Eisenhower Advances to Regional Finals After Season of Adversity
The Eagles defeated Chippewa Valley 5-1 to reach the Elite Eight, seeking their first regional title since 2004.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Utica Eisenhower defeated Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 5-1 on Tuesday evening at Rochester Stoney Creek to advance to the Division 1 regional finals. The Eagles, who previously held a regular season record of 16-2-3 before forfeits, outscored the Big Reds 2-1 in the second half after establishing a 3-0 lead before halftime. This victory marks the third straight postseason win for Eisenhower, a team that navigated a difficult fall by having most of its regular season games forfeited and its Macomb Area Conference Red Division title stripped due to an academically ineligible player.
The path to this point was complicated by administrative and academic challenges earlier in the season. With the regular season record adjusted to 5-14-1 due to forfeits, the Eagles entered the tournament with a fresh slate. Their current record stands at 16-2-3 excluding the forfeited games. The team has used the postseason to rebuild momentum, securing wins in their district and semifinal matches to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in several years.
The offensive production was led by senior Julian Shauya and senior Jonathan Fascata. Fascata opened the scoring five minutes into the match, assisted by Alex Hubbel. Senior Vincent Pelle added the second goal with 20:35 remaining in the first half, tapping in a cross from Fascata. Shauya extended the lead to 3-0 with a header from a corner kick with 9:06 left in the first half. Grant King earned the win in goal, recording two saves for the Eagles.
Chippewa Valley, which finished the regular season with a 10-3-4 record, managed to narrow the gap in the second half. Senior Joey Garner scored his 27th goal of the season with 34:43 remaining, placing a low left-footed shot inside the far post. However, the Eagles reasserted their dominance late in the game. Shauya scored off a pass from junior Adam Gjelaj with 4:04 left on the clock. Gjelaj added the fifth and final goal with 1:22 remaining. The Eagles dominated possession, outshooting the Big Reds 22-4 and outshooting them on goal 14-3.
Chippewa Valley coach Gerry Haggarty acknowledged the difficulty of the loss. "We had a great run. You know, after districts, this was just icing on the cake," Haggarty said. "We were down 3-0 at the half. You know for a while there in the second half there was nothing. But then Joey scored that goal to bring us to 3-1 and we felt that if we could win the second half then we might have a chance at the end. But we could only score the one and then they came back with those two late goals. We had a great run. Eisenhower is a very good team and they move the ball around very well."
Eisenhower coach Mehrdad Nekoogar praised his team's resilience. "Troy is the best team in the state. They’re undefeated and very talented," Nekoogar said. "They beat us 3-0 the last time but that was a long time ago. We’ll be ready." The Eagles faced Troy earlier in the season on Sept. 10, where the Trojans won 3-0. Nekoogar noted that the team has moved past the season's setbacks. "We put all of that behind us and we’re just concentrating on the tournament," he added.
The Eagles will face the top-ranked Troy Trojans, who are undefeated with a 16-0-2 record, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Stoney Creek. A victory would secure Eisenhower's first regional title since 2004 and their fourth overall, joining titles won in 1984 and 1999. The team aims to capitalize on its depth, having used multiple players throughout the tournament to wear down opponents.
