June 1, 2022
USL-W Regular Season Match
Saline High School, Saline, MI

The past returns to haunt

AFC Ann Arbor. We remember them from the NPSL days, where the Men’s Team played them 9 times. Though the overall record favored The Mighty Oak (they won 4, we won 3, and there were 2 draws), we won the important matches – the 2017 NPSL Midwest Regional Final and the 2019 NPSL Regular Season match that punched our ticket into the playoffs.

Thinking they were gone with our leap to the pros, it was the Women’s Team’s turn to exorcise the ghosts.

It was a Wednesday evening match. Rain fell heavy hours before kickoff, and then fell intermittently throughout the first half. City would be facing two Ann Arbor players who had once worn the rouge and gold – Tatiana Mason and Ashley Zugay both would start this evening’s contest.

AFC ANN ARBOR
Starting XI

Stefane Periera Rosa – GK
Ashley Zugay
Jayde Riviere
Tracy Akiror
Lina Berrah
Angeline Kieh
Camila Pescotore
Olivia Brannon
Tatiana Mason
Claire Cahalon
Chloe Ricketts

Detroit City FC’s Starting Eleven

Front Row, Left to Right.

Ellie Pool – Forward
Margaret Berry – Defender
Gabby Tremonti – Defender
Kenna White – Forward
Deighton Wamer – Goalkeeper

Back Row, Left to Right.

Niomi Grimaldo – Midfielder
Brooke Sleeva – Forward
Isabella Sabo – Midfielder
Shannon McCarthy – Midfielder
Alia Frederick – Midfielder
Elisa Baeron – Defender, Captain

In the first twenty minutes, the match was rather even, with City generating a couple of chances. In the 8th minute, Ellie Pool ripped a shot from about thirty yards out. Brazilian keeper Stefane Periera, who has played for the youth squads at both Flamengo and Internacional, caught the shot. In the 21st minute, Shannon McCarthy curled a corner kick into the box. Kenna White headed it toward goal but an Ann Arbor defender kicked it away.

The next twenty minutes Ann Arbor generated the chances. In the 23rd minute, Camila Pesatore passed to a streaking Angeline Kieh whose high kick went just past the bar, and was waived offside. Four minutes later, a free kick in the deep left corner by Pescatore found Tatiana Mason. Mason passed it to Ashley Zugay whose shot found a clear path to goal that Deighton Wamer saved. In the 32nd minute, Pesacatore whistled a shot that sailed past three City players and into the Deighton’s arms.

This is Deighton’s second appearance for Detroit City FC, earning the team’s first win of the season against Flint City AFC on May 29th. She’ll be entering her freshman year at Northern Illinois University in the fall, and has played with the Michigan Hawks in the ECNL since she was in middle school. In 2018-19, she was voted first team ECNL All-Midwest Conference and was the 21st ranked player (all positions) in the Great Lakes Region Class of 2022 by Top Drawer Soccer.

Momentum shifted back City’s way. In the 39th minute, Alia Frederick delivered a dangerous cross in front of the goal, forcing Periera to leap and grab it.

Then, the best scoring chance of the half occurred in the 42nd minute. Shannon McCarthy, from the right sideline deep in the Ann Arbor zone, threw the ball into the box. It was headed straight up in the air by an Ann Arbor defender. As the ball returned to Earth, Kenna White headed it toward goal. The ball dropped just beyond Brooke Sleeva. Ellie Pool cut in and deflected the ball into the post. With the keeper down, the ball rebounded to Pool who tried to shoot it into the top shelf of the net, but it struck the crossbar. The rebound fell to a defender who cleared it out of harms way.

Ann Arbor created one more chance before the halftime whistle when Camila Pescatore charged up field, passed to Tatiana Mason. Mason one-touched the ball and fired a shot that went just wide of the City goal.

When the teams returned for the second half, the clouds parted and the sun sneaked a peek at the match until it set behind the home stands. City made a single substitution. Madison Duncan entered for Isabella Sabo.

Ann Arbor came out strong, and Deighton Wamer made a couple of crucial saves in the 46th and 51st minute.

City subbed in Brynn Gardner and Ally Childers for Margaret Berry and Brooke Sleeva in the 65th minute, then Syd Smith and Emilie Gardner for Kenna White and Gabby Tremonti in the 75th minute.

Both teams were playing on that edge of going for the goal coupled with the desire not to concede. It made for some physical play. In the 76th minute, Brynn Gardner was yellow carded for a take down of an Ann Arbor player. Brynn has appeared in every match, and assisted on Ellie Pool’s 8th minute goal against Flint City AFC on May 29, 2022. She joins her sister, Emilie, with City and with Bowling Green University this fall (along with teammates Ellie Pool, Kenna White, and Rylee Clark) when she begins her freshman year. In her four years at Anthony Wayne High School, she scored 51 goals, added 38 assists, and was a two-time All-Ohio First-Team selection.

City made their final substitution in the 78th minute as Kayla Addison came into the match for Ellie Pool.

In the 80th minute, Ann Arbor’s Camila Pescatore made her way down the flank. She sent a pass to Lina Berrah. Berrah shot the ball which ricocheted off the back of a City defender. The trajectory of the shot bent away from Deighton Wamer and into the goal, giving Ann Arbor the 1-nil lead.

City pressed for the equalizer, but was unable to bust the ghosts and bring the match back to level terms in the final ten minutes.

Player of the Match: Deighton Wamer.

STATS

AFC Ann Arbor 1, Detroit City FC 0
AFCAA: Lina Berrah (Camila Pescotore) 80′

ATTENDANCE: ?

In the stats department, City fired 10 shots, but none of them on goal. (Kenna White 5, Ellie Pool 3, Madison Duncan, Margaret Berry). Deighton Wamer was credited with 6 saves. AFC Ann Arbor had 15 shots, and Stefane Periera was not credited with a save. City committed 11 fouls, AFC Ann Arbor committed 8. Both teams were shown a yellow card (Brynn Gardner for Detroit, Stefane Periera for AFC Ann Arbor).

In other USL-W Great Lakes Division action this evening, Flint City AFC defeated Kings Hammer FC by a 4-nil score in Flint.

The four-match road trip comes to an end with a 1-win, 3-loss record. The team returned home to Keyworth on June 5th against Kings Hammer FC.