DEWITT – After outlasting one CAAC Red co-champion in the Gold Cup semifinals, the DeWitt girls’ soccer program would have to face the other on May 14 in order to lift the trophy for the second consecutive year.
The Panthers previously took out Haslett in a 1-0 slugfest, but against Mason on Thursday, the offense perked up, helping DeWitt repeat as Gold Cup champions with a 5-2 win.
“It’s a culmination of everything that we’ve done through the season, you know, all the adversity that these girls have overcome,” DeWitt coach Dan Jury said. “We’ve struggled to put together good fist halves, and tonight, I think we came out and just really suffocated Mason in the first half, and that was the big difference.”
Sophomore forward Ella Rogers got the scoring started in the 15th minute, finishing a chance in the box off a rebound. Five minutes later, her forward counterpart, sophomore Addy Bertram, stole the ball for the Mason goalkeeper and scored into an empty net.
Rogers opened the second half with her second goal of the game, set up in the box by Bertram. After playing at the junior varsity level last year, before being called up for the postseason, Rogers and Bertram have built up quite the chemistry on the pitch.
“(Bertram) and I are great friends off the field, so that only helps the way we play together,” Rogers said. “We play the same position, and with two up top, we can easily switch places, and we know where each other’s going to be. It’s so much fun to play with her.”
Mason junior midfielder Jocelyn Straub got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard in the 57th minute, but DeWitt senior forward Maddy Takagishi responded to restore the Panthers three-goal lead just two minutes later.
The Bulldogs would cut it to two once again in the 69th minute when junior midfielder Brenna Budzynski converted from the penalty spot. It marked the first time all season where the Panthers allowed more than one goal in a match.
Senior defender Carly Dennis would put the cherry on top, heading home a corner kick delivery in the 73rd minute to make it a 5-2 final.
DeWitt (15-0) will host Hartland on May 18, looking to cap a perfect regular season ahead of the state tournament. Mason (7-4-4) will play at Grand Ledge on May 18 before opening district play on May 20 when it hosts Jackson.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Sophomore duo helps DeWitt girls soccer repeat as Gold Cup champions
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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