Rush To The Finals!

The Michigan Rush have advanced to the (Open Division) Founders Cup Finals!

     On July 28th, the Michigan Rush competed against the FSC Lightning for a chance to advance to the Michigan United Soccer League's (Open Division) Founders Cup Finals.  The two teams have developed a bit of a rivalry with one other, after the FSC Lightning handed the Rush their only loss of the season (4-0) just nine days earlier on July 19th.  Founders Cup Tournament games are usually played with more intensity then divisional games are, and Northville Community Park had a playoff atmosphere for Sunday's semifinal elimination game.  The Rush defeated FSC Lightning 5-1, but the story of the game was the high quality level of soccer played, between a couple of teams that appeared not to like each other.  Yellow cards, flying elbows, and early departures were par for the course, and the fans that were in attendance remained vocal, and very much into the game.  The premier level of the MUSL was on display, and I found myself standing for much of the second half.  The Michigan Rush and the FSC Lightning are scheduled to meet this Wednesday night (7:00) for a divisional showdown at Northville Community Park.
     The Michigan Rush are owned and operated by Jan Rigterink, and are currently in 1st place in the MUSL's Open Division with a 21 points, and a divisional record of 7-1.  Craig Hearn has 13 goals on the season, and leads the Michigan Rush, along with the Open Division in scoring.  Eric Bowman has added 4 goals this season for the Rush.  The Michigan Rush have advanced to the (Open Division) Founders Cup Tournament Finals, and will play the Belle Isle Football Club on August 11th at the Creek Center for the right to hoist the trophy.
     The FSC Lightning are owned and operated by Eric Wright, and are currently in 3rd place in the MUSL's Open Division with 12 points, and a divisional record of 4-3.  Marcel Schmidt leads FSC Lightning in scoring with 5 goals this season.  Kyle Thom has added 4 goals this season for the Lightning. 
     Northville Community Park is a beautiful park in Northville, located on the north side of 5 mile, just west of Beck road.  The park has trails for walking, and offers fields for baseball, softball, and soccer.

The Michigan Rush (in blue) defeated FSC Lightning (in white) 5-1.

Founders Cup Tournament games are usually played with more intensity then divisional games!

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For more information about the Michigan United Soccer League click on  http://www.musl.net



For more information about the Michigan Rush click on  http://michiganrush.com/