Seniors pave path to W. Bloomfield title game victory

West Bloomfield won its first Oakland Activities Association (OAA) White Division soccer championship since 2004 with a 3-1 victory over Farmington on Tuesday, May 17.

The Lakers’ division title was made official after Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Bloomfield Hills Andover tied 1-1 in their match, as West Bloomfield (9-2-3 overall, 9-0-2 in the OAA White) clinched first-place outright.

The victory was sweet for the team’s graduating players, as all three goals came from their feet.

Senior Julia Kempf scored the game’s first goal off a cross from fellow senior Emily Rozin about 20 minutes into the first half.

Senior captain Niki Zuk scored a few minutes later off a cross from fellow senior captain Bronte Payne.

Halfway into the second half, Payne scored the Lakers’ third goal when she finished a rebound off of a shot from Taylor Hotz.

Farmington scored its only goal on a penalty kick with two minutes left in the match.

The Lakers then took on Waterford Kettering in a non-league match on Saturday, May 21 and the Lakers tied the Captains, 2-2.

Payne scored the Lakers’ first goal on a free kick 20 minutes into the first half before Kettering scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Kempf then scored on a breakaway in the second half to tie the score and it would up being the final result.

The Lakers played at Berkley on Monday, May 23 after press time and will finish the regular season by hosting Farmington Hills Mercy on Thursday, May 26.

West Bloomfield will then have a first-round bye in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) District Tournament and will face either Waterford Mott or Huron Valley Lakeland at Troy Athens on Thursday, June 2.