DeWitt rides second half momentum over East Lansing in Gold Cup semifinal

Tuesday night's CAAC Gold Cup semifinal against East Lansing had some extra significance for DeWitt's senior class. The Panthers had never beaten the Trojans during their high school careers.

And this was their last opportunity.

With a spot in Thursday's Gold Cup final on the line, DeWitt rallied from a 2-1 deficit, scoring with just over 12 minutes remaining to take a 3-2 lead and then holding on to earn its first win over East Lansing in four years.

"Earlier in the season we were on a really good streak until that game," senior forward and captain Brayden Powers said. "You don't always get a chance at redemption that quick, and in my whole career we never beat them. We all just played for each other."

DeWitt had just lost the most recent meeting between the teams two weeks ago, 4-1. But the Panthers started fast on Tuesday, getting a penalty kill goal in the seventh minute from Powers.

East Lansing would respond emphatically with a pair of goals from standout forward Xtreme Hauk in the ninth and 11th minutes to take a 2-1 lead.

Then the game's most pivotal moment came in the 38th minute when, after a corner kick was cleared out of the box by East Lansing, DeWitt was able to gather and send another ball in toward Elijah Vue, who pounced on the loose ball and tied the score with just under two minutes until half.

From there, DeWitt controlled momentum and put the pressure on East Lansing consistently throughout the second half. And in the 68th minute, junior midfielder Carson Frayre took a pass inside the box and sent his shot off the left post and in, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead.

"That was a huge moment in this game and it really got us back on our footing and we thought we could come out and get another one,' DeWitt coach Joe Ishraidi said. "That was big for our momentum and the guys went out and executed well."

DeWitt (9-5-2) will face Holt (9-6-1) in the Gold Cup Final at 7 p.m. Thursday at Holt High School. The Panthers lost to the Rams 1-0 in the first league game of the season.

"That was a really good game (against Holt) and they deserved to win, but that was a pivotal moment for our season because we realized we needed to change some things and move some guys around,' Ishraidi said. "Since then, we've been on a very good trajectory. That was a really good game and I expect another one in the final."

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: DeWitt soccer rides momentum over East Lansing in Gold Cup semifinal