In good hands

Salem's soccer team can rest assured with All-Stater Sasa Miskovic guarding the net

  Three Northville soccer players locked their eyes on the  approaching corner kick like a hungry lion watches a piece of meat that is thrown into its cage.

  They knew that a square forehead-to-ball strike could prove to be the difference in what had been to that point a scoreless early-October encounter with Salem.

  Unfortunately for the Mustangs, a fourth player was also zeroed in on the bending sphere -- and he wasn't wearing orange and black.

  As the ball entered the scoring zone, Rock goal-keeper Sasa Miskovic elevated above his well-positioned foes and clutched the ball securely with his gloved hands, extinguishing the once-promising threat.

  Miskovic had saved the day, just like he's done countless times for the Rocks the past three seasons.

  "Sasa is very athletic for a big, 6-foot-1, 180-pound player," said Salem soccer coach Ed McCarthy, describing the talents of his All-State net-minder. "I think it surprises people how athletic he is. He gets up well.

  "When Sasa is in position, it's nearly impossible to score on him."

  Miskovic, whose first name is pronounced Sa-sha, was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He moved to Canton with his family in 1998.

  "My first name is spelled like it is because there is no 'h' in the Bosnian alphabet," Miskovic explained.

  Soccer has been a big part of Miskovic's life since he was a toddler. Protecting nets entered the equation a short time later.

  "I started playing when I was 3 and I was 6 or 7 when I first tried goal-keeping," he reflected. "One of my coaches said, 'You're getting pretty big; you could be a good, solid goal-keeper.' I was like, 'O.K., I'll try it,' and I've been a goalie ever since.

  "I love making the big saves. To me, the keeper is the most important person on the field. I like all the pressure that's put on you. Penalty kicks are my favorite."

  Miskovic could get to face a few penalty kicks as early as tonight when the Rocks open the Division 1 District tournament at 7 p.m. against Plymouth.

  If any game from here on out is tied after regulation and two 15-minute overtimes, the match moves to a shoot-out format, something that is not used during the regular season.

  "If we happen to go to PK's in the tournament, I would be hopeful that Sasa is the better of the two keepers," said McCarthy. "As a shooter, it's got to be intimidating to be facing a first-team All-State keeper with the resume that Sasa has."

  McCarthy said Miskovic is so highly regarded by teammates and opponents for more than his immense athletic skills.

  "He's a great leader and a great organizer of the back line," the veteran coach said. "He's definitely a great shot blocker, but for me, it's his ability to take ownership of the players on the field and organize the defense when we have a re-start against us that stands out. He sets the wall up quickly and he knows exactly what he needs to do.

  "I consider us very fortunate to have a goal-keeper like him."

  Miskovic is an aggressive keeper, often sprinting away from the goal line to smother bounding balls that usually have a fast-moving attacker close behind.

  "When I was young, I was taught by a professional goal-keeper to play the position like I'm a sweeper-keeper," he said. "I've been taught to always be involved in the game and to be ready for anything."

  As a high school freshman, Miskovic attended school briefly at Novi Catholic Central before transferring to Salem.

  "CC is a great school, but I told my parents that they didn't need to pay a lot of money for me to go to a private school when I could do well right here without having to pay anything," he said. "On the soccer side of things, Salem was losing two goalies, so things worked out well."

  Following a stellar sophomore season between the pipes, Miskovic yielded just a handful of goals his entire junior season as the No. 1-ranked Rocks went unbeaten until suffering a 1-0 loss to Saline in a Division 1 Regional final.

  Although the goal he allowed in that game wasn't necessarily his fault, he uses it as motivational fuel.

  "I will never forget about that goal," he said. "Every time I've stepped on the field since, I've used it to motivate me. I didn't have a doubt in my mind that we were going to be state champs last year, so that one hurt.

  "When I played for the Wolves in 2006, we made it to the National finals, but we lost in the championship game. The next year, we went back and won it all. Hopefully, I can help Salem do the same thing this year."

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