Plymouth's McKenzie Hengesh (left) and Salem's Jenna Coon pursue a ball during Monday's 1-1 draw. (photo by Ed Wright)

Salem, Plymouth finish deadlocked in entertaining rivalry showdown

BY ED WRIGHT
April  26, 2010, 11:45 p.m.

  The ambulance carrying teammate Carley McQuiston was still parked on the grassy area north of the PCEP varsity soccer field when Plymouth's Jennifer Babcock did her part to try to win Monday's game against Salem for McQuiston, who suffered what appeared to be a serious lower-leg injury with 31:44 left in the game.

  With 27:46 on the second-half clock, Babcock stepped in front of a Rock pass, settled the ball just outside the 18-yard box and lofted a perfectly placed rainbow over the outstretched fingertips of Salem goalie Jamie Hunley to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

  The goal held up for less than seven minutes, however, as Salem's Taylor Burgoon and Abbi Giaier connected on one of the prettiest goals you'll ever see to  deadlock the highly entertaining game at 1-1.

  That's how it ended, but not before:

  1) Plymouth goalie Marissa Williams made an ESPN Sportscenter save on a Kristina Klusek rocket shot;

  2) Salem's Gina Goble dented the cross-bar with a missile with nine minutes left; and

  3) Plymouth suffered its second serious injury of the night when junior Katelyn Quinlan had to be carted off the field with an apparent leg injury at the 7:28 mark.

  "It's hard when two of your greatest players go down like that," said Babcock, talking about the Wildcats' mindset after watching two of their teammates leave the field on a stretcher (McQuiston) and a cart (Quinlan). "We just came together and said we have to pick it up and try to win it for them."

  Babcock said she was at the right place at the right time for the game's first goal.

  "I just trapped it off the top of the box," she said. "It was a perfect set-up. No one was in front of me and their goalie was too far out -- she misjudged it -- and I put it over her head. I just tried to place it in the back of the net and I hit it right where I wanted it to go."

  Burgoon set up Salem's lone goal by dribbling down the right sideline and bending a perfect crossing pass to the far post, where Giaier found a rare crease in the Wildcats' defense and headed the ball past Williams.

  "We've been working on getting it wide and getting people to make runs in the box, especially our outside mids," said Salem coach Joe Nora. "Taylor took it down and when she saw the nice runs that we've been working on were covered she saw the far post was open and Abbi was right there. It was a beautiful header by Abbi.

  "It's nice to see something you've been working on in practice translate over to a game."

  The draw left Plymouth with a 4-1-2 mark while Salem, the No. 9-ranked team in Division 1, remained unbeaten at 6-0-1 heading into Tuesday's KLAA Central Division showdown at No. 3-ranked Northville.

  "Salem got quite a few good opportunities toward the end of the game, but defensively we hung in there," said Plymouth coach Jeff Neschich. "They're a strong, fast team."

  Williams' dynamic save came in the game's 45th minute when Klusek struck a rope that appeared headed for the upper-right corner of the goal before Williams elevated high to tip the ball above the cross-bar and out of harm's way.

  "I thought their goalie was fabulous," said Nora. "That save she made on Kristina's shot probably saved the game for them."

  With nine minutes left, Goble teed up a shot from the top of the box that banged into the cross-bar. Salem's Kaylyn Brzys secured the rebound and ripped another sizzler that Williams was able to embrace.

  Salem kept the pressure on throughout the game's final moments, but Williams and Plymouth's back line of Katie Moss, Alyssa Burris, Katie Krajewski and Meeghan Hughes repelled the opportunities time after time.

  Nora was especially pleased with the play of his center mid-fielders Katelynn Krause, Madeleine Vela and Klusek.

  "I liked the way we played tonight," said Nora. "Whether it's Canton or Plymouth, the game's going to be crazy. It's like a playoff game. I like that."

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

Salem's Kaylyn Brzys (3) tries to outrace Plymouth goalie Marissa Williams for the ball. (photo by Ed Wright)