To Life! • SPORTS Soccer Stars JCC Maccabi players make a strong return. Steve Stein Special to The Jewish News T hey played eight games in three days in oppressive heat and humidity. They lost their goalie to an injury. And they won the bronze medal in a 10-team tournament. It was a memorable JCC Maccabi Games in Baltimore for the Metropolitan Detroit Maccabi Club boys soccer team, the first boys soccer team fielded by Detroit since 1999. "What a great group of kids, and what a great accomplishment," said Rick Kirsch, who coached the Detroit team along with his son Scott. Detroit faced Baltimore White in the bronze medal game without goalie Kam McVittie, who hurt his foot in the previous game that day. With Ross Kepes playing goalie for only the second time in his life, Detroit beat Baltimore White 5-4, avenging an earlier 7-4 loss. As the jubilant Detroit players were receiving their medals, McVittie came back from the hospital on crutches to join the celebration. Connor Sakwa scored three goals and Ben Smith-Helman added two for Detroit in its victory over Baltimore White, which gave Detroit a 4-4 record for the tournament. Jacob Brody, Aviel Keidar, Samuel Kepes and Alex Steinberg also played for Detroit, as did Seth Bryien and Tai Rosen from Philadelphia. The Philadelphia boys joined the Detroit team in Baltimore, filling two open roster spots. Detroit coach Scott Kirsch is headed to the University of Michigan this fall after playing soccer for Bloomfield Hills Andover High School for four years. The midfielder was named to the Division 2 All-State hon- orable mention list twice. In other Detroit Maccabi news: Net Order The Detroit volleyball team won a bronze medal in Houston. And now for the rest of the story: Detroit lost just two games in eight matches and its record was better than gold medalist Dallas and silver medalist San Francisco. How did Detroit pull off those feats? It went 5-0 in pool play and beat New Orleans/ Birmingham 25-14, 25-13 in its first playoff match. Then it ran into Dallas. Detroit lost 25-17, 25-19. It rallied from a 20-8 deficit to make the second game close. Rallies were the story of Detroit's bronze medal match against Houston White. Detroit fell behind in all three games before win- ning 25-23, 25-21, 25-19. Captains Julie Schare and Taylor Henkin were Detroit's leaders. Also on the team were Carly Amhowitz, Hannah Berman, Jolie Greenstone, Marissa Katz, Jesse Kepes, Leah Popkin and Jessica Stern. Ken Bertin and Steve Click were the coaches. Gennifer Roth and Dr. Sheldon Stern worked with the team in practices before it headed to Houston. Besides scoring points on the volleyball court, the Detroit team read and did other activities with underprivileged children at a Houston YMCA during a Maccabi Days of Caring and Sharing morning. The Detroit softball players posed for a team photo. Detroit goalie Kam McVittie (leaping), Alex Steinberg and Samuel Kepes help clear the ball. Silver Stars A 62-51 loss to an older, bigger Miami team in the gold medal game didn't take any lus- ter off Detroit's achievements in the boys age 15-16 basketball competition at the Maccabi Games in Orange County, Calif. Detroit won the silver medal in the 30- team field despite having six 15-year-olds on its roster. Guards Jake Olds and Eric Fishman com- bined for 43 points against Miami. Also on Coach Barry Bershad's Detroit team were Adam Goldman, Jarret Levine, Josh Levine, Brandon Potash, Alex Scharg, Steve Scharg, Andy Schwartz and Steve Silverman. Steve Fishman was Bershad's assistant coach. Detroit recorded four victories in eight games, defeating Pittsburgh by 20 points in the semifinals. Danny Boy Danny Weiss put on quite a show in the Detroit boys age 13-14 basketball team's 54- 33 victory over St. Louis in Baltimore. Weiss poured in 35 points as Detroit rallied from an early 9-0 deficit to earn one of its two victories in six games. "We didn't have as much size and expe- rience as the other teams:' said Detroit coach Steve Weiss, Danny's father. "Under the circumstances, I was proud of how hard we played. We did as well as could be expected." Danny Weiss was the only Detroit player with previous Maccabi experience. He led the team in points, rebounds and blocked shots. Detroit's roster also included Miles Gordon, Seth Goldman, Steve Lebenbom, Joey Leshman, Jack Nathan, Alex Sklar and Andy Sonnenberg. Steve Weiss' son Mitchell, a former Maccabi athlete, was Detroit's assistant coach. Softball Survives Girls softball is alive and well at the Maccabi Games. A vigorous effort by coaches and other supporters convinced Maccabi offi- cials not to drop softball in favor of girls lacrosse after 2007, so seven girls softball teams hit the diamonds in Houston. Most were combined teams. Detroit/ Atlanta lost its first two games, won two straight, then dropped a 4-3 extra-inning heartbreaker to Philadelphia that stopped it from competing for a medal. Detroit/Atlantis coaches were Ron Silberstein and Ellery Diem. Michelle Friedman, Rachel Klisman, Emily Sherbin, Amy Silberstein, Morgan Silver, Sarah Thomas, Emilie Weiner and Emily Zussman represented Detroit. There were three play- ers from Atlanta. On Track Detroit's Nicole Meisner won gold medals in the girls age 13-14 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes in track competition in Orange County. Meisner also won gold medals in relays. Emily and Rachel Chocron (girls 13-14), Jenny Pickman (girls 13-14) and Michael Hyman (boys 15-16) also won gold medals in relays for Detroit. Golf Gold Detroit golfers won gold, silver and bronze medals in Houston. Brad Goldman earned a gold in the four-man best-ball scramble, Steven Neville won a silver in the closest- to-the-pin skills competition, and Adam Zuppke took home a bronze from the four- man best-ball scramble. Homes Wanted Host families, volunteers, participants and sponsors are needed for the 2008 JCC Maccabi Games in Detroit, which will be held Aug. 17-22. Contact Games Director Karen Gordon, (248) 432-5482 or kgordon@jccdet.org . Please send sports news to sports@thejewishnews.com . September 6 • 2007 49