By David Fleet
Editor
Brandon Twp.-Seven games —560 minutes of keeping the ball out of the net.
That’s the result of a stingy Blackhawk defense and a stellar senior goal keeper that recently landed the Brandon boys soccer team in the record books.
During a season cut short by four games due to the coronavirus— the Blackhawks tallied seven consecutive shutout wins heading into Monday’s against Flint Metro League foe Owosso. The Blackhawks shutout streak ended with one goal in route to a 7-1 win at Brandon. The Brandon Blackhawks Boys Varsity Soccer team joined an elite group in the Michigan High School Athletic Association but fell just short of moving up in the state record books.
Seven consecutive shutout wins also landed four year-Senior Blackhawk goal keeper Ben Grycza into the MHSAA record books.
“Ben had seven (consecutive wins) so he’s in too,” said Blackhawk Soccer Head Coach Shawn Lovelace. “Ben will also go into the record books for career shutouts.”
The consecutive shutouts started on Sept. 19 at the Oscoda Tournament.
“No matter who you play, it’s hard to keep the ball out of the net for seven games in a row,” said Lovelace, a Brandon area soccer coach for 23 years, and nine years as the varsity head coach. “It speaks to the heart of this team, not just the defense.”
As of press time the Blackhawks are 10-4 overall and 7-3 in the Flint Metro League.