By Ron Rop
LocalSportsJournal.com
KENTWOOD – Tekalegn Vlasma appears bound and determined to help lead the Western Michigan Christian Warrior soccer team to another state championship.
The junior forward had to watch from the sidelines a year ago when the Warrior captured the Division 4 title. That’s because of a knee injury suffered in the regionals.
On Wednesday night, Vlasma scored all three goals and led the Warriors to a 3-0 victory over the Leland Comets in the state semifinals.
The Warriors will be making their 17th appearance in the state finals at 10 a.m. Saturday when they face Madison Heights Bishop Foley, a 2-1 overtime winner over Kalamazoo Hackett in the other semifinal game.
WMC will be seeking its ninth title.
“It just made my job easier,” Vlasma said of his teammates setting him up for goals. “Getting me those balls perfectly and right at my feet.”
The opening half looked nothing like the second half. In the first half, the Warriors looked strong in the opening 10 minutes of the game. However, the next 30 minutes belonged to the Comets, who had several good scoring chances and easily could have taken a goal or two lead into the half. Leland’s Weston Burda unloaded a shot that required a diving save from WMC goalkeeper Daniel Minasian with 14:37 remaining in the first half. There were several other strong offensive attacks by the Comets.
The first half was scoreless.
“It was 0-0 and that was the key to the first half,” WMC coach Ben Buursma said. “I thought we came out and played really well for the first 10 minutes or so and kind of pinned them back a bit. They started swarming us and putting us under all kinds of pressure and we didn’t handle it really well the last 30 minutes of the first half. We were lucky to go into the locker room zip-zip. I felt like they probably gave us their best half of the season. They were hyped and they were ready to play.”
A couple adjustments and a challenge from the coaching staff to turn up the intensity worked for the Warriors in the second half and they were rewarded with three goals.
“We talked to the guys about having a sense of urgency in the second half,” Buursma said. “They came through. They turned it around and really played a phenomenal second half.”
Less than nine minutes into the second half, Warrior Ben Pollock fired a shot from the right side that sailed just over the net.
However, the next quality scoring chance ended up in the net. WMC junior Cole DeJonge pushed the ball forward and Vlasma, running at full speed, caught up to the ball and punched it behind Comet goalkeeper James Alpi.
Less than 40 seconds later, Vlasma had another close call in front of the Leland net.
“There were a lot of opportunities in that second half,” Vlasma said. “The lanes opened up with a little change of formation and goals came. I am very thankful for that.”
With 14:28 remaining, Vlasma scored again, this time from close range to make it 3-0.
He capped the scoring with 6:25 remaining when he beat an on-charging Alpi to a loose ball and tapped it in the net.
“Credit goes to Tekalegn for finishing those, but there were some great balls to him,” Buursma said. “He did the work he needed to do to get the ball in the back of the net. That’s what we ask of him.”
For Leland coach Rob Sirrine, it was the first half chances that needed to be capitalized on for his team.
“Our plan was to get on their backs and not let them turn,” Sirrine said. “We missed a couple of chances and if we score, it could have been a different game. Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.
“The second half was a different half,” he said. “They came out and their guy No. 15 (Vlasma) is so fast. They had four chances and they scored on three of them.”
Despite the setback, Leland coach Rob Sirrine welcomes any chance his team can get to take on the Warriors. Both teams have had success in the rivalry.
“I love the rivalry with these guys,” said Sirrine, whose team has to seek out better competition up north. “You ask our guys who our biggest rival is and they would say these guys (WMC). It’s elevating the level of soccer in Michigan.”
Top ranked Western Michigan Christian will bring its 20-2-3 record into Saturday’s game. Leland, ranked eighth in the final poll, finished 18-5-1.