Luck must have been on Clarkston’s side when the draws were made for the Division 1 district at Lake Orion. The district features OAA I powerhouses Lake Orion and Rochester Adams, but the two face each other in the first round.
The Wolves open with Holly, who struggled all season in the Flint-Metro League. With a win, Clarkston would move on to face Waterford Mott in the semifinals. The Wolves defeated Mott 5-0 earlier this season.
‘I’m very happy with the draw,? Clarkston Soccer Coach Sarah Smith said. ‘We are not taking anything for granted, but I’d like to meet Orion or Adams in the finals. We are going to take it one game at a time though.?
Smith is also confident because she believes the team is playing it’s best soccer of the season right now. The Wolves defeated Royal Oak Kimball 3-1 on May 17 to pick up their first conference win. Kimball is ranked No. 9 in the state in Division 2.
In the Wolves final regular season game, they tied Farmington 1-1. Clarkston fell to the Falcons 2-0 earlier in the season.
‘Things are finally starting to come together for us,? Smith said. ‘Every game we are fixing problems we had earlier in the season. We know we can beat any of these teams if we go out and play for 80 minutes. We know we can score goals now, so if we come out focused and ready to play things will go well.?
Smith said Lauren Humphreys and Brittany Davis have played well and goalkeeper Emily Pierce will be key in district play.
‘It gives us an advantage to have such a good goalkeeper,? Smith said. ‘If the other team gets past our defense, it helps to have someone as good as Emily back there. I have a lot of confidence in her.?
Clarkston’s game against Holly on May 30 finished too late for this addition of The Clarkston News, but check back next week for complete coverage of all the district action.