For a split second, everybody seemed frozen in time.<\/p>\n
And not because of the sub-freezing temps or the sleet or the snow.<\/p>\n
For the first time in more than 98 minutes of taut and intense game time, the ball bounced into the goal in the most improbable of fashions.<\/p>\n
And \u2013 with the NJCAA Division III women\u2019s soccer national championship in the balance \u2013 everybody just stopped in their tracks.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the girls were excited, but they didn\u2019t really celebrate because the referee didn\u2019t call it right away,\u201d Delta College coach Damon Amey said. \u201cBut he finally called it a goal and everybody just went crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a stunning finish, Delta College defeated Dallas College-Brookhaven 1-0 in overtime to successfully complete its mission for back-to-back national championships. For the second year in a row \u2013 and third time in six seasons \u2013 the best NJCAA Division 3 soccer team in the nation resides at University Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s kind of wild,\u201d said Amey, who sports an incredible 150-8-6 record in nine seasons at the helm. \u201cIt seems to get better and better every year. I always think \u2018How can it?\u2019 But somehow it does.\u201d<\/p>\n
The powerhouse Pioneers have reached the final four nine years in a row, finishing as national runner-up four times while winning it all in 2025, 2024 <\/a>and in the COVID-altered 2020-21<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n It took an unlikely ending to complete the run this time around. Delta and perennial contender Brookhaven waged an epic battle in the championship game, with neither side able to break through in 90 minutes of regulation. About eight minutes into overtime, Delta\u2019s Abby Hendy bombed a free kick from about 40 yards out.<\/p>\n It fell into the arms of Brookhaven goalkeeper Miranda Estrada, who was a perfect 9-for-9 on save percentage to that point. But as the keeper tried to secure the ball, it bobbled out of her grasp.<\/p>\n Delta\u2019s Isabella Workman was on the spot, poking the loose ball into the net to the surprise of all. After a split second of petrification, a mob scene ensued as the Pioneers rejoiced as champions once again.<\/p>\n That ended a storied clash that played out on the frigid pitch in Herkimer, New York \u2013 a long way from home for Michigan-based Delta College but much further for Texas-based Brookhaven.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wind was like 30 mph, it was 24 degrees out and there was periodically sleet. So it was tough conditions,\u201d Amey said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was funny because our players were saying \u2018We\u2019re used to this, they\u2019re not.\u2019 So they didn\u2019t mind it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n Delta stood tall through all the challenges, fronted by keeper Mia Warner as the last line of defense. The Bay City Western product registered seven saves in the shutout and was named tournament Most Valuable Player. The Pioneers allowed just five goals all season.<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t face a lot of shots during the regular season, but she always makes the saves she needs to make,\u201d Amey said. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t get much recognition because our defense doesn\u2019t allow a lot of shots. But in that game, they had shots, they had corners \u2013 and she was absolutely amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Fellow Bay City Western grad Brooke Swartz joined Warner on the all-tournament team along with Workman, Hendy and Alahna Beckett for Delta.<\/p>\n The Pioneers qualified for the national tournament by outdueling Joliet Junior College 3-1 in the Midwest district final as Swartz, Workman and Beckett each furnished one goal.<\/p>\n They got goals from Ciara Kelly, Ella Wallaker, Workman and Beckett in a 4-0 win over Bristol Community College to open the national tourney then scored a dramatic 2-1 semifinal win over Suffolk Community College on a goal by Molly Siler and the game-winner by Swartz.<\/p>\n And when they outlasted Brookhaven in the marathon final, the Pioneers were on top of the soccer world once again.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery group comes in with that in mind now,\u201d Amey said. \u201cEven though we talk about taking it day-by-day, a national championship is on their mind, no matter what. That\u2019s what they want and that\u2019s why they come to Delta.\u201d<\/p>\n The Pioneers feature a handful of players from neighboring Bay County and Saginaw County. Bay City Western\u2019s Brooke Swartz, Mia Warner and Ayla Kreger, Bay City Central\u2019s Marcela Facundo, John Glenn\u2019s Ella Wallaker and Essexville Garber\u2019s Rylee Jatczak and Ciara Kelly hail from Bay County. Saginaw Heritage\u2019s Isabella Workman, Swan Valley\u2019s Maddy Gracias and Valley Lutheran\u2019s Grace Hall represent Saginaw County.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fun group to be around, but they know when to take things seriously,\u201d Amey said. \u201cThey take coaching really well and put it to use, and that makes my job easy.\u201d<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For a split second, everybody seemed frozen in time. 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