Stephanie “Stitch” Currie scored four goals in the Midwest United win. (Photo courtesy of United Women’s Soccer)
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Midwest United punched its ticket to the United Women’s Soccer 2020 Stadium Showcase final on Sunday, earning a 9-0 victory over UWS League Two foe Livonia City FC in the first game of the semifinals on Friday night.
Stephanie “Stitch” Currie netted four goals to lead the Midwest effort, recording a hat-trick in the opening 32 minutes. Marty Corby added a brace and two assists, while Kaema Amachree added a goal and assist.
Midwest will face off against Detroit City FC in the final, to be held on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET Keyworth Stadium. The host side escaped with a 2-1 victory in the nightcap against Lansing United. The two teams had met in a friendly on July 17, with United scoring the final three goals of the match en route to a 3-1 victory.
Livonia City (UWS-2) will face Lansing in the third-place match at 3 p.m. ET.
Midwest United scored in the 17th minute, as Currie tracked down a looping ball in the box from Corby and finished with her left foot.
“Stitch” struck again in the 22nd minute, polishing off a low, driven cross from the right flank by Grace Labadie for a 2-0 advantage. The University of Toledo forward polished off her hat-trick 10 minutes later, chasing a through ball from Raegan Cox into the top of the box, and depositing it inside the far post for a 3-0 advantage.
Midwest tacked on its fourth goal in the 34th minute, as Corby split two defenders and trickled in a low, bouncing effort to the far post. Katie Vitella placed a deftly weighted through ball into the box to start the effort.
United added a fifth before halftime, capitalizing on a Hannah Crum penalty kick in the 45th minute. Crum initially earned the penalty kick after taking a hard shoulder near the endline.
Amachree extended the Midwest lead to 6-0 in the 63rd minute. The U.S. Development Academy Under-16 prospect punished a loose ball in the box following a corner kick. The ball deflected off the left post, was redirected in front by a United player and Amachree found the ball at her feet for the easy finish.
The seventh goal came just a minute later, as Macy Wierenga polished off a cross from Amachree, as a whipped-in ball from the right side of the box found Oakland University product at the back post.
Currie added on her fourth of the match in the 71st, as Midwest went coast to coast in just three passes to push the lead to 8-0. Macy Hollingsworth placed a tantalizing ball into space, which “Stitch” tracked down and deposited.
Corby added her second of the match in stoppage time, placing an unmarked header into the net off a Labadie corner for the final 9-0 scoreline.
