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McBAIN — Shelby claimed its third consecutive district championship Saturday, defeating Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart 3-0 in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Girls Soccer District 50 final at McBain.
The Tigers (9-6-3) overcame a tentative start against Sacred Heart’s aggressive pressing attack before taking control late in the first half and carrying that momentum through the final 40 minutes.
“We started out a little tentative, and it took a bit for us to get our sea legs,” Shelby coach Joseph Gorton said. “Sacred Heart played a challenging pressing style, which limited the amount of time our midfielders had to make decisions.”
Shelby broke through late in the opening half when Kylie Brown scored off an assist from Fernanda Espinosa to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Gorton said the Tigers made several key adjustments during the break and quickly put them into action.
“The second half was much cleaner,” Gorton said. “We made better passes and created a lot of strong scoring chances.”
Shelby doubled its lead about 15 minutes into the second half when Lydia Soelberg found freshman Brixtyn Friedman, who launched a shot from approximately 22 yards out. The strike sailed over the goalkeeper and into the upper-left corner of the net.
The Tigers added an insurance goal later in the half following a scramble in front of the Sacred Heart goal. Annie Stark’s shot was deflected, but Olivia Rogers collected the rebound and finished to make it 3-0.
While Shelby’s offense generated consistent pressure, the Tigers’ defense once again delivered a strong performance. Ava Lamberg, Sydney Reed, Charlie Friedman and Ari Garza helped limit Sacred Heart’s opportunities, while goalkeeper Brylee Friedman recorded six saves for her second consecutive shutout.
Shelby outshot Sacred Heart 18-4.
With the victory, the Tigers advance to regional play and will face Ovid-Elsie at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Cadillac.
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