Getting Defensive - Girls Soccer

There are still five girls soccer teams from Oakland County that will be playing in the state semifinals and looking for a berth in the state finals and a big reason as to why these teams sill remain is defense.


Madison Height’s Lamphere head coach Skip Muhktar may have made the best decision going into the playoffs, making senior defender, Marissa Knorp, his team’s starting keeper for the playoffs. The decision has paid off big time as Knorp, who missed the first half of the season due to injury, has recorded shutouts in all four of the game’s she has started in the playoffs, most recently a 3-0 win over Linden on Friday night. Thanks to the gutsy, yet brilliant decision by Muhktar, the Rams won their first district title in school history as well as their first regional title.

Birmingham Detroit Country Day’s underclassmen continue to get the job done, freshman Michelle Manning is becoming a bigger offensive threat every single game and another highly touted freshman Arlyn Reed has been as good of a defender as any throughout the postseason for the Yellowjackets. Reed, has been at the center of the Country Day defense that has given up just one goal throughout the playoffs and helped keep the pressure off of junior keeper Rachel Bergman. Manning has been a facilitator and a goal scorer throughout, setting up opportunities for teammates while proving her ability to finish from a number of angles.

There are only a few words that can sum up Novi‘s playoff run: Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Why? The Wildcats have yet to allow a single goal through their first five postseason games. Senior keeper Gabby Gauruder has been a brick wall all year long and that was proven yet again on Friday when she turned away 10 shots by Utica Eisenhower and carrying her team onto the semifinals.

Troy has been able to get the job done in the playoffs with impressive offensive production to go with equally impressive defense, outscoring opponents by a combined 27-1 since the playoffs began. The Colts have found a number of sources to get the job done offensively and on Friday, it was a sophomore’s turn. Madison Hirsch scored two of Troy’s three goals against Grand Blanc, jump starting the Troy offense after a slow first half.

Madison Heights Bishop Foley went into the playoffs ranked as the state’s number eight team in Division IV. And for good reason. The Ventures haven’t allowed a goal since the opening round of the playoffs where the beat Royal Shrine 7-1. Throughout the playoffs Bishop Foley keeper, Rachel Fisher has stymied opponents having turned in four shutout performances, including her seven save shutout against Springport on Friday. The Ventures will face Saginaw Nouvel who beat Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest Collegiate 3-0 in their regional final.