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Chieftains advance to title match
Published 8:34am Thursday, October 22, 2009By SCOTT NOVAK
Dowagiac Daily News
BERRIEN SPRINGS – Despite advancing to the Division 3 District Soccer Tournament championship game on Saturday, Dowagiac coach Mike Williams was in no mood for celebration.
The Chieftains (11-8) had just defeated Bangor 6-3 in the second of two semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at Berrien Springs High School.
But instead of focusing on the victory, Williams voiced his concerns about how his team played against the Vikings and what it would need to knock off South Haven in the title match.
The Rams defeated Hartford 3-1 in the first semifinal on Wednesday.
“That’s all it was, was a win,” Williams said following the match. “It wasn’t good soccer, it was kicked ball. We were uncontrolled, playing out of positions and not doing what they know how to do. I mean we still got the win, but it is not acceptable. It’s not a win we can take into Saturday and compete against South Haven. It’s not how we have been playing all year long.”
Dowagiac managed to grab a 2-0 halftime advantage on Bangor as Kasey Proshwitz broke the scoreless tie 23 minutes into the match off an assist from Juan Meza.
Meza then made it 2-0 just a couple of minutes later with the help of Andrew Cripe.
Williams tried to clean up some of the issues at halftime that he observed during the opening 40 minutes of play.
“We got pulled into some ping pong, running around the soccer field and then bring it together to score a goal and then go back to ping pong instead of moving the ball like we know to move the ball,” he said. “We’ve got some work to do the next two days in preparation both mentally and physically to get ready for South Haven.”
Dowagiac’s lead reached 4-0 in the early stages of the second half as Hazen McMeeken and Craig Zebell scored goals in the 43rd and 48th minutes of the match.
Proshwitz got the assist on the McMeeken goal, while Zebell scored on a penalty kick.
Bangor averted the shutout in the 55th minute as Mario Lopez scored.
The Chieftains answered quickly as Zebell picked up his second goal two minutes later and Meza added his second assist of the match and his fifth assists in two tournament games.
The Vikings’ Leo Ornelas cut the lead to 5-2 with a goal in the 63rd minute off an assist from Lopez.
Again Dowagiac answered as Cripe scored in the 76th minute and McMeeken picked up the assist.
Inside the final minute of the match, the Chieftains gave up another goal to Lopez to make it 6-3.
Dowagiac outshot Bangor 25-9 in the match with Chieftain keeper Jason Turner recording five saves.
Bangor’s Kevin Cuevas stopped nine shots.
Dowagiac and South Haven are scheduled to battle for the district title on Saturday in Berrien Springs at 4 p.m.
Bangor…3
Dowagiac…6
Halftime score
Dowagiac 2, Bangor 0
First half
D – Kasey Proshwitz 23rd minute (Juan Meza assist)
D – Juan Meza 25th minute (Andrew Cripe assist)
Second half
D – Hazen McMeeken 43rd minute (Proshwitz assist)
D – Craig Zebell 48th minute (penalty kick)
B – Mario Lopez 55th minute
D – Zebell 57th minute (Meza assist)
B – Leo Ornelas 63rd minute (Lopez assist)
D – Cripe 76th minute (McMeeken assist)
B – Lopez 79th minute
Shots on goal
Bangor 9
Dowagiac 25
Saves
Bangor 9 (Kevin Cuevas)
Dowagiac 5 (Jason Turner)
