finals.” Karns said. “We felt like we had unfinished business, and we’re just excited to pull through this time.”

When discussing the team’s second-half victory, coach Karns said his only message was to keep going.

“I thought we played well, but they had a great game plan," he said. "They’re tough to break down with a very stout defense. We had to stick to our game plan and play for all 80-plus minutes. We had a minute and a half left, and we just found a way.”

When discussing the upcoming final-four matchup, coach Karns said he’s taking things one training session at a time.

“We’ll get a chance to watch some videos," he said. "At this point with four teams remaining, everyone is going to be good, so we just have to continue to prepare. It’s on to the next game.”