Detroit Sun FC will start the United Women’s Soccer season with two home matches this weekend.
The Midwest Conference club hosts Michigan Legends FC at Friday and Indy Premier Sunday. Both games will be played at Ultimate Indoor Soccer.
A quick look at this week’s games:
Friday, May 11
Detroit Sun FC vs. Michigan Legends FC
8 p.m. ET – Ultimate Indoor Soccer
Detroit Sun FC and Michigan Legends FC will re-commence their in-state rivalry in the 2018 opener in Midwest Conference action. In 2017, both teams battled it out twice during the regular season before meeting in the conference semifinal. Second-place Detroit (6-1-3) took on third-place MLFC (4-3-3) in Grandville, Mich. and the Sun came away with a 1-0 victory to advance to the final. Detroit appeared in the UWS National Championship, losing in the semifinals to West champion Santa Clarita Blue Heat.
Sun head coach Skipper Mukhtar has a large roster to navigate, but he will have a host of returnees to count on. All-UWS selections Madison Schupbach and Dani Evans join key defenders Rachel Deluca ad Jackie Mazzara as veterans Mukhtar can pencil into his starting lineup. He also has three additions that bring some additional stress to his selections: defender Emily Dzik, forward Maddie Pogarch and forward Tori Singstock. Pogarch was a member of the 2017 Grand Rapids side that won the UWS Championship, Dzik was a three-time All-MAC First Team selection and Singstock was a 2017 All-UWS selection for Legends FC.
MLFC agreed to terms with Saimir Rada to retain the position of head coach for the 2018 season. The Albanian native four veterans of the 2017 side that rode a late season run to qualify for the Midwest playoffs: defenders Avery Hay, Katrina Koomen and Rachel Washburn and forward Megan Trapp. Hay was a 2017 All-UWS Midwest Second Team selection and the 2016 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year for DePaul University. Washburn was named to the 2017 All-UWS Midwest first team and Trapp returns as team captain.
Sunday, May 13
Grand Rapids FC vs. Lansing United
5 p.m. ET – Grandville H.S.
Grand Rapids FC Women commence its bid for back-to-back UWS and Midwest Conference titles when they host Lansing United on Sunday. Normally, playing a team who are taking part in their inaugural match – such as the case is with Lansing – could be an easy proposition. But Grand Rapids will have to deal with a solid squad built by LU head coach and general manager Jason Crist as the home side looks to start its campaign with a win. GRFC opened their preseason with a 1-0 loss to former head coach Lewis Robinson and his Under-19 Midwest United team and will look to bounce right back.
In that vein of thought, Grand Rapids has added three internationals: defender Melissa Roy, midfielder Cindy Lay and forward Jodian Morris. Roy joins the Ladies in Blue after spending 2017 with Calgary Foothills WFC as an All-UWS selection. Roy has represented Canada at the U-20 level. Lay has experience at the highest level of Australian soccer, making 20 appearances with the W-League’s Melbourne Victory and has also featured for Australia at the U-20 level. Morris played two years at Wayland Baptist University from 2014-15, ranking second in program history with 26 career goals. The Spanish Town, Jamaica-native has also represented her country at the U-20 level.
Crist recently announced through social media a slew of new talent, including three players from Central Michigan University: goalkeeper Zoie Reed, defender Mary Carlson and forward Lexi Pelafas. Reed started 17 of 19 matches last fall for the Chippewas while Carlson started every game. Both players were named to the 2016 All-MAC freshman team. Pelafas was named to the All-MAC first team for the second consecutive year and led the conference with 13 goals. She became the Chippewas’ all-time leading scorer with 33 career goals. LU has also added former GRFC star Riko Sagara, who was a All-UWS Midwest selection last year.
Detroit Sun FC vs. Indy Premier SC
6 p.m. ET – Ultimate Indoor Soccer
Indy Premier SC will be desperate to start the year on a winning note as it looks to build on a inaugural 2017 season in which the team only managed two victories. Not having the scoring punch of 2017 All-UWS Midwest selection Brady Riley (5 goals, 2 assists) may be a blow in attack but IPSC will have the return of All-Midwest selection Mykayla Brown to rely on in defense. Brown started all 19 games for Indiana University last fall, scoring three goals and adding a career-high four assists (three on game-winners).
The addition of Sophia Lipka in goal will aid Brown in defense, as she was voted the Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year for IUPUI in her first season as Jaguars’ starter last fall. Lipka went 11-3-1 with nine shutouts and a 0.65 goals-against average in the regular season. Xavier University forward Samantha Dewey joins the team and will hopefully make up for the loss of Riley in the opener. Dewey was a 2016 All-Big East second team selection – where she led XU in scoring (eight goals, 20 poitns) – and also was named to the 2015 Big East All-freshman team.
