July 1, 2022
USL-W League Match
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Nine minutes spoil the home finale
As you know, Keyworth Stadium is located in Hamtramck, Michigan, a 2.09 square mile island within the city of Detroit. In 1922, the municipality was incorporated in order to prevent annexation by Detroit. A majority Polish city through its first half-century (90% of the community, according to the 1970 Census), Albanians, Bosnians, Bangladeshis, Iraqi Chaldeans, Ukrainians, and Yemenis have made Hamtramck their home in since the 1980 closing of the Dodge Main plant, and 1985 construction of GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center which leveled six churches and the homes of 4,200 residents. The city’s motto “A league of nations,” is now very ethnically diverse with the city’s Polish history still reflected in its street and business names, and twenty-eight languages are spoken by the school children in Hamtramck.
This year marks the Centennial of the City of Hamtramck. Tonight, the Women’s Team wore commemorative kits which were auctioned with the proceeds going to the Hamtramck Historical Museum.
Tonight’s match concluded the home season for the Women’s Team. The brief, 12-fixture inaugural entry into the USL-W league will conclude next Saturday with the second half of this home-and-home series with Indy Eleven. Though eliminated from playoff contention, City had something to play for. Indy Eleven in its nine matches this season had gone undefeated. Putting one in their loss column would make for a nice conclusion to their season at Keyworth.
INDY ELEVEN
Starting Eleven
Mackenzie Wood – Goalkeeper
Grace Bahr – Defender
Robyn McCarthy – Defender
Ella Rogers – Defender
Rebecca Dean – Midfielder
Jenna Chatterton – Midfielder
Isidora Gajdobranski – Midfielder
Abigail Isger – Midfielder
Greta Kraszula – Midfielder
Katherine Soderstrom – Forward
Madison Williams – Forward
Shannon McCarthy – Midfielder
Madison Duncan – Midfielder
Emilie Gardner – Defender
Acadia Murphy – Defender
Alia Frederick – Midfielder
Elisa Baeron – Defender/Captain
City came out gunning on the division leaders. Ellie Pool had three opportunities in the first twelve minutes. In the 4th, Rachel Philpotts sent the ball out wide to Alia Frederick, who crossed the ball into the box. Ellie took aim and rang a shot off the crossbar. Then, in the 8th minute, Ellie charged in on two defenders, shuffling by one of them, and drew the other across goal with her as she sent a blistering shot that deflected over the goal for a corner kick. In the 12th minute, Ellie, from the top of the box, fired a shot over top of the goal.
City maintained good offensive and defensive pressure as the game opened up, causing the heads of those attending to go back and forth as if they were watching a tennis match. The division leaders did create some opportunities, but keeper Deighton Weimer was up to the task. As was Elisa Baeron who made a crucial goal mouth block of an Indy forward in the 40th minute.
It was an optimistic half for City, lacking only in finishing and breaking the nil-nil contest.
The second half the script was rewritten by Indy Eleven. From the opening minute, the division leaders came out and took the lead on a goal from Katie Soderstrom. Cutting into the box on the right, Soderstrom fired a shot that beat Deighton. Then, six minutes later, the ball was turned over in the City end, Abigail Isger recovered and took it toward the end line. She sent a pass through the box which found Soderstrom with an easy tap into the wide open goal. Three minutes later, Isger again cut in from the channel, getting around two City defenders, then crossed the ball in to Madison Williams, who buried the ball into the net and City’s chance to come back.
In the 65th minute, City made three substitutions. Kate Childers came in for Alia Frederick, Nicole Grimaldo for Kayla Addison, and Maia Soulis for Elisa Baeron. This put both Grimaldo sisters on the pitch at the same time. Niomi, who made her fourth appearance and second start for City this evening, will be a sophomore at Woodhaven High School this fall, earning a 4.0 GPA and plays for Nationals as her club team. Here sister, Nicole, making her second appearance for City, will be a freshman at Woodhaven High School and also plays for Nationals.
Maia Soulis is making her first appearance for City. A graduate of Notre Dame Academy in Sylvania, Ohio, Maia will be a freshman this fall at Michigan State University, and played her club soccer with the Michigan Hawks.
In the 76th minute, another trio of subs were made by City. Rylee Clark came in for Niomi Grimaldo, Ally Childers for Rachel Philpotts, and Morgan Reitano for Ellie Pool.
Morgan Reitano, a 2020 original who started both matches against Midwest United FC (the friendly and UWS Stadium Showcase final), and saw minutes in the semi-final match against Lansing United. In 2021, she scored a brace in the UWS2 team’s 6-nil victory against AFC Plymouth on June 22nd. Morgan will be a senior at Purdue Fort Wayne this fall. In her three previous seasons with the Mastodons, she played 44 matches, starting 39 of them, and has scored 8 goals and 3 assists.
After achieving the 3-0 lead, Indy Eleven played defensively, keeping City at bay. With about ten minutes remaining, their strategy changed to defend by attacking, keeping City penned back and on the defensive as they tried to move downfield and chip at the Indy lead.
Player of the Match: Acadia Murphy
STATS:
Detroit City FC 0, Indy Eleven 3
Indy: Katie Soderstrom 46′
Indy: Katie Soderstrom (Abigail Isger) 52′
Indy: Madison Williams (Abigail Isger) 55′
ATTENDANCE: ?
City recorded 12 shots (Ellie Pool 3, Niomi Grimaldo 3, Acadia Murphy 2, Rachel Philpotts, Rylee Clark, Madison Duncan, Kayla Addison). Indy Eleven also had 12 shots.
Deighton Weimer made 6 saves, Indy keeper Mackenzie Wood made 5 saves.
In other action tonight, Midwest United FC thumped AFC Flint City by an 8-nil score.
Unofficial Detroit City FC Digital History 
1 Comment