Athens edges Ike in regional semifinal

Troy Athens is back in a familiar setting.

TJ Renaud scored in the first half and Ryan Dombrowski in the second to stake the Red Hawks to a 2- 0 lead, and they held on for a 2-1 victory over Eisenhower in a Division 1 regional soccer semifinal match Tuesday night.

After scoring twice on corner kicks on their home turf, the Red Hawks had to fend off an Eisenhower rally that started with a goal by Evan Jakuc with 7:13 to play.

“They battled,” Troy Athens coach Todd Heugh said of the Red Hawks. “They played a very good Eisenhower team. They played a little more of a direct style than our kids are used to seeing. Our kids ended up doing a great job of winning the first ball and the second ball. When we had our moments ... we have some skilled guys and we were able to put them under some pressure.

“We were able to withstand their pressure. I was proud of our kids for surviving and advancing.”

The victory sent defending state champion Troy Athens into a regional final that starts at 7 p.m. Thursday against Anchor Bay, which like Eisenhower is a member of the Macomb Area Conference Red Division.

Last year, the Red Hawks beat another MAC Red team, Chippewa Valley, in a regional championship match. Anchor Bay advanced with a 3-2 shootout victory over Walled Lake Central.

Dombrowski, a defenseman, scored with 17:39 left in the second half for a 2- 0 lead. Renaud scored with 2:47 to play in the first half off an assist by Adrian Lekocaj.

Eisenhower coach Josh VanHouten praised his team after the defeat.

“I love these guys. These guys are great,” VanHouten said. “I just wish we had more time to play. It’s unfortunate we came out on the short end today, but it was a hard-fought game.”