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Season to remember: Marquette boys soccer team finishes 21-2 with Upper Peninsula title, Max Dawson sets boys team goal-scoring record

From left at front, Marquette’s Max Dawson scores the first goal of the finals around Iron Mountain defenders Brenden LaPoint and Bryce Neuens during the Division 1 finals of the Upper Peninsula Championships boys soccer tournament held at Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

“Dawson always sets the tone for us and he really stepped it up.” — Dan Salmon, Marquette boys soccer head coach, on Max Dawson setting a Marquette boys

scoring record with 39 goals this season

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MARQUETTE — The Marquette Senior High School boys varsity soccer team won the Division 1 title at the Upper Peninsula Championship tournament held at Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Saturday.

Marquette’s JV finished as runner-up in Division 2, falling 4-3 in a shootout to Bayside Soccer Club of Escanaba and Gladstone after those teams played to a scoreless tie in regulation.

Marquette's John Weber heads the ball in the first half as Iron Mountain's Jack Smith watches during the Division 1 finals in the Upper Peninsula Championship boys soccer tournament held at Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

Each division featured five teams for 10 in all from around the U.P.

This was the Marquette varsity’s 14th consecutive title in this tournament, according to MSHS head coach Dan Salmon.

In Division 1, the Marquette varsity was seeded directly into the semifinals, where it blanked Houghton 5-0. Then in the finals, the Redmen downed Iron Mountain 8-0 in a mercy-rule-shortened contest.

“Iron Mountain is a good, well coached team and they beat us earlier in the year,” Salmon said in an email. “We really wanted to get back on the field with them and it was the perfect setting (Saturday) in the U.P. Finals.

“It’s too bad this team cannot play in districts downstate. I think we could’ve done a lot of damage down there and hopefully someday soon the schools from the U.P. can get back to playing district soccer.”

The Marquette Senior High School boys varsity soccer team won the Division 1 championship at the Upper Peninsula Championships held at Kaufman Sports Complex in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy MSHS Soccer)

The Redmen finished their season with a sterling 21-2 record, which included four tournament championships and a runner-up finish.

U.P. boys and girls teams aren’t eligible for the MHSAA tournament as both are considered to be playing out of season due to a court settlement of about 15 years ago in a lawsuit brought by downstate volleyball parents wanting girls seasons to align to other places in the nation.

That suit settled a number of seasons, including girls soccer in the fall and boys in the spring for the U.P.

On Saturday against Houghton, Max Dawson scored the game’s first two goals, one in each half, as Ayden Beaudry and John Weber got assists on the first goal and Evan Sysko on the second.

Dawson first tied, then set the Marquette single-season boys goal record as he reached 37 goals.

“After a long stretch with no games, we came out a little slow, but once we settled in things started going our way,” Salmon said. “Dawson always sets the tone for us and he really stepped it up (Saturday).”

Sysko made it 3-0 with assists going to Weber and Ezra Pickard, followed by goals by Nick Lindberg off Pickard and Zane Phillips and finishing it up with Pickard scoring off an Indigo Catalano assist.

Harrison Anthos faced six shots, all in the first half, to earn the win in the Marquette goal.

In the championship, Anthos didn’t face any shots.

Dawson again started the scoring, adding to his record, with Weber assisting.

Enzo Stabile followed with the second goal off another Weber assist, while Pickard made it 3-0 and Isaac Johnson followed with a diving header for another goal, the latter two goals each assisted by Lamb Ngafeeson.

Pickard then knocked home his second goal of the first half to make it 5-0 at halftime. The last goal was assisted by Lindberg.

In the second half, Dawson made it a two-goal game for the second time that day as he finished with 39 goals this season. That goal was assisted by Ethan Sandstrom.

Axel Vermaat made it 7-0 with an unassisted goal, while Hayden Byma ended the game with Vermaat assisting.

“The coaching staff challenged the boys to play a complete game, which we did,” Salmon said about the title tilt. “Very proud of the fact the defense did not give up any shots and the offense had 10 different players gain a goal or assist. It was a true team effort in the championship game.”

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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