Dearborn Stars players, coaches and team sponsor Ned Fawaz (holding cup) of the LIBC celebrate after winning the MIPSL Open Division title on Sunday, August 7. Nafeh AbuNab/TAAN

DEARBORN — There are few things more frustrating in sports than a game ending in a tie, but last Friday night’s draw by the Dearborn Stars against the Italian American Cultural Society was a whole different story.

The Stars entered the weekend needing just one tie in two games to clinch the Michigan Premier Soccer League’s Open Division Championship, and they accomplished their goal with Friday night’s 1-1 even result against the IACS at Edsel Ford High School.

That meant the team could relax a bit mentally heading into their Sunday night game against the Detroit Chaldean Soccer Club. Sunday’s game ended in another hotly-contested 1-1 tie, but with the MIPSL Open Division championship cup in tow, the Stars were able to celebrate their league title to the fullest.

“We’re very pleased to be able to win our division…a lot of hard work and training went into this,” said Dr. Nassib Fawaz, president of the Lebanese International Business Council, the team’s main sponsor, after being carried across the field in jubilation by Stars players.

Co-head coach Bahaa Salem was also drenched with water in celebration by Stars players. Next season, the team will move up to the Premier Division of the MIPSL, which will give them the opportunity to compete for the State and Midwest cup titles among other opportunities.

Mohamed Hijazi, who has played with the Stars organization since 1997, said he and the team are excited about both the title and being able to celebrate their 30th anniversary in the Premier Division.

The former professional Lebanese player led the Stars to a title and a chance to play against the popular Al-Nejmeh Lebanese team in 1996; the game between the two ended in a 2-2 tie and earned Hijazi a contract with the opposing Lebanese team as well.

Before this season with the Stars, a player on the team received a fortune cookie that said “Your team will have its most successful season ever” and Hijazi took the message and enlarged it into a poster before having the rest of the team sign it. The message turned out to be true as the stars went 8-0-2 on the season.

The Stars also managed to secure the title while much of the team was fasting for Ramadan. Many players were unable to eat during the first half of both weekend games but broke their fast just before the start of the second half in each game.

On Sunday, many players ate dates in accordance with tradition before giving the remaining ones to the Detroit Chaldean players in a gesture of friendship. Hijazi thanked the opposing teams for their understanding and allowing them a little extra time to refuel just before the second half.

The wide variety of cultures in the MIPSL make for great competition and friendships as well.

“That is one of the targets for our team, to make close relationships with different cultures,” said co-head coach Abbas Abou Khodr. “Our goal is to make the team bigger and bigger each year, thanks to Dr. Fawaz and our supporters.”

Fawaz thanked the players, coaches, and LIBC Board of Directors for their support.

He hopes to someday help build an indoor soccer stadium in Dearborn and said the city made a strong case for being the state capital of soccer for the time being.

“We are very proud of the team, they made us and Dearborn proud, and we’re proud of the Michigan Sporting team as well for their win in the State Cup,” Fawaz said.