June 18, 2022
USL-W League Match
Mayors Riverfront Park, Kalamazoo, MI

Long Distance Double-Header

A big and busy day for the City faithful. A noon kickoff saw nation-wide coverage as the Men’s contest against El Paso Locomotive was the first USL Championship regular season match broadcast on ESPN. Keyworth buzzed with the excitement and attention, and the teams played to a 1-1 draw.

Five hours later, the Women visited Mayors Riverfront Park in Kalamazoo. It is a familiar scene for the Rouge Rovers, as the Men’s Team played here four times from 2016 to 2019 in the NPSL. They were a tough opponent, splitting the matches 2 wins apiece during that term. Several supporters made the 3-hour journey across I-94 to support the women.

The Women were looking for another three points, after their win earlier in the week against AFC Ann Arbor. They had to do so without Coach Sam Piraine as he led the 07 Youth Team to the regional finals in St. Louis, putting Assistant Coach Danny Dragoi in charge.

KALAMAZOO FC
Starting XI

Nerea Mora – GK
Olivia Depauli
Ashley Bates
Ariana Stoltzfus
Hannah Thompson
Anna Stinson
Grace Labadie
Tania Macholi
Claudia Schilling
Laura Maria
Bailey Korhorn

DETROIT CITY FC
Starting XI

Front Row, Left to Right

Rachel Philpotts – Midfield
Madison Duncan – Midfield
Rebecca Przybylo – Keeper
Brynn Gardner – Forward
Acadia Murphy – Defender

Back Row, Left to Right
Grace Philpotts – Midfield
Shannon McCarthy – Midfield
Emilie Gardner – Defender
Kenna White – Forward
Kayla Addison – Forward
Elisa Baeron – Defender, Captain

City started their fourth goalkeeper this season, who was a familiar face. Becca Przybylo is a City original who started the team’s first match – the friendly in Grand Rapids against Midwest United – and recorded the team’s first victory in the 2000 UWS Stadium Showcase semi-final against Lansing United. In 2021, Becca started five matches, with a three-win, two-loss record, which included pitching a clean sheet at Corktown AFC at the Corner Ball Park on May 26, 2021. The Plymouth High School grad will be entering her junior year at Eastern Michigan University, where she started six matches last year.

City came out strong, and opened the scoring in the 4th minute. Brynn Gardner cleared the defensive zone with a long ball down the left side to Kayla Addison. As she drove forward toward the Kalamazoo goal, Kayla fed the ball centrally into Kenna White, who then sent it wide right to Madison Duncan. Madison controlled the ball on the right side at the top of the box, then cut against the flow back toward the center, just outside the box. Reaching the center, she fired a left-footed shot that sailed high, then arced downward into the top corner of the net, giving City a 1-nil lead.

City’s second goal of the match came at the 9-minute mark, and resembled the classic City build-up goal. It began with Emilie Gardner in the left channel of City’s end, passing the ball in the middle to Rachel Philpotts. Rachel reached the outside of the center circle, but then laid it back to the right where Acadia Murphy gathered it. Rachel moved forward across the center line and Shannon McCarthy tracked back to the defensive side of the center circle. Acadia passed to Shannon who dribbled across the center stripe, then forwarded the ball to the right for Rachel Philpotts. Rachel settled it, then chipped the ball in to the center lane to Brynn Gardner. Brynn took a couple steps forward to the right, but a Kalamazoo defender blocked her and the ball bounced to Madison Duncan. Madison pushed the ball forward into the box and into the path of Kayla Addison. Kayla took a step and sent a shot into the roof of the goal beyond the sprawling defender in front of her and the keeper.

A little complacency from the second tally almost allowed Kalamazoo back in the match, as Kalamazoo attacked. Becca Przybylo pulled a shot out of the air, denying its destiny a minute after City’s goal.

Kalamazoo ramped up the pressure from about the 20th minute on. In the 26th minute, Bailey Korhorn intercepted a pass in City’s 18-yard box, and sent it to Grace Labadie on the outside. Labadie passed it across to Claudia Schilling. With Korhorn now open on the right, Schilling passed it to her. Korhorn took a couple steps then sent a low knuckleball of a shot that eluded Becca’s grasp, cutting City’s lead in half.

The game opened up from there. In the 30th minute, chaos in the Kalamazoo goal area almost netted City with their third, only to then see Kalamazoo break down the field which resulted in a shot that sailed high over the goal near the trees where one of City’s practice balls had lodged itself during the warm-ups.

In the 33rd minute, Madison Duncan sent a long ball into the Kalamazoo zone to Kenna White near the top of the box. Kenna’s touch deflected the ball high where she had to out jump two Kalamazoo defenders to head the ball down to the onrushing Brynn Gardner. Brynn and Kayla Addison broke in on a two-on-one in the box. Brynn drew the defender and keeper then sent the ball back and toward the middle, behind Kayla but into the path of a wide open Shannon McCarthy. The keeper had made her way back, however Shannon’s shot hit the fingertips of her gloves and deflected into the upper side netting. City 3, KFC 1.

Both teams continued to press, creating opportunities, but the half ended with City leading 3-1.

The second half opened with Kalamazoo looking to dictate the play. In the 46th minute, Bailey Korhorn had an excellent chance snuffed out by Becca Przybylo. In the 62nd minute, City made three substitutions to quell Kalamazoo’s revival. Rylee Clark came in for Brynn Gardner, Ellie Pool in for Kayla Addison, and Margaret Berry in for Elisa Baeron. Three minutes later, Kalamazoo’s Korhorn zigged and zagged through the defense then rolled a shot just wide of the post. City countered in the 71st minute with a double substitution – Ally Childers in for Shannon McCarthy and Kate Childers in for Grace Philpotts.

After Acadia Murphy made a couple of key defensive tackles on Kohorn in the Detroit zone, and Ellie Pool drew a yellow card for a tackle on Ariana Stoltzfus, City made their final sub in the 83rd minute. Kayla Whelchel stepped in for Madison Duncan.

In the 85th minute, Kalamazoo subbed out their goalkeeper Nerea Mora. Emily Ponstein was now between the sticks and would soon be tested one minute later. A clearing ball from City’s end fell to Ellie Pool, who chipped it past the defender. She then outpaced and outmaneuvered the defender, cutting inside the box. Her shot struck another Kalamazoo defender who had moved over to cover the play, but the ball deflected into the path of Kenna White. Her shot beat Ponstein to the lower left corner, and City gained a 4-1 lead.

In the 90th minute, Grace Labadie scored a consolation goal for Kalamazoo, and City would return home with the three points.

Player of the Match – Kenna White

STATS:

Kalamazoo FC 2, Detroit City FC 4
DCFC: Madison Duncan (Kenna White) 4′
DCFC: Kayla Addison (Madison Duncan) 9′
KFC: Bailey Korhorn (Claudia Schilling) 27′
DCFC: Shannon McCarthy (Brynn Gardner) 33′
DCFC: Kenna White 86′
KFC: Grace Labadie 90′

ATTENDANCE: ?

City recorded 8 shots (Kenna White (2), Kayla Addison (2), Shannon McCarthy, Brynn Gardner, Madison Duncan, Ellie Pool.) Kalamazoo had 14.

Becca Przybylo was credited with 8 saves and Kalamazoo’s Nerea Mora made 4 saves.

Ellie Pool was shown the only yellow card of the match.

The club took four out of six points on this pleasant Saturday in June. For the Women’s team, they hope the two-game win streak can carry them into their final three matches of the year against very difficult opponents. First up Keyworth will host Midwest United FC (who defeated Kings Hammer 3-nil in Grand Rapids today), followed by a home-and-home tussle against Indy Eleven, the only undefeated team in the division.

As mentioned earlier, Midwest United defeated visiting Kings Hammer by a score of 3-nil today. AFC Ann Arbor won 3-nil also, hosting Flint City AFC.