Logo

Preview: Finalists Take Familiar Road

June 7, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The favorites will be familiar and the challengers are on their way heading into Saturday’s Girls Lacrosse Finals at Novi High School.

Division 1 top-ranked Rockford and Division 2 top-ranked East Grand Rapids have won a combined 12 MHSAA Finals titles, and even shared their league championship this spring. But Brighton will play in its fourth Division 1 championship game, and second straight, while Marian is back on the final day of the season for the third time.

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 unless noted.

Division 1

BRIGHTON
Record/rank: 16-7-1, No. 4 at end of regular season
League finish: Third in Kensington Lakes Activities Association
Coach: Ashton Peters, second season (24-7-1) 
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2011, runner-up 2018 and 2010. 
Best wins: 12-10 over No. 3 Hartland in Semifinal, 21-4 (Regional Semifinal) and 17-10 over No. 10 Novi, 14-7 over No. 7 Northville, 15-10 over No. 6 Birmingham United, 11-10 (Regional Final) and 12-9 over No. 5 Ann Arbor Pioneer. Players to watch: Riley Browne, jr. M/D; Cat Kophcia, jr A; Jenna Miodonski, sr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Brighton certainly earned its way back to the championship game, defeating a number of opponents ranked just below it throughout the season and then avenging two earlier losses with the Semifinal win over Hartland. The Bulldogs have given up single-digit goals in 12 games, and Brown recently was name all-state first team with Kophcia making the second.

ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 14-5-1, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: Tied for first in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Mike Emery, 12th season (214-48-7) 
Championship history: Division 1 champions 2010, 2013-18.
Best wins: 20-6 (Semifinal) and 20-3 over No. 6 Birmingham United, 16-8 (Regional Final), 15-5 and 13-8 over No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills United, 13-12 over Division 2 No. 1 East Grand Rapids.
Players to watch: Karrington Vander Molen, sr. A/M (34 goals, 7 assists); Sydney Zimmerman, jr. M (43 goals, 16 assists); Isabelle Holmes, sr. A (24 goals, 34 assists); Madelyn Yakes, jr. G (.429 save percentage); Madison Kleefisch, jr. D/M (17 goals, 3 assists). (Statistics through 15 games.)
Outlook: The Rams will play for their seventh consecutive Division 1 championship with a number of familiar faces from title runs of the recent past. Vander Molen, Zimmerman, Holmes, Yakes and Kleefisch have made the all-state first team, while senior defenders Anna Glynn and Shae Strehl made the second and junior defender Bailey Banfield made the second team in 2018. Rockford also has given up single-digit goals in 12 games, including all four of the postseason. Four of the losses and the tie came to teams from Illinois or Ohio.

Division 2

BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 20-1, No. 2 at end of regular season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League
Coach: Sherry Elliott, third season (48-10)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2009 and 2015.
Best wins: 15-13 over No. 4 Okemos in Semifinal, 17-16 (OT) over No. 8 Farmington in Regional Final, 18-9 (Regional Quarterfinal) and 18-14 over No. 3 Detroit Country Day, 16-13 and 12-10 over No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 20-10 over No. 10 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 11-10 over Division 1 No. 6 Birmingham United, 15-12 over Division 1 No. 5 Ann Arbor Pioneer, 16-6 over Division 1 No. 4 Brighton, 15-13 and 18-2 over Division 1 No. 9 Troy.
Players to watch: Mia Hannawa, jr. M (54 goals, 4 assists); Amanda Timmis, jr.  M (37 goals, 13 assists), Coco Chinonis, soph. A (77 goals, 13 assists); Anna Reaume, sr. D; Eliana Delusky, soph. G (.460 save percentage).
Outlook: Marian made it into the season’s final week for the first time since its 2015 runner-up season, its only loss this spring in the second of a three-game series with Cranbrook and by just one goal. Hannawa and Reaume recently were named to the all-state first team, while Delusky and Timmis made the second and Chinonis earned honorable mention. Marian has shown it can pull out a close game, going 8-1 in those decided by four goals or fewer. Junior attack Tessy Klein had added another 43 goals and 12 assists entering the week.

EAST GRAND RAPIDS
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 1 at end of regular season
League finish: Tied for first in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Rich Axtell, 10th season (195-33) 
Championship history: Division 2 champions 2012-16, runner-up 2017.
Best wins: 24-6 (Semifinal), 25-2 and 19-5 over No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; 20-3 (Regional Final), 18-8 and 22-4 over No. 7 Grand Rapids Christian; 25-7 (Regional Semifinal), 24-4 and 16-6 over No. 10 Grand Rapids Catholic Central; 23-9 over No. 5 Mattawan, 12-8 over Division 1 No. 1 Rockford, 20-13 and 15-4 over Division 1 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills United, 18-7 over Division 1 No. 3 Hartland, 15-6 over Division 1 No. 4 Brighton.
Players to watch: Mary Schumar, sr. A (87 goals, 53 assists); Emily Bergstrom, sr. D; Olivia Grogan, jr. D; Audrey Whiteside, sr. A (131 goals, 52 assists); Lily Kate Rogers, sr. G (5.3 goals-against average, .410 save percentage).
Outlook: After missing the Finals for the first time in six seasons last spring, East Grand Rapids has stormed back with losses this year only to Rockford by a goal (a defeat since avenged) and New Trier, Illinois. Whiteside’s goal total ranks fourth all-time, and she needed just one more goal to tie for third. But she and Schumar hardly are the only offensive stars, with seven players total scoring at least 22 goals entering the week and five tallying at least 13 assists. Junior Anna Knuble is next on the leaderboard in both with 42 goals and 21 assists. Whiteside, Schumar, Grogan and Rogers made the all-state first team, and Bergstrom made the second.

PHOTO: Rockford’s Sydney Zimmerman carries the ball and considers her options during last season’s Division 1 Final win over Brighton.

Highlight Reel: Girls Lacrosse Regionals

May 28, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

The Hartland and Lake Orion girls lacrosse teams advanced to Friday’s Division 1 Regional Final with victories Wednesday that were broadcast on MHSAA.tv.

A collection of highlights are linked below – click on the headings to see each.

Hartland 16, Midland 8

Early Lead For Hartland Amy Longe takes a pass from Danielle Porath and scores for Hartland early in the first half to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead.

Oliverio Scores On The Restart Hartland goes up 7-2 at the end of first half after Shelby Oliverio scores off a restart.

Carly Takes It Coast To Coast Midland cut the Hartland lead to 7-3 in the closing seconds of the first half when Carly Dalessandro takes it all the way down the field to score.

Milholland Gets Second Quick Goal Midland wasn’t done late in the first half, as Caroline Milholland muscles her way to the net for her team's second goal in 30 seconds.

Eagles Flying High Hartland puts the game out of reach early in the second half. Casandra Pankowski takes a pass in front and scores.

Midland Strikes Back Midland scores off the ensuing draw, with Caroline Milholland scoring again.

Longe Goes Low Amy Longe picks up a second half goal for Hartland on a low shot at close range.

Cavaliers Circle & Score Midland's Amy Sklenar circles the net for a second half goal against Hartland.

Pankowski Second Half Goal Casandra Pankowski takes a pass and scores for Hartland in the second half against Midland.

Watch the entire game and order DVDs by Clicking Here.

Lake Orion 13, Waterford United 9

Dragons Respond It only took a few seconds for Lake Orion to respond to the game's first goal by Waterford United. Off the draw, Darcy Muns takes the ball and races in for the score.

Rooney Counters For United Watch Faith Rooney circle around and score in the first half for Waterford United against Lake Orion.

Nice Move By Lazzara Watch this great spin move by Lake Orion's Alexandra Lazzara to score against Waterford United.

Mori Moves In To Score Emily Mori works hard to get one-on-one with the goalie and score for Waterford United in the first half against Lake Orion.

Muns Gets It Back Darcy Muns of Lake Orion takes a pass in the middle, spins and scores.

Muns Again Darcy Muns gave Lake Orion an 8-5 halftime lead with this goal in the closing minute.

Haley Makes United Pay Lake Orion's Haley Vanek intercepts a pass and scores quickly for the Dragons early in the second half.

Vanek On Another Pick Off It didn't take long for Haley Vanek to get another steal and turn it into a goal for Lake Orion early in the second half. This one turned out to be the game-winner.

Johnson Scores For United Waterford United got back within three when Payton Johnson took a pass and scored.

Klebba Puts It In Off a restart, Lake Orion's Rachel Klebba takes a pass and drives in for a goal.

Oliver Posts One For United Nice play here by Waterford United's Sydni Oliver to keep her team in the game against Lake Orion. 

Watch the entire game and order DVDs by Clicking Here.