Lamphere girls soccer one step away from district title

MADISON HEIGHTS — It’s been a long road for Madison Heights Lamphere girls soccer this season, but the team is finally just one game away from achieving what they set their sights on before the first game of the year.

Battling injuries with sophomores Sophia Fleury and Faith Stinson both sidelined for the season and transitioning up to the Macomb Area Conference Blue Division from the MAC Gold, Lamphere didn’t flinch en route to a 14-3 record and a 7-0 win against Warren Woods Tower to open districts May 30.

More impressively, the team is doing it with a predominantly sophomore-heavy squad. It doesn’t hurt that one of the senior leaders is captain and forward/midfielder Kate Robinson, who is set to play Division 1 soccer at Eastern Michigan University after this season.

Robinson has been a staple for Lamphere soccer throughout her high school career and continues to be one of the most dominant scorers in the MAC.

Breaking the previous school record of 32 goals in a season with 35 of her own this time around, Robinson’s ability to score any way she wants makes Lamphere a threat against just about anybody.

Robinson said the progression of the young talent has taken the team to another level.

“Everyone wants to learn and get better, and I feel like as a leader on the team, I try to help the younger girls because we have a lot of sophomores on the team, so I try to lead by example,” Robinson said.

Sophomores Mia Hope, Allison Herrell, Emma Malkowski, Mya Giffin, and freshman Sophie Musket have flexed their muscles as the young guns of the squad.

Musket stepped in for Stinson this season and has been impressive alongside Malkowski as the most improved center/midfielders on the squad.

“The two of them have done a great job in the middle,” Lamphere coach Mike Joa said.

Senior Brooke McNab has continued to be impressive on and off the field for Lamphere this season.

Giffin and McNab lead a Lamphere defense that has allowed less than a goal per game, tallying nine shutouts behind a stellar sophomore goalkeeper in Natalie Rose.

Joa is letting the young players find their footing, and they’re repaying him with a close-up of what the future of Lamphere soccer holds.

“We had some freshmen that stepped in to help out, and they’ve done a good job so far,” Robinson said. “I feel like we have a ton of sophomores on the field, and they’ve also done a super good job at working hard and getting better. I’ve seen improvement in them.”

Lamphere will need every bit of its roster when the team takes on Grosse Pointe North in the Michigan High School Athletic Association District 23 Championship at Lake Shore High School on June 1.

North, a MAC Red team, will be Lamphere’s toughest test this season. The winner will face the winner of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Bloomfield Hills Marian.

Lamphere has been prepared for this moment.

“We saw who we were going to play in districts, and I think our goal was to win districts at the beginning of the season,” Robinson said. “We’re almost there.”