By BUTCH HARMON
Injuries and a tough opponent in the regional brought to an end an outstanding season and to some great careers of the senior class of the Midland Dow soccer team.
Dow’s season ended in the Division 2 regional semifinal in Grand Rapids when the Chargers dropped a 1-0 decision to Spring Lake. Spring Lake scored the game-winning goal with 17 minutes remaining in the match.
“We thought we had a chance to go deep into the postseason,” said coach Gary Strickler. “We had to be healthy to do it, though.”
One of Dow’s key players, senior Maya Piper, battled injuries the entire season and compounded those injuries with a pulled groin in the regional.
The injuries, however, did not stop her from earning first-team all-state honors. Piper, who will play her college soccer at the University of Indiana, scored 19 goals and added nine assists in 12 games this season.
Piper was not the only Charger to earn all-state honors. Senior defender Murphy Stadelmaier earned second-team honors, sophomore forward Ashton Brooks earned third-team honors, and senior defender Rachel Reardon earned honorable-mention honors.
Piper also was named the Saginaw Valley League Player of the Year. Stadelmaier, Brooks, and Reardon also earned first-team all-Saginaw Valley honors. Karen Baker and Alexis Flaminio were named second-team all-league, while Sarah Lather earned honorable-mention all-league honors.
Dow won its fifth district title in the past six years when it defeated Gaylord, 7-0, in the district final.
Dow ended the season with a 13-3-5 record.