East Kentwood Prevails in D1 Shootout

November 5, 2016

By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half

COMSTOCK PARK – It wasn't a shocker that the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Soccer Final went through regulation and two overtimes scoreless.

Not with a pair of goalies that were on average giving up about a half a goal a game with 15 shutouts each heading into Saturday's championship game at Comstock Park High School.

So it was fitting that all eyes in the vocal crowd at Comstock Park were on Troy Athens'  goalie Mason Maziasz and East Kentwood's Haris Dzafic as both teams lined up to settle the championship on penalty kicks.

And when the five shooters were down for both teams, Dzafic stopped three Troy Athens shots, while Maziasz stopped two, just missing on the game-winning shot by East Kentwood sophomore midfielder Samuel Esquivel.

"I just tried to keep my cool, and expected to make the save," Dzafic said. "It was all about getting on the right side and getting a hand on it. It's an unbelievable feeling, knowing that the team is counting on you."

East Kentwood coach John Conlon, whose team has now won five Division 1 championships, the previous most recent in 2012, was glad he saw the potential in Dzafic as a goalie at such a young age.

"He is another one I have coached since he was like 6 years old," Conlon said. "I used to joke that we put him in goal because he was a terrible field player, and now he is the best goalkeeper in  the state. He has been brilliant for us all season. He gave up two goals in the whole tournament, and he is only a junior."

Maziasz is a senior, and was just as solid in goal Saturday – if not better – because East Kentwood pushed the tempo for most of the game and kept peppering the Troy Athens goal, only to find Maziasz coming up with big save after big save.

He ended  the day with nine total, and many clutch plays against a fast and talented Falcons offense.

"We died by what we lived by to get here," Troy Athens coach Todd Heugh said. "It's a coin flip when you get to a shootout, but their goalkeeper made some great plays, and credit to our kids for fighting, because I thought they took it to us for long stretches of the game.

"Mason has been great all season," he added. "Count the penalty kicks, this is his 16th shutout of the year, and he has 40 of them for his career. He has double-digit wins for the last three years he has been our goal keeper. He has made save after save, time after time. He's been excellent for us, and sometimes you take a kid like that for granted."

Dzafic ended his regulation and overtime play with six saves. But those three in the shootout will be remembered forever.

“This feels amazing; we just won a state championship," Dzafic said. "I have to give credit to Troy Athens. They are an amazing team with an amazing keeper. We just found a way to hold them off to the end, and then got them in the shootout."

Conlon breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have been on both ends of a shootout, the winning and losing side," Conlon said. "It just went our way today."

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS: (Top) East Kentwood’s Harris Dzafic makes a save during Saturday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Narcis Sprecic (11) works to gain possession for the Falcons.

D3 Rematch Becomes Grosse Ile Repeat

November 7, 2020

By Perry A. Farrell
Special for Second Half

NOVI – In a repeat of last year’s MHSAA Division 3 championship soccer game, Grosse Ile and senior Bosh Tanyi again edged Grand Rapids South Christian to close the season Saturday.

Tanyi’s goal with 26 minutes, 34 seconds left in the second half untied a defensive struggle, and the Red Devils retained their title with a 1-0 victory over the Sailors.

Grosse Ile had won last year’s championship 2-1 in a shootout over South Christian, and the Sailors were looking for revenge.

Instead, Tanyi’s goal – with an assist from sensational freshman Ali Khlaled – gave the Red Devils their second title in their third-straight trip to the championship game. The goal was Tanyi’s 49th of the season.

“We started going forward more in the second half,’’ said Tanyi. “In the first half we got stuck in our backline. They opened up in the second half, and we did too. I feel like we got more shots on net, and it was going our way.

“I turned around on a goalkeeper clearance and I saw Ali get the ball and I started making a run across the backline, and he put it perfectly on my foot. I just put it in. I got a little frustrated in the first half.’’

Grosse Ile lost goalkeeper Hayden Watson to an injury early in the first half. Junior midfielder Clayton Lafayette was solid in net until Watson returned.

“I went up for the ball, and the sun was in my eyes and he got me right here,’’ said Watson, pointing to his hamstring. “I think it overstretched a little bit, and it started getting better as the game proceeded.

“I did my part. I trusted the guys to do theirs. We executed the game. There were good shots on net. I just had to hold them.’’

When he returned Watson was sensation, stifling every scoring attempt the Sailors were able to mount.

There weren’t many.

The teams combined for three shots on frame in a first half that didn’t see much offense.

“The first couple of minutes of the second half, things got better,’’ said Tanyi.

Tanyi’s first shot came 10 minutes into the second half. Four minutes later, he scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Red Devils, who finished the year 20-1. South Christian suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 18-1-1.

Both goalies were stellar as Nick Schepers nearly matched Watson in net, except for Tanyi’s goal.

“There weren’t a lot of shots, and that usually happens in the finals,’’ said South Christian coach Jason Boersma. “We gave up one opportunity on the weak side on the breakaway. They buried it. That’s what it takes to win. You get your few opportunities, you put it away, and they did it. So, I’m impressed by them.

Winning coach Jon Evans was impressed with his team being able to beat the Sailors in consecutive years, knowing South Christian would be ready.

“It definitely wasn’t easy,’’ said Evans. “I knew they were going to throw everything at us. We were able to hold on for 80 minutes. If you look at the start of the season, I felt like this could have been the matchup on this date. It ended up being that way. 

“We started five sophomores and a freshman today. We battled. These kids play at a pretty high level. They bought into their roles, that they filled in from the eight starters they lost last year on the team that won in 2019. Kudos to all the boys. They worked their butts off for 80 minutes straight, and they deserve this.’’

Grosse Ile improved to 3-1 all-time in MHSAA Finals.

Click for the full stat summary.  

PHOTOS: (Top) Grosse Ile's Bosh Tanyi celebrates his game-winning goal Saturday against Grand Rapids South Christian. (Middle) Tanyi goes to the turf as he sends his shot into the net. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)