Pioneers Stake Claim as State's Best
June 8, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
ROCKFORD – With three minutes to play in Saturday’s MHSAA Division 2 Girls Lacrosse Final, East Grand Rapids’ sideline emptied as subs and late-season call-ups all at once replaced the line-up on the field.
As the first-string group exited, Pioneers fans offered a standing ovation to a group that has become arguably the state’s elite over their four seasons.
East Grand Rapids, ranked No. 1 at the end of the regular season, finished its second-straight MHSAA championship run with a 16-6 win over Livonia Ladywood at Rockford High.
A group of 11 seniors – many who have played together since fifth grade – leave the program after helping accumulate a 78-14 record during their high school careers.
“We’ve learned a lot. Our coaches have been so committed to the program, and we have to thank them for everything and the parents as well,” EGR senior Claire Ludlow said. “The year before last year (2011) was when we really wanted it. We didn’t make it to the state finals, but that was our driving force especially for last year and this year as well.”
The Pioneers improved from 13-6 to 15-6 to 28-0 and now 22-2 over the last four seasons under coach Rich Axtell, and this season’s losses came to teams from Ohio and Illinois. EGR hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent since 2011 – when it fell in double overtime in a Regional Semifinal to eventual Finals champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
East Grand Rapids beat GRCC three times this season and finished a combined 8-0 against the next three teams ranked after the Pioneers in Division 2 at the end of the regular season. They also beat six of the top 10 in Division 1, including top-ranked Rockford.
“We made ourselves a tougher schedule ... (and) really challenged the girls this year,” Axtell said. “This was one of those years where we came in with great expectations, and the girls met every single one of them.
“It’s a great way to send off 11 seniors. They’ve had one heck of a career here. They came in when this program was struggling and set a really great standard for the young ladies coming up.”
East Grand Rapids built a 6-0 lead over the first 7 minutes, 32 seconds and led 9-2 at halftime. But Axtell knew the Blazers had come back from an early deficit to beat Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood by a goal in the Semifinal, and he made a point of pointing that out.
“Recently we’ve gotten up and let the other team back in. ... We know (Ladywood) had it in them,” Axtell said. “The girls maintained their focus and basically just kept extending the lead. That sort of composure is something we’ve been preaching to the girls.”
East Grand Rapids indeed did keep a comfortable lead – although Ladywood trailed only 10-6 over the final 42 minutes.
“That’s the type of team I have. They won’t give up. They just want to keep going,” Ladywood coach Kris Sanders said. “If it’s a 10-goal differential, they’re still going to do it, which I like. I’m very proud of that.”
Eight Pioneers scored, led by Ludlow and senior Martha Bogo with three goals apiece. Bogo also had a pair of assists.
Junior Jessica Snyder scored four goals for Ladywood, which will graduate eight players but should return its top two scorers and three of its top five next spring. The Blazers also set a standard for teams to come – they finished 15-2, and Saturday’s was their first MHSAA Finals appearance in the sport.
Ladywood’s only other loss this season was to Division 1 power Birmingham Marian. The Blazers were ranked No. 8 in Division 2 entering the postseason.
“I couldn’t ask for anything else. If we’re 15-2 and get to the state final and lose the state final, that’s OK,” Sanders said. “We can’t lose sight of all the success we’ve had in the season.”
PHOTOS: (Top) East Grand Rapids sophomore Katherine Golladay winds up before scoring one of her two goals Saturday. (Middle) The Pioneers' Martha Bogo (16) works to keep the ball from Ladywood's Jaclyn Snyder.
Preview: Girls Finalists Ready to Replay
June 8, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
There appears to be a pattern forming here.
For the second straight season, Rockford and East Grand Rapids from the west and Birmingham United and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood from the east will converge to decide the MHSAA girls lacrosse championships, this season at Brighton High School.
The Division 2 Final will be played at 2 p.m., followed by Division 1 at 4:30. Both will be broadcast on MHSAA.tv, available with subscription, with audio available on MHSAANetwork.com. Click for more information, including all tournament results.
Below is a look at all four contenders, with player statistics through Regional Finals.
Division 1
BIRMINGHAM UNITED
Record/rank: 12-9, No. 5 at end of regular season
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association
Coach: Jen Dunbar, 15th season (record N/A)
Championship history: Four Division 1 titles (most recent 2012), runner-up 2016.
Best wins: 11-9 (OT) over No. 3 Hartland in a Semifinal, 15-14 (OT) over No. 4 Bloomfield Hills in a Regional Final, 15-8 over No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer, 14-13 over No. 7 Brighton, 14-13 over Division 2 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Marian.
Player to watch: Danielle Augier, sr. A/M; Grace Fischer, sr. D; Grace Murray, sr. A (Statistics not submitted).
Outlook: The reigning Division 1 runner-up is looking to reverse last season’s 12-9 championship game loss to Rockford. Birmingham opened this season with three wins and then six straight losses; it’s currently on a 9-3 run and avenged one of those recent defeats by beating Bloomfield Hills to win the Regional. Augier was a star last season as well.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 19-2, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Mike Emery, 10th season (180-41-6)
Championship history: Division 1 champions 2010, 2013-16.
Best wins: 22-4 over No. 6 Northville in a Semifinal, 12-8 (Regional Final), 12-6 and 15-3 over No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills United, 26-1 over No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer, 17-2 and 25-6 over Division 2 No. 9 Grand Rapids Christian, 18-1 and 22-3 over Division 2 No. 6 Caledonia, 20-6 over Division 2 No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 18-8 and 17-7 over Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 16-6 and 20-7 over Division 2 No. 3 East Grand Rapids.
Players to watch: Brooklyn Neumen, jr. M (64 goals, 43 assists); MeKenzie VanderMolen, jr. M (47 goals, 29 assists); Karrington VanderMolen, soph. M (74 goals, 12 assists), Sydney Zimmerman, fr. A/M (53 goals, 27 assists).
Outlook: The Rams have won four straight Division 1 championships and continue to add big-time scorers to a dominating roster. In addition to those mentioned above, sophomore attack Isabelle Holmes had 24 goals and 42 assists and junior attack/mid Margaret Hammer had 28 goals and 15 assists entering this week. The two losses came against teams from out of state, the first by only a goal.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD
Record/rank: 22-5, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Division 1
Coach: Greg Courter, third season (57-16)
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2015 and 2016.
Best wins: 21-14 and 19-7 (Pre-Regional) over No. 10 Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, 21-14, 19-9 and 19-7 (Regional Final) over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Marian; 16-9, 11-5 and 14-8 (Semifinal) over Okemos; 23-9 over Division 1 No. 5 Birmingham United, 11-5 and 15-14 over Division 1 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills United, 18-2 over Division 1 No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer, 19-5 over Division 1 No. 4 Bloomfield Hills.
Players to watch: Isabelle Scane, jr. M (137 goals, 35 assists); Brigitte Ballard, jr. G (8.24 goals-against average); Sophia Milia, jr. A (80 goals, 55 assists); Delaney Langdon, jr. M (55 goals, 25 assists).
Outlook: This will be the Cranes’ third straight MHSAA Final, and they’ve played all the contenders to prepare for this point – including taking an early 8-6 loss to East Grand Rapids. The only other in-state defeat came to Division 1 top-ranked Rockford. Scane added three more goals in the Semifinal, and her 140 this season are the second most in MHSAA history. Adding firepower are sophomore attack Jessica Geiger (45 goals, 13 assists), junior attack Olive Stevens (28 goals, 19 assists) and junior defense Georgia Hinnant (28 goals, 11 assists).
EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/rank: 19-6, No. 3 at end of regular season
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Rich Axtell, eighth season (156-27)
Championship history: Division 2 champions 2012-16.
Best wins: 19-17 over No. 2 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the Regional Final, 8-6 over No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 18-3 and 13-10 over No. 6 Caledonia, 17-6 and 17-4 over No. 9 Grand Rapids Christian, 20-6 over Division 1 No. 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer, 14-3 over Division 1 No. 5 Birmingham United, 12-6 and 10-9 over Division 1 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills United, 11-9 over Division 1 No. 3 Hartland, 18-11 over Division 1 No. 7 Brighton.
Players to watch: Lindsay Duca, sr. A (15 goals, 52 assists); Mary Schumar, soph. A (71 goals, 30 assists); Rebecca Scobell, sr. G (7.50 goals-against average); Audrey Whiteside, soph. M (87 goals, 16 assists).
Outlook: The Pioneers made their way back to the final day of the season in part by avenging a regular-season loss to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the Regional Final. The only other in-state losses were twice to Division 1 top-ranked Rockford. Duca was a star last season as well and distributes to a number of talented scorers; sophomore mid Olivia Brown adds 33 goals and senior mid Emily Roth 28 as 10 players total had at least 10 goals entering the week.
PHOTO: East Grand Rapids’ Madison Micho (12) and Cranbrook Kingswood’s Isabelle Scane battle for possession during last season’s Division 2 Final.