LANSING, Mich. — In the 94th minute on June 21, a Lansing Common FC goal off an Ali Ahmad cross did not just seal a friendly win over Livonia City FC — it capped off a dominant performance and a hat trick for Zach Holden.
It is an accolade that now stands as one of his favorite memories on the pitch in a sport he has spent his entire life playing.
“I always get two (goals) and I always overthink and can’t get the third goal,” Holden said. “Along with getting on an MLS Next team and committing to play soccer in college, the hat trick is pretty high up there as one of my biggest accomplishments.”
A hat trick that had the potential to change the trajectory of Holden’s season did not even seem like a possibility heading into the game.
The 18-year-old from DeWitt has spent countless hours on the pitch to reach the position he is in today, including five years of training under the wing of a former professional.
“I’ve trained with Cyrus Saydee. He used to play for Detroit City FC (DCFC),” Holden said. “I trained with him for like five years, and he’s one of the main reasons why I’ve gotten good.”
Saydee, a Lansing soccer product who graduated from Everett High School at 16, went on to play midfield for the hometown Michigan State Spartans from 2008 to 2011. According to The Athletic, many consider him one of the best players to ever come out of Lansing and possibly the state, with an MSU scholarship and a U17 national team invitation reinforcing that belief.
That training laid the foundation for Holden’s development, sharpening his technical skills and soccer IQ, and ultimately leading to an opportunity with Lansing Common FC. It gave him the chance to not only log valuable summer reps before his first year at Kalamazoo College, but also to reconnect with a former coach.
“Coach Sorg was my coach probably like six years ago at my old club, Cap City, before I went to Midwest United,” Holden said. “I knew that he coached at Lansing Common, so I went and tried out.”
Familiarity with Coach Sorg is common among players on the roster, which is one reason the team is so tight-knit and willing to buy into his ideals. That connection was on display when Holden stepped up to play out of position after a teammate went down against Livonia City FC.
In the 39th minute, Blendi Jahiri exited with an injury. As Sorg watched him limp off the pitch, he was forced to make an adjustment. Holden, a traditional midfielder, was asked to move to the wing.
But despite playing out of position, he looked comfortable and even scored the lone first-half goal just five minutes after being subbed in.
His ability to adapt may have stemmed from the mental preparation he puts in before every match.
“I have the same routine before the games, and right before, a lot of times when I’m in the locker room, I just close my eyes and I imagine playing the game,” Holden said. “I like to think about what I want to do, and it helps.”
His pregame visualization may have prepared him for his first goal, but the second, which came just a minute into the second half, may have been unpredictable.
“It was pretty good just for me to score one. I was already happy, but it just came to me, even though I normally play center mid and I ended up being out at winger,” Holden said. “So I asked coach if I could play winger in the second half.”
For most of the remainder of the second half, Holden found himself in a familiar position, stuck on two goals and unable to reach the magic number of three. It is challenge that has followed him throughout his soccer career.
“I was trying to get the third, but I was almost playing worse because I was trying to force it,” Holden said. “I always overthink and can’t get the third goal.”
It was a barrier he would finally break in the 94th minute, completing the hat trick and extending the Robins’ lead to 3-0.
After making some noise in LCFC’s final friendly of the season, Holden hopes his efforts will earn him more opportunities with the first team in the second half of the Midwest Premier League season and potentially in the years ahead.
“Hopefully I can make an impact with the first team and maybe score a few more goals,” Holden said. “Hopefully next year I can start, because that’d be pretty big for me.”
Even with LCFC as the current focus, Holden is also looking ahead to his collegiate career at Kalamazoo, where he will study business and suit up for the Hornets.
“My main goal right now is to get some type of recognition as a freshman and make a big difference by being one of the key players on the team,” Holden said. “They just got a new coach, Mike Haines, and he used to be the assistant coach at Western Michigan.”
With a coach who brings NCAA Tournament experience and multiple conference titles to the program, success could be on the horizon for both Holden and the Hornets.
Holden’s name will be on the team sheet for Lansing Common’s Midwest Premier League season finale on July 19. He’s hoping his hat trick on June 21 will not be forgotten when it comes time to set the lineup.
