Strong play on defense helps Titans get off to fast start
Defense is always a good place to start building a successful team and that’s a big reason Warren Woods-Tower is getting off to a good start in girls soccer this season.
“The biggest surprise this year, more than anything else, has been my defense,” said coach Skipper Mukhtar after the Titans improved to 3-0 in the Macomb Area Conference Gold Division and 5-1 overall this week with a 1-0 win against Sterling Heights.
It was the second shutout of the season for senior goalkeeper Zachary McCain, who turned away seven shots by the Stallions. Freshman Karli South also has a pair of shutouts. WWT has allowed only three goals in six games and one of those was on a penalty kick.
The back line of defense is led by sophomore sweeper Isabelle Hanna, seniors Ella Nulph and Julia Sanford and freshman Alicyn Skrzyczjak.
Mukhtar, who is in his 38th year coaching the Titans, said that his team relies a lot on its athletic ability.
“We don’t have that much soccer skill, but we have good athletes,” he said. “We have only two girls who play soccer year ‘round.”
Mukhtar has also had to deal with not having a junior varsity team for the last three years.
Among the 18 players on the Titans’ squad are seven seniors and six freshmen.
The other seniors are forward Shelby Deneau, who leads the team with four goals and five assists; midfielder Jillian Kaferle, who has two goals and four assists from her midfield position; and midfielders Chloe DeLinle and Kayla Trogu.
“The girls all work hard,” Mukhtar said. “It’s a very close team. It’s very coachable. It’s one of the most coachable teams I’ve had. There are no bad apples. Everybody plays in every game. In our 10-0 win against South Lake, 10 different players scored the goals.”
Mukhtar also credits his assistants, his son Sean and Kayla Siladake, for the team’s strong start.
Sean Mukhtar played at De La Salle for Skipper’s brother Thaier, and also played in college.
Siladake, who works with the goalkeepers, is a former WoodsTower player.
The Titans have won eight division championships and a district title since 1998, so Mukhtar isn’t quite ready to call this year’s team one of his best.
“We’re doing OK, but we have to play more challenging teams,”
“We’re doing OK, but we have to play more challenging teams.”
— Skipper Mukhtar, Warren Woods-Tower coach
Mukhtar said. “Coming into the season, I thought we’d have a chance to do well.”
The Titans’ only loss was 2-1 to West Bloomfield in a game where Mukhtar said that WWT outplayed the Lakers.
One of those challenges will come Wednesday when Woods-Tower visits Lamphere at 6 p.m. in a showdown for first place in the MAC Gold.
“It’ll be a tough one. They’ll give us a battle. I know that,” Mukhtar said.