Berkley High School Soccer Team Looks to Make History

At this point in the season, absolutely nothing will surprise Cliff Brandmier.

It will be hard for the girls soccer coach to be caught off guard considering the obstacles his team has been forced to face – and overcome – in the regular season.

Coach Brandmier and the Bears will look to continue tackling whatever challenges come their way when the 2011 playoffs begin this week. Berkley opens district action with a meeting against Warren Cousino scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at home at the field. The district championship game is slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Fraser High School.

“The team’s stumped me a million times and they keep on stumping me,” Brandmier said. “They’ve done a great job of really battling and getting through all the problems.”

The Bears (11-7-2) are looking to defend the first girls’ district title they won in 2010. However, the team saw 10 seniors graduate last spring, including Natalie Zimmerman, who won all-state first-team, all-regional and all-district honors after finishing with a 20-goal performance.

What would it mean to be able to repeat as district champs and be the first girls’ soccer team at Berkley to accomplish the feat?

“It’d be amazing,” said junior goalie Julie Shields, who has verbally committed to play for Northwood University after graduation. “Obviously nobody at Berkley has done it and for us to (win districts) twice, especially for the senior and juniors and some of the sophomores that did it last year, that would just be great for us. That would be amazing.”

The Bears have been bombarded by season-ending injuries to some key players. 

“We’ve done well this season winning games and getting things done for the most part, but as you can see, we have injuries all over the place,” Brandmier said. “We’re just trying to get healthy and back into being fit. That’s our biggest concern right now.”

A quick pre-practice look in the locker room showed a pair of girls on crutches and others not even able to attend a late-season gathering.

• Junior center/midfielder Samantha Munoz, who was described as a vocal leader, was sidelined when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament. The Bears struggled for several weeks in her absence, but were able to finish the regular season by winning four of their final five games.
• Freshman Emily Koerner went down in the early part of the season and is on crutches with a pair of broken legs because her stress fractures became so severe.
• Freshman Madison Murray’s playing time was cut when she broke her ankle.
• Freshman Rachel Cremean, who was banged up in a head-to-head collision with an opponent last week, has been cleared by her doctor to play in the district opener. It originally was feared she might have a concussion.

“I’m really proud of those girls who have stepped up and the new freshmen that have come in and how hard we’ve worked even through a lot of injuries,” said junior Stephanie Miller, who opened the season with mononucleosis and leads the team with double-digit goals and assists.

Considering the losses to graduation and this spring’s injuries, the Bears were thrilled to finish 11-7-2 after competing in the challenging Oakland Activities Association Red Division – the top level on the league ladder.  The OAA Red featured three teams that are ranked in the top 10 in the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association.

What are the chances of repeating as a district champion?

“It’s such a toss up,” Brandmier said. “We are a good team and we are playing pretty well right now, but at the same time looking at our district, I don’t want to look past Warren Cousino. I definitely think we’re in the mix to win it. I don’t know if we’re a favorite, but we’ll definitely be in the discussion.”