Un-Four-gettable Final

Salem earns fourth Final Four berth in past 13 years with 3-1 win over Canton

  Could the first 65 minutes of Saturday's Salem-vs.-Canton Division 1 Regional final soccer match been any more intense if a Hollywood screenwriter had written the script?

  Highly doubtful.

  With 14:13 to play, the two long-time rivals, whose schools are separated by a well-struck free kick, were tied 1-1 on a classic gray Michigan fall afternoon in front of a robust crowd with stakes so high the winner would be just two wins from a state title.

  Adding to the Halloween-day drama were the compelling recent histories of the combatants: Salem was one year removed from a disappointing Regional final exit following a season-long No. 1 ranking; and Canton was led by a unique blend of seniors and mature-beyond-their-years underclassmen whose post-season expectations were modest, to say the least.

  And could Stephen Speilberg have come up with a cooler last name for the eventual heroes than Savage?

  With suspense dripping from every corner kick and every 50/50 ball, the Rocks survived, 3-1, to advance to Wednesday's state semifinal contest against Holt, which knocked off No. 1-ranked East Kentwood, 1-0.

  "This is an unreal feeling," said Sal Savage, whose low, perfectly placed shot from 10 yards out slid past Canton keeper Kai Walther to break a 1-all draw in the game's 65th minute. "As with all Salem-Canton games, this one was always intense. The farther the game went along, the rougher it got.

  "In my four years at Salem, I've never gotten this far in the state tournament, so this feels great."

  Salem carried a 1-0 lead into the half thanks to a soft Lachlan Savage chip shot from 15 yards out that caught Walther in no man's land at the 24:41 mark.

  Canton threatened to draw even with 50 seconds left in the half, but Salem keeper Sasa Miskovic fisted away a hard, bending Mitch Posuniak corner kick.

  The game's tension meter spiked 2:39 into the second half when Kevin Zemanski threaded a perfect crossing pass in front to Brandon Tolinski, who hit the middle of the back of the net to deadlock the game at 1-all.

  The counter-attacking goal came just 39 seconds after Sal Savage barely missed with a shot at the other end that rolled less than two feet wide of the left post.

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