The Division 4 regional semifinal was an eye-opener for the Plymouth Christian girls soccer team last year. 

For one, the Eagles couldn't keep up with rival Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, which had no trouble winning 3-1 and also looked more battle-tested for the rigors of competitive playoff matches. 

And, for two, they struggled to navigate the nuances of playing on Riverview Gabriel Richard's turf field. The artificial surface just played differently than the traditional patch of grass they normally competed on. 

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Coach Ryan Thomason and athletic director Matt Windle quickly realized they needed to do something about the Eagles' schedule. Yeah, they went 14-6 overall and bullied most of the teams they played, but it did almost nothing for them as far as being prepared for the physicality of playing in the rounds of 32 and 16.

"Winning 8-0 doesn't really help you," Thomason said. "We had a weak schedule. We won all of our games and then we got to regionals and we just weren't ready to play the best. Now we're just trying to play the best to see the vision of where we've got to go and where we we're going as a program."

The third-year coach joked that the Catholic League has pretty much adopted the Eagles as associate members. 

They traded in games against ho-hum opponents from around metro Detroit to schedule matchups with some of the best in the CHSL. They faced second-ranked Madison Heights Bishop Foley twice (and the Ventures needed a goal with 35 seconds left to beat them on April 26). They battled state runner-up Royal Oak Shrine. They got blitzed by both University Liggett and Wixom St. Catherine. 

"A constant theme with me is let's learn, let's build, and we'll win when it matters," Thomason added. "We're trying to have that perspective and, at the same time, we don't like to lose, so it does hurt, but we know where we're going. Sometimes you've got to take your lumps."

It's also about where the Eagles are playing. 

"I watched our girls struggle on Gabriel Richard's turf," Windle said. "They just didn't know how to play on it. As soon as I watched us play, I said, 'That's it! I'm scheduling us 10 games on turf next season.'"

They have certainly gotten the hang of how a ball bounces on rubber pellets vs. normal grass by playing at some of the coolest stadiums in the CHSL. And they'll likely see plenty of turf fields as they get deeper into the postseason. 

And, yeah, they're also battle-tested now. 

On Thursday night, Kate Creighton booted in a pair of goals to help the Eagles beat Inter-City Baptist 3-0 to push their record to 5-0 in their division and clinch the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference title. 

They've allowed just four goals against vs. league opponents, which has allowed Thomason to get all 19 of his players playing time. 

"And it just hasn't been much of a battle," he added. "When we get into our conference, it's just a different feeling now. We're at a different level right now."

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That also has to do with the makeup of the program now compared to when he took it over. 

There are 36 players between the varsity and the JV, which is saying something because many D-4 soccer teams do not have enough girls to field a JV. 

Thomason has been able to pick and choose the perfect roster for his varsity. Right now, he has six freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors and six seniors, though three of his players are out with season-ending injuries.

Three years ago, he'd be lucky to have one or two players with travel experience. Now he jokes that he can make a starting lineup out of only club players. 

Two of his top players are Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Associall-staters. That includes Creighton, who made the third team as a freshman. As a sophomore striker, she's already scored 19 goals. They've also returned Lizzy McHugh, an honorable mention all-stater as a sophomore, who Thomason calls the team's "quarterback" at the defensive center-mid position. 

What's more, Thomason has made a point of recruiting some of the best athletes to try out soccer and bolster the lineup. After he watched Anna Fernandez play basketball her sophomore year, he begged her to join the team. Now Fernandez, who was named Hometown Life's Player of the Year this past winter, has become one of Thomason's most-reliable role players, trading in dribbling with her hands for dribbling with her feet.  

The Eagles should be the favorites to win their district at Gabriel Richard, and they'll be better prepared to handle that fire-red field turf the Pioneers have this time. 

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But they'll likely face Bishop Foley or Shrine in the regional. And they'll enter as the underdogs. But that's OK. Thomason has done everything he possibly could to prepare them for this opportunity. 

BRIEFLY: Also on Thursday, Joey Lavigne gave Plymouth Christian's baseball team a reason to celebrate, too. 

The pitcher tossed a no-hitter during a 10-0 mercy-rule win over Livonia Clarenceville. 

The senior threw a school-record 13 strikeouts in five innings.

The Eagles host Novi Christian School to open the D-4 district tournament on May 31. 

Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter @folsombrandonj.