Canton poses with its KLAA Association trophy following Wednesday's 3-2 win over Grand Blanc. (Ed Wright photo)

Canton's girls soccer team
rules supreme in the KLAA

BY ED WRIGHT
May 27, 2010, 9:05 a.m.

  After conquering its division, conference and association, what's next for Canton's surging girls soccer team?

  Is it too late to qualify for the World Cup?

  The Chiefs came out sluggish in Wednesday's KLAA Association title game against host Grand Blanc -- Monday's grueling, 110-minute double-overtime shootout may have had something to do with it -- but they eventually did what champions do -- overcome all obstacles.

  Megan Trapp's rebound goal 1:46 into the first 15-minute overtime clinched the Chiefs' third title in two weeks, icing a 3-2 win against a powerful team of Bobcats that had only lost once prior to Wednesday.

  The Chiefs trailed twice in the contest -- 1-0 in the first half and 2-1 in the second -- but time and again proved their resilience and toughness -- two traits that will carry them a long way in the upcoming state tournament.

  "We struggled a little bit early, but we picked up our game after they scored their first goal," said Trapp, who also deposited the goal last week that clinched the Chiefs' division title. "Once we got into the flow of the game, we started playing really well."

  The sequence that set up the game-winning goal was a snapshot of the Chiefs' season as they won the ball three times in a matter of 10 seconds before Trapp's finishing touch.

  Christy Balewski spearheaded the winning goal by gaining possession of the ball against a Bobcat defender. Trapp then secured the bouncing sphere in front, directing a shot at the goal that Grand Blanc keeper Rachel McCollum knocked back.

  Trapp stuck to it, controlling the rebound and pushing it over the goal line past the fallen McCollum.

  "Once she went down after she stopped my first shot, I hit it to her left side and got it past her," said Trapp. "After we scored to tie it earlier, I knew we could do this.

  Canton trailed 1-0 until the 37th minute when Jessikah McClendon made a slick move get around a defender near the corner of the pitch. She then dribbled up the end line and fired a quick sizzler that McCollum couldn't handle to knot the game at 1-1.

  Grand Blanc appeared headed to the winner's circle  with 27:37 left after Ava Peera somehow squeezed a shot from 12 yards out through a small crease between Canton keeper Kayla Bridges and the left post, putting the Bobcats ahead, 2-1.

  The never-say-die Chiefs responded nine minutes later, however, when Lindsey Winters found the back of the net with a dazzling, bending shot from 20 yards out that found a gap between McCollum's outstretched fingertips and the cross-bar.

  The Chiefs played without head coach George Tomasso, who was attending a family wedding in Mexico.

  Assistant coaches Mark Zemanski and Jeannine Reddy called the shots.

  "We came out a little flat, but the girls did a great job of fighting back both times they fell behind," said Zemanski. "Our last goal was very impressive because we were persistent. We won the ball three straight times and it finally paid off."

  Canton's quest for a District title begins next week when it competes in the Dearborn Fordson District.

  The Chiefs will take a 14-1-3 record and No. 5 state ranking into the tournament.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.

Canton's Jessikah McClendon is pictured winning a ball a few seconds before she scored the Chiefs' first goal. (Ed Wright photo)

Canton's Jennifer Learst stays a step ahead of Grand Blanc's Jenna Fraser.


Maddie McLean (right) Lindsey Winters (5), Jennifer Learst and Megan Trapp celebrate Winters' game-tying goal. (Ed Wright photo)