AVONDALE'S STRAUSS IS A STAR FOR ALL SEASONS

The world of professional wrestling had mega-star, Andre the Giant and the city of Auburn Hills has his female-counterpart, Andrea the Giant, as in Andrea Strauss, Avondale High School's mega-studstress and goliath three-sport varsity athlete. In the fall, she's a leader of the Yellow Jackets' volleyball team, come winter she's an ace 3-point specialist on the hoop hardwood and when spring dawns she impersonates a brick wall as the starting keeper on the soccer squad.  I've watched a lot of prep sports in my life and I've seen very few girls as multi-talented on the field of athletic completion as my main homegirl, A-Strauss! Oh, did I mention she's as CLASSY as CLASSY can be as a competitor too? Well, if I didn't: SHE IS!

On Thursday night Strauss showed why she's one of the best goalies in the Metro Detroit area, stopping a game-high 13 shots on net in the Yellow Jackets 1-0 victory over BH Lahser in a district semi-final game.

"The game was nerve-wrecking because it was districts and we were playing Lahser, who I know will always bring their best game against us," said a smiling Strauss after the tightly-contested affair on Thursday.  "We've been chasing them for years and it feels great to finally slay our biggest demon. You have to play like there's no tomorrow waiting for you on the other side of the final whistle and that's what we did. I'm just happy for the seniors and for the fact that they get to play for another day."

Up until earlier this season, 16^th year head coach Dave Muczynski had not beaten Lahser in his time on the job.

Avondale ups it record to 11-7-3 on the year and will play in its fourth straight D2 district championship on Saturday afternoon against Birmingham Marian. The shutout in between the pipes is Strauss' second straight and 11^th overall on the 2010 season. She collected a game-high 11 saves in her team's 2-0 defeat of Fenton in the district-opener on Tuesday.

This past March, she started at shooting guard for the 'Jackets basketball team and helped lead the squad to an OAA White conference title. Strauss and the Avondale kickers will be shooting for the program's fifth district title in the last 15 years on Saturday. AND SHE'S ONLY A JUNIOR!

Muczynski, who coaches Strauss in both basketball and soccer, has nothing but praise for his star-pupil.

"She's disciplined and athletic and does everything that's asked of her as an athlete at this school," he said. "I think she's the best goalie in the county in soccer. All she does is provide super leadership and gobble up almost every shot that comes her way. She competes at the highest level all of the time. It's like that in every sport she plays, just a pro's pro. I couldn't ask for a better young lady to coach."