YPSILANTI – Mason defeated Farmington Hills Mercy 2-0 in a Division 2 regional semifinal on June 2, sending the Bulldogs (11-4-4) to the regional final against New Boston Huron.
They grabbed the lead late in the first half and kept the Marlins (6-10-2) at bay in the second. Senior goalkeeper Paige Foster recorded the shutout.
“She has 11 shutouts now,” Mason coach Christie Hursey said. “When we practice, we give her all the confidence, [and] we build her up. She’s done very well for us all year, and she controls it back there. The coaches believe in her, the players believe in her, and it’s a team sport out here. She does play her role very well.”
Both teams traded scoring chances throughout the first half, but neither could capitalize until the 30th minute.
Lexi Haynie scored after a series of Mason shots finally broke through, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead they carried into halftime.
The second half remained a back-and-forth battle. Mercy generated shots, but Foster turned them away and protected Mason’s lead.
With less than three minutes remaining, the Bulldogs added insurance with a Lyza Ruster goal. Jocelyn Straub assisted.
“We were just taking a lot of pressure,” Hursey said. “We were kind of in a shell trying to stall the game out. She saw the break. Jocelyn to Lyza, [and] Lyza went right at the goalie. She practiced those yesterday and made a really good play on the ball.”
The victory sends Mason back to Ypsilanti Lincoln on June 4 for the regional final against Huron (6 p.m.)
“We haven’t been here in a lot of years, so this is fun,” Hursey said. “We talk about trailblazing, doing something nobody else has done, and I really hope it’s this team. We’re really proud of them.”
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Foster’s 11th shutout advances Mason girls soccer to regional final
Reporting by Kethan Babu, Special to Hometown Life / Lansing State Journal
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