Preview: Surprise-Filled Tournament Set to Culminate with Memorable Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 4, 2022
Every MHSAA Tournament in every sport surprises us with some of the unexpected. Soccer this fall certainly has provided a few unanticipated moments to remember.
Saturday’s four Finals feature a team making its first championship game appearance, a second also seeking its first title and a third seeking its first this century, plus a Division 4 championship match pitting unranked contenders.
Division 1 - Comstock Park - Noon
Rochester Adams vs Rockford
Division 2 - Novi - Noon
Richland Gull Lake vs Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Division 3 - Comstock Park - 3 p.m.
Holland Christian vs Grosse Ile
Division 4 - Novi - 3 pm
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian vs Ann Arbor Greenhills
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. All four Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Below is a glance at all eight teams taking the field, with statistics through Regionals:
Division 1
ROCHESTER ADAMS
Record/rank: 16-1-6, No. 8
Michigan Power Rating: No. 8
Coach: Josh Hickey, 14th season (157-87-55)
League finish: Fourth in Oakland Activities Association Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 1999, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jackson Craft, jr. F (21 goals, 10 assists), Luke Rosin, sr. D (14 goals, 16 assists), Nick Hopkins, jr. D (2 goals, 2 assists), John Coon, jr. GK (0.64 goals-against average, 12 shutouts).
Outlook: Adams is returning to the Finals for the first time since finishing Division 1 runner-up in 2014, and defeated top-ranked Troy and No. 10 Salem along the way. The Troy win avenged Adams’ only loss, and the Highlanders also had draws against No. 5 Troy Athens, No. 6 Clarkston and No. 7 Berkley in league play. Striker Connor Patritto is one of six senior starters and had added eight goals and three assists entering the week, while junior midfielder Colton Janes added six goals and 11 assists.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 22-0-1, No. 3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 3
Coach: Tim Boelman, second season (33-6-4)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Tegan Gumbs, soph. GK (0.53 goals-against average); Benjamin Battreal, sr. F (9 goals, 11 assists); Aidan Flanders, fr. F (6 goals, 8 assists); Andrew Bultman, sr. F (16 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: The Rams are an early-September draw against No. 12 Grand Haven from a perfect record, and their run to their first Final has included wins over the Buccaneers and No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central. They’ve allowed only one goal over six postseason games, to Portage Central in the Regional Final. Senior midfielder Zenon Fedorowych had added six goals and six assists entering the week. Boelman has coached at every level of the program since first joining the staff in 2008.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD
Record/rank: 15-1-3, No. 3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 12
Coach: Chad O’Kulich, 27th season (320-71-37)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2014.
Players to watch: Nathan Hooker, sr. M (10 goals, 8 assists); Bora Akgun, sr. GK (0.72 goals-against average). Evan Evans, sr. M (13 goals, 10 assists); Cameron Hannah, jr. M (13 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: Cranbrook has returned to the Semifinals four times since its last championship, most recently in 2020 before taking the next step this season and returning to the Final. Hooker made the all-state third team last season and Akgun earned an honorable mention, and they with Evans and defenders Ian Chang and John Lee are senior starters. The Cranes have shut out four postseason opponents, including No. 10 Riverview in the Semifinal, and their only loss of the fall came in overtime to Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central.
RICHLAND GULL LAKE
Record/rank: 21-3, No. 1
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jeff Corstange, first season (21-3)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Jasek Zielaskowski, sr. M/F (22 goals, 7 assists), Ryker Corstange, jr. F/M (19 goals, 25 assists), Tariku Klipsch, sr. M (15 goals, 7 assists), Zavier Thomas, jr. F (12 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: After closing the regular season with a pair of losses, Gull Lake has defeated No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, No. 8 Parma Western and No. 9 DeWitt on the way to this weekend. Jeff Corstange took over the Gull Lake boys program this fall after previously leading the girls varsity to three Division 2 championships and a 153-20-6 record over eight seasons. Ryker Corstange earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and junior keeper Evan Kaiser made the third team. Kaiser and junior Braden Minehart have nearly split time this season and combined for 14 shutouts.
Division 3
GROSSE ILE
Record/rank: 14-7, No. 14
Michigan Power Rating: No. 18
Coach: Jon Evans, seventh season (150-15-10)
League finish: Second in Huron League.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2020), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Drake Rossi, sr. M (16 goals, 12 assists), Joe Molnar, sr. M (12 goals, 5 assists); Cannon Kawadri, sr. D (5 goals, 6 assists); Hayden Watson, sr. D (2 goals, 1 assist).
Outlook: Grosse Ile will be playing in its fifth-straight Division 3 Final, having won titles in 2019 and 2020 and finished runner-up in 2018 and last season. Only 8-7 at the start of the playoffs, the Red Devils have defeated No. 13 Milan and No. 2 Detroit Country Day during this run and saw Troy, Riverview and Elk Rapids as part of a strong regular-season schedule. Kawadri made the all-state first team last season, and Watson made the third.
HOLLAND CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 19-1-3, No. 6
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Dave DeBoer, 10th season (157-30-22)
League finish: First in O-K Blue
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2003).
Players to watch: Daniel Morgan, sr. GK (0.31 goals-against average,15 shutouts); Kyle Cannon, sr. F (16 goals, 3 assists); Lucas Freriks, sr. F (10 goals, 12 assists); Michael Pierce, sr. F (8 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: The Maroons have navigated a postseason path that’s included wins over top-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central, No. 9 Elk Rapids and No. 15 Fennville. That lone loss came in the team’s third game of the season, against Grand Rapids South Christian, which entered the postseason No. 3 in Division 3. Morgan made the all-state second team last year and has given up seven goals this fall while playing all but two games.
Division 4
ANN ARBOR GREENHILLS
Record/rank: 8-6-4, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 39
Coach: Lucian Popescu, 13th season (161-100-26)
League finish: Fifth in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2017, four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lachlan Rae, jr. M (5 goals, 4 assists); Michael Zheng, jr. F (15 goals, 5 assists); Jay Vigan, sr. M (4 goals, 11 assists); Adrian Bardwell, sr. D.
Outlook: Greenhills came out of a league that includes Division 2 finalist Cranbrook, and the Gryphons played mostly larger teams before entering the postseason at 3-6-4. That preparation clearly has paid off as Greenhills has yet to give up a goal over five playoff games, with wins over No. 11 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, No. 6 Plymouth Christian Academy and No. 3 Lansing Christian along the way. Bardwell earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and sophomore Etienne Rouillard has a 1.2 goals-against average in net.
MUSKEGON WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 15-8-2, unranked
Michigan Power Rating: No. 11
Coach: Ben Buursma, third season (37-23-6)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Gavin Riksen, sr. F (18 goals, 5 assists); Charlie Buursma, jr. M (8 goals, 11 assists); Ashton Leffring, sr. F (22 goals, 18 assists); Cole DeJonge, soph. M (6 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Western Michigan Christian rebounded from a 2-5 start to get to 10-8-2 by the end of the regular season, and then reached its 14th Final despite losing a top midfielder to injury during the run. The Warriors have won eight straight games, avenging losses to No. 13 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and Leland during the playoffs and defeating top-ranked Hartford in a Regional Final. Leffring made the all-state second team last season.
PHOTOS (Top) Gull Lake's Jasek Zielaskowski gains possession during his team's Semifinal win Wednesday. (Middle) Greenhills' Raj Tiller gets a foot on the ball during a Gryphons' win over Monroe St. Mary. (Top photo courtesy of The Open Shutter Photo/Cindy Corstange. Middle photo by Lei Zheng.)
De La Salle Collegiate Takes Final Step to Finish 1st Title Run since 2005
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 2, 2024
GRAND LEDGE – Josh Ross made it to the final game of his high school soccer career without getting a single yellow card.
But Saturday, when his late goal sealed Warren De La Salle Collegiate’s Division 2 Final against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, the senior midfielder figured it was OK to break that streak.
Ross ripped off his jersey and ran to the De La Salle student section to start off a celebration 19 years in the making.
“It was my first yellow card of my entire career,” said Ross, who was carded as jersey removal is an automatic card. “We were talking about it on the bus, we were joking that I was going to get my first yellow card taking my shirt off, and man, that was the greatest feeling that I could ever feel.”
De La Salle defeated Northern 4-1 to claim the sixth Finals title in program history, but first since 2005. Coach Thaier Mukhtar has been at the helm for all of those titles, and was emotional after this latest one.
“This is my sixth state championship – I’ve been there, I’ve done that,” he said. “But my tears were for my seniors. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
The Pilots had 10 seniors on their roster, one year after having none. But a young group a year ago advanced to the Semifinals before getting knocked out in penalty kicks, and that helped push them throughout this season.
“We had a rough start to (2023), but our group is so close,” said Ross, who had two goals and two assists. “Even though I’m a senior, I feel like I’m in the same grade as the sophomores and juniors. We’re a close group of boys that really nothing can stand in our way. Once we figured that out last year and started our run, started our roll, we got unlucky and lost in pens. But we knew how close we were, we knew how good we were, and as you see, we came out here and won today.”
De La Salle spent much of the game holding onto a 2-1 lead, as a frenetic start saw three goals scored in the game’s first 23 minutes. Neither team would find the net again, however, until Ross’ goal with 3:36 to play put the game on ice, and an Andrew Corder goal 1:26 later erased any doubt.
“The biggest weight off my shoulders ever,” Ross said. “One of the greatest feelings in my life.”
While the game was just a shot away from being tied for the majority of the second half, the Huskies weren’t able to create consistent pressure or the big chances that could test De La Salle goalkeeper Dominic Baldarotta, who stopped one of the two shots the Huskies put on frame.
The Pilots (20-3-1), meanwhile, had seven shots on frame, but just three of them coming in the second half, including the two goals in the final 3:36.
The lack of scoring chances in the second was a stark contrast to the first half, when it looked like a wide open game could be unfolding.
De La Salle created the game’s first chance in the first 20 seconds after a quick free kick, and it scored the first goal 10:01 into the game as JJ Jurczyk finished off a Ross pass following a well-worked play on a corner kick.
It only took 1:04 for Northern to answer, however, as Dylan Van Skiver scored on a free kick to tie the game.
Ross’ first goal of the game didn’t come for another 11 minutes, but both teams had pushed through that timeframe. The goal, though, was worth the relatively short wait, as Corder played a gorgeous pass to spring Ross on goal, and the senior went to the far post for a 2-1 lead.
“I saw both the defenders closing me down,” Corder said. “(The) split, I practice that at Rondos at practice every day. So I put it through and just played him.”
Ross had an assist on Corder’s second goal, while Settimo Leone had an assist on Ross’ second.
“(Ross) was extremely motivated this year to lead this team to a championship,” Mukhtar said. “He’s a two-year captain, first-team all-state last year, he’ll be first-team all-state this year, obviously. He’s just a tremendous leader. He’s the type of kid you want to adopt. He’s extremely polite – except for taking off his shirt. I guess I won’t yell at him about that; he’s done.”
Goalkeeper Lukas Darling had three saves for Northern (19-5-3), which was playing in its first Final since winning it all in 2019.
PHOTOS (Top) De La Salle’s Vince Houlihan (19) controls the ball while two Forest Hills Northern players attempt to gain possession. (Middle) FHN’s Drin Mandija (23) winds up to send the ball forward with the Pilots’ Josh Ross in pursuit. (Below) De La Salle’s Andrew Corder maintains possession. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)