Lakers and Jaguars Fall in Soccer Playoffs, St. Mary's Plays Thursday

High school soccer fans didn’t have to wait long for top teams in the state to face each other in the playoffs.

and Rochester Adams, two of the state's top programs, played in the opening round on Monday. The game didn’t disappoint, but that was just one of the highlights in the first round of districts.

Meanwhile, and are knocked out. Orchard Lake St. Mary's will play Lahser on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye.

Here’s a roundup of how Oakland County area teams fared.

Division 1

District 9 (Host - Troy)

“Our district is brutal,” West Bloomfield head coach Jason Clark .

He probably has a few coaches that agree with him after Monday’s games.

Brother Rice eliminated Waterford Kettering 8-0 and Seaholm ran away with its game against Pontiac by the same score. The two Birmingham area teams will play on Wednesday in the district semifinals at 5:30 p.m. with Troy hosting.

Waterford Mott outlasted West Bloomfield in a shootout 3-2. The Lakers scored two goals in the first half, but couldn’t hold onto the lead. Mott’s prize for advancing will be facing one of the state’s top teams on the road Wednesday at 7 p.m. when it plays Troy High.

The Rochester Adams Highlanders' only goal of the game came in the first 15 seconds. Troy’s defense settled down after that and really limited Adams scoring opportunities.  First-half goals by Filip Buniewicz and A.J. Kalina lifted the Colts.

District 7 (Host – Harrison)

Royal Oak coach Anna Lukezhich at the right time.

“This is what’s going to matter, the playoffs and district games, this is what you prepare for,” Lukezhich said. “You don’t want to peak too early, do really great at the beginning of the season and have nothing at the end. We’ve really come a long way and I like where we are at.”

So far so good. Her team won 1-0 in its first-round game over Warren Mott on Tuesday night. A goal from senior Chris Fox with only seconds left on the clock put the Ravens kept their season going.

They will now play at Farmington Harrison on Wednesday. The Hawks advanced with a first round bye.

District 10 (Host – Utica)

beat Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 2-1 on Monday night at home. The Red Hawks will visit Utica on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. On the other side of the bracket, Rochester beat Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse 3-1 while Sterling Heights Stevenson ended Rochester Stoney Creek’s season with a 1-0 win. Rochester will play Stevenson on Wednesday.

Division 2

District 26 (Host – Lahser)

If the first round in Bloomfield Hills Lahser’s district is any indication; this is going to be one hard fought district title.

All three first round games had the same 1-0 final score on Tuesday. The Knights eliminated Holly at home, Avondale beat Ortonville Brandon and Fenton beat Linden. Avondale will face Fenton in the second round on Thursday. Lahser will host St. Mary’s on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Eaglets advanced with a first round bye.

District 23 (Host - St. Clair Shores Lake Shore)

Ferndale was happy to see its record reset heading into the playoffs. The Eagles struggled this season with a 4-10-2 record and only three wins in 12 conference games. But all teams start the season over with districts and Ferndale picked up a 4-1 win over Centerline on Monday.

The Eagles will have a big test on Wednesday when it visits St. Clair Shores Lake Shore at 7 p.m. Lake Shore won its first round game 3-0 over Warren Woods Tower. The Shorians were one of the top teams in the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division this season and only lost two times in the regular season.

District 24 (Host – Andover)

Bloomfield Hills Andover won easily at home on Monday night 4-0 over South Lyon East. Will Nees scored three goals for the Barons to help them advance to the second round for a matchup against Redford Union on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingwsood eliminated the other team from South Lyon on Monday. It beat South Lyon 1-0 and will play Detroit Renaissance at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Division 4

District 55 (Host - Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett)

Frankel Jewish Academy moved on to the semifinals with a win over Royal Oak Shrine on Monday. The Jaguars beat the Knights, 3-1. The Jaguars played Southfield Christian Tuesday, falling by a score of 4-1.

Birmingham Roeper moved on with a 5-0 victory over Liggett Monday. The Roughriders are scheduled to take on Franklin Road Christian on Wednesday.