By John Raffel
Freeland came up short in the Division 3 soccer semifinal round for the second straight season, but that didn’t diminish the accomplishments of coach Lauren DeRoo and her team.
The Falcons lost, 4-0, to the Unity Christian Crusaders in the semifinal at Cedar Springs on June 9. Unity Christian went on to beat Detroit Country Day, 2-1, in two overtimes to take the state title
“Them scoring [early] set us back,” DeRoo said. “They were the better team today, to be honest. We didn’t play our game, and they dominated us. But I’m proud of them for getting here.”
Freeland ended its season at 23-5.
“The season overall was great,” DeRoo said. “The kids played well. Making the state semifinals for the second time in a row, the girls played great. They gave me their best all season long. They showed up and were ready to play. Today wasn’t their day.”
The Falcons exceeded expectations, as far as their coach was concerned. ‘They showed up, they came to play,” she said. “We just didn’t play our game today. We didn’t have any movement. But I’m proud of the girls for getting here.”
Michelle Herring led the team in scoring with 30 goals, followed by freshman Mackenzie Stroebel with 25. Taryn Taugher led the Falcons in scoring in 2014 and played a key role again this season. Stroebel scored both goals in her team’s 2-1 regional title victory.
Goalkeeper Hannah Foy had 15 shutouts during the season and seven saves in the regional final, but it was a rough game against the eventual state champion.
DeRoo was still hopeful at halftime of the semifinal, despite being down 2-0 against Unity Christian. “I had confidence,” she said. “We had to play smarter.”
DeRoo was especially confident during districts that the Falcons could go a long way in the postseason. “We beat everyone with flying colors,” she said, adding that the key to success “was the quick transition and movement off the ball. We’re playing as a team, working together, and playing with each other not against each other.”
The Falcons graduate several seniors. “A lot of them have been with the program four years,” DeRoo said. “I took over the program last year. They’ve been a good asset and we’re going to miss them. I have some fresh talent coming up that will be young. It may take them a couple of years to get to the point where we’ve been like the semifinals. You never know, it’s a new season. I’ll look forward to next year.”