Sailors Find Winning Way in 3rd-Straight Meeting of D3 Finalists
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
November 6, 2021
COMSTOCK PARK – Joel Vande Kopple is not concerned with style points.
“Big Dutch soccer,” as he calls it, suited Grand Rapids South Christian just fine this season.
The Sailors made things happen with their length and athleticism, living off set pieces and capturing an MHSAA Division 3 championship with a 3-1 win over Finals rival Grosse Ile on Saturday at Comstock Park High School.
South Christian seized its first state title in six years and the fourth since 2010, featuring three different coaches among those quartet of championships. It was Vande Kopple’s first season with the Sailors after 15 years with Lansing Christian, which he led to the Division 4 title in 2013. His new team solved Grosse Ile after South Christian’s narrow Finals losses to the Red Devils in 2019 and 2020.
“There was just a focus all year long. It was a resiliency that I hadn’t seen before in a soccer team,” said Vande Kopple, whose Sailors finished unbeaten at 22-0-3. “We’ve been down two goals a couple times and they found ways to win, and it was all about getting back here and giving ourselves (a chance) and we did.
“I thought Grosse Ile was a fantastic team. They played great soccer and they made it an amazing game, but it was just one of those things where I think our seniors who have felt that pain weren’t going to let it happen again.”
Saturday marked the fourth-straight Finals appearance for Grosse Ile (21-2-1), which fell to Hudsonville Unity Christian 3-1 in overtime in 2018 before the Red Devils edged South Christian in 2019 (2-1 in a shootout) and 2020 (1-0).
Grosse Ile was No. 2 in the last Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Division 3 rankings, while South Christian was No. 5.
“It’s crazy – just to get to the Finals one time, let alone three times and face the same team three times in a row, I don’t think that’s something that anybody would ever expect,” Grosse Ile coach Jon Evans said. “I think it says a lot about both of our programs and our successes that we’ve been able to have.”
South Christian scored first on a penalty kick by 6-foot-3 senior Levi DeRuiter 12 minutes into the game. It stayed 1-0 until early in the second half, when senior Logyn Huttenga scored off a set piece to give the Sailors a two-goal lead with 36:24 left in the contest.
Grosse Ile senior Jon Duke gave his team life on his penalty-kick tally with 17:14 left to pull within 2-1.
But with the Red Devils in desperation mode during the game’s final moments, 6-6 junior Sam Medendorp put it away on a goal with 2:42 left.
South Christian lost its top three goal scorers from last season to graduation, but the Sailors found ways to manufacture offense.
“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t know how we were going to score goals. And then one of the first practices, Levi chucks it in 60 yards and we said, ‘Ah, we can do something with that,’” Vande Kopple said with a laugh.
“We don’t really have natural goal scorers, but we just find ways to get it done.”
Vande Kopple noted how poetic it was that Medendorp notched the goal that put it away for South Christian.
The coach said that the lanky, animated forward is the biggest cheerleader on the team, encouraging teammates to keep their heads up.
Medendorp said the Sailors’ size was a big threat, especially on set pieces and corners.
“It was very different (this season),” Medendorp said. “Our whole coaching staff was (in) their first year here. It was very good to add new ideas and new people into the program. (Vande Kopple) was very personal, which was very important to me and especially the team, and he just pushed all of us harder and better and was very organized in how he coached.”
Shots were even between South Christian and Grosse Ile at nine apiece.
South Christian senior keeper Luke VanTol made five saves, while Grosse Ile junior Hayden Watson turned away three shots.
“You know, we weren’t the better team on the day,” said Evans, who is 136-8-10 in six seasons at the Red Devils helm. “If we play this game 10 times, who knows how the results would turn out, but today wasn’t our day. They took advantage of their set pieces like we assumed they would, and they put the ball in the back of the net."
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids South Christian players celebrate their Division 3 championship Saturday. (Middle) The Sailors’ Alex Leenstra (11) winds up while Grosse Ile’s Jon Duke (4) moves in to defend. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
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.)