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The Saline girls’ soccer team faces a must-win situation Monday night when they host Dexter for a chance to clinch the SEC Red title.
The Hornets trail Ann Arbor Huron by two points and need a win over the Dreadnaughts in the regular season finale at home Monday to win the Red title. A tie or loss to the Dreads would hand Huron the league title.
Saline needed a win over Ypsilanti Lincoln on Senior Night Thursday to keep its title hope alive and the Hornets left no doubt as they pounded the Splitters 13-0 in a game that ended at halftime.
Kailee Cahill led Saline with three goals, while Courtney Paskiewicz and Bettina Soares scored two each.
Single goals went to Zoe Rumohr, Carson Caldwell, Chloe Kraft, Ellie Warden, Riley Ablauf, and Ashley Kruse. Norah Dawid and Lydia Zajchowski combined for the shutout in net for Saline.
The Hornets had two huge game earlier in the week that were key in the standings.
Saline opened with a 1-1 draw with Skyline Monday night. It was the second straight draw between Saline and Skyline in less than a week.
Sadie Walsh scored the Hornets goal.
Saline then hosted Huron in a battle between the top teams in the Red and for the first time this season the Hornets defense struggled as the River Rats came out on top 4-3.
Huron took a 2-0 lead in the first half, but the Hornets got one back to cut the lead to 2-1 when Walsh knocked in a corner kick from Rumohr.
The River Rats scored a questionable goal late in the half when a long pass to a forward who appeared to be offside, led her onto net where she collided with Dawid who had come out of the net for the loose ball. The ball bounced out and the Rats forward was able to pick it up and knock it in for a 3-1 lead at the half.
Saline cut the lead to 3-2 with 33 minutes left when a long direct kick from 40 yards out left Rumohr open where she tapped it past the goaltender to get the Hornets back into the game.
Huron retook a two-goal lead when the River Rats knocked home a loose ball on a corner kick with 28 minutes left.
Saline got within one when Zajchowski drilled on into the front corner with 23 minutes left, but the Hornets could not get the equalizer and Huron held on and moved into the top spot in the Red.
The Hornets improved to 10-1-5 overall on the season.
Photos by Dawn McCann
