Liggett Shoots, Scores first Title since 2005
June 17, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Although his team found itself in an unfamiliar situation Friday afternoon, David Dwaihy had an idea how at least the first part might play out.
As Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett readied for its first tie-breaker shootout of this spring – and in the season’s final game – Dwaihy, the eighth-year coach, decided to simply ask his players to raise their hands if they wanted one of the penalty kicks.
“I had a few in mind who I wanted to take the shot,” Dwaihy said. “I ended up just saying raise your hand if you want one. The hands flew up, and the freshmen all raised their hands.”
And then the most “courageous and bold” of them all finished the Knights’ first MHSAA championship run since she was getting ready to start kindergarten.
Freshman defender Kate Birgbauer was her team’s fourth and final shooter and put her attempt just past the crossbar into the top of the net to give Liggett a 4-2 advantage in the shootout and a 1-0 win over Montrose in the Division 4 championship game at DeMartin Stadium.
Sophomores Kelly Solak and Alexis Wenger and junior Maddie Wu also made kicks as Montrose missed their first two tries, setting Birgbauer up to end the game.
“I love shootouts. I like the pressure,” Birgbauer said. “I actually turned to my friend Izzy (Brusilow, the team’s second-leading scorer this season) and I was like, ‘Are you 100 percent sure you’re going to make this?’ She was like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure,’ so I was like, I’ll take it. So I stepped up and shot it.”
“They’re courageous and a very bold, confident group – especially our center back who scored the winner, Katie Birgbauer,” Dwaihy added. “She wanted it.”
Liggett (19-2-1) won its fifth straight District title to start this run and repeated as Regional champion as well, but hadn’t played in an MHSAA championship game since winning Division 4 in 2005.
Despite their relative youth – the Knights had only three seniors this season – a number of key players gained experience during last season’s run. But they still hadn’t been pushed to this brink during a season in which they gave up only 14 goals.
Montrose (23-4-1), meanwhile, was playing in its first MHSAA championship game in girls soccer after winning its first Regional title, and ended this season giving up only nine goals.
The more upperclassmen-laden Rams went on the attack immediately. Sophomore Remington Hobson broke away at 28:04 in the first half, but Liggett junior keeper Kara Francis jumped in front to deflect the drive away from the goal. Senior Ellory Barnette sent a header over the net off a corner with 14:04 to go in the half, and Liggett sophomore defender Teagan Cornell headed away another Montrose shot midway through the second half that would have found the net had she not dropped back to cover the corner.
The shot differential wasn’t much during regulation, with Montrose tallying nine to Liggett’s eight. But the Rams had 11 corner kicks in the game to Liggett’s one, giving them better opportunities to attack.
“That’s turned out to be our bread and butter this year, set pieces, corners, and we came close,” Montrose coach Jason Perrin said. “If you get 11 of them, you’ve got to put one in.
"But they’re very similar to us – they get 10 girls behind the ball, they clog up the passing lanes. We do that. It was kinda like playing ourselves, a little bit.”
The game appeared over before the shootout, but only for a minute, when a Liggett throw-in landed in the Montrose net with 5:09 to go in the second period of overtime – but the goal was called off because it didn’t touch a player from either team on the way.
“I think that lit a fire in our hearts a bit,” Birgbauer said. “We got mad, and we came back.”
Montrose had more experience in shootouts – they’d gone 1-1 previously, with a win that way over No. 2 Elk Rapids in the Regional Final. But Liggett apparently was plenty prepared despite a lack of shootout experience.
Liggett’s Francis and Montrose senior keeper Alexis Rush both made four saves while controlling play in front of their respective nets. Rush is one of eight seniors who will graduate from the Rams’ most successful team.
“We had a good core coming back. We won 17 games (last season). But we hadn’t won a District since 2001. So it’s hard to dream too much beyond the District or Regional level,” Perrin said. “But this team grew with confidence. Really, once we beat (Saginaw) Nouvel in the District Finals, I could just tell we had the mindset to go as far as they wanted, and they put on a good run.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Teammates converge on Liggett’s Kate Birgbauer after the freshman’s winning shot in Friday’s Division 4 Final. (Middle) Liggett’s Rebecca Lohman moves the ball to a teammate while Montrose players pursue.
Preview: Number 1s Aim to Finish on Top
June 15, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The top-ranked teams in all four divisions have made good on those expectations as we turn to the final two days of the 2017 girls soccer season.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in Division 1, Bloomfield Hills Marian in Division 2, Flint Powers Catholic in Division 3 and Lansing Christian in Division 4 started the playoffs as favorites two weeks ago and remain so – although all four surely are anticipating one of if not their toughest matchup of this season.
Following is this weekend’s schedule at Williamston High School:
Division 1 - Saturday - 4 p.m.
Grand Blanc vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central
Division 2 - Friday - 4 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
Division 3 - Friday - 1 p.m.
Flint Powers Catholic vs. Freeland
Division 4 - Saturday - 1 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Lansing Christian
Tickets cost $8. Radio broadcasts of all games can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All games will be streamed live online at MHSAA.TV and viewable on subscription basis.
All statistics below are through Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
GRAND BLANC
Record/rank: 22-2-4, No. 4
Coach: Greg Kehler, 19th season (299-86-57)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West.
Championship history: Two runner-up finishes (most recent 2015).
Players to watch: Paige Webber, soph. F (23 goals, 14 assists); Faith Webber, fr. F (23 goals, nine assists); Alexandra Childers, sr. D; Chelsea Clark, sr. D.
Outlook: Grand Blanc shut out its first four postseason opponents and 15 total this spring, as defense clearly is a strength with Childers and Clark earning all-state honorable mentions last season. Sophomore Madison McKay has 12 shutouts season while giving up on average less than a goal a game. Junior Morgen Metzger is the main distributor of the offense with 21 assists entering this week, and freshman Jenna Blackburn has added 12 goals.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS CENTRAL
Record/rank: 20-0-4, No. 1
Coach: Jeremy Stacy, 10th season (171-20-10)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2008 in Division 2), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Emma Yoder, jr. GK (0.32 goals-against average, 13 shutouts); Bailey Korhorn, jr. F (29 goals, 15 assists); Stephanie Currie, soph. F (15 goals, 18 assists); Madeline Becker, jr. M (19 goals, 11 assists); Natalie Lunt, jr. D.
Outlook: Forest Hills Central has been ranked No. 1 the entire season as it’s pursued its first Division 1 championship and after suffering its only loss in a Semifinal last spring. Korhorn made the all-state first team last season, while Becker made the second, Yoder the third and Currie and Lunt earned honorable mentions. Junior Madison Donley (16 goals, 18 assists) and sophomore Ashley Ward (14 goals) also are dangerous offensive options up top.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 23-0, No. 1
Coach: Barry Brodsky, 16th season (297-26-35)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jansen Eichenlaub, soph. F (27 goals, 7 assists); Claudia Schilling, jr. M (10 goals, 15 assists); Ellie Deconinck, sr. F (18 goals, 21 assists); Elaina Eckert, sr. F (7 goals, 10 assists).
Outlook: Marian long has been a state power, most recently finishing Division 2 runner-up in both 2013 and 2014 and falling in a Semifinal a year ago. The Mustangs have tied for the third-most shutouts in one season with 22 and with another Saturday would tie the MHSAA record by giving up only one goal this season. Senior Isabel Hayes has seen most of the time in net.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
Record/rank: 20-0-3, No. 2
Coach: Daniel Siminski, fourth season (67-9-10)
League finish: First in O-K White.
Championship history: Two runner-up finishes (most recent 2016).
Players to watch: Natalie Belsito, sr. M/F (15 goals, 9 assists); Sophie Terzes, jr. M (4 goals, 8 assists); Emily Ashby, jr. D/M (5 goals, 12 assists), Lauren Kozal, jr. GK/F (16 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern also is loaded with standouts, with Ashby making the all-state first team last season, Belsito making the second and Terzes making the third. Senior keeper Amanda Young also made the first team and should be in the mix Saturday after missing the Semifinal; Kozal stepped into net and will join Michigan State’s team in two years reportedly as a keeper. Freshman midfielder/forward Addie Brown joined her with a team-leading 16 goals heading into this week.
Division 3
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 25-1-2, No. 1
Coach: Art Moody, 10th season (184-40-17)
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League.
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2011, six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Sophie Bubnar, jr. F (15 goals, 20 assists); Rachel Rasins, soph. F (31 goals, 14 assists), Rachel Phillpotts, sr. D (13 goals, 7 assists), Sophia Dubiel, sr. F (10 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: The Chargers, last season’s runners-up, will play for the title again after downing six of the top 17 ranked teams during the postseason – No. 9 Birch Run, No. 10 Frankenmuth, No. 6 Williamston, No. 16 Lansing Catholic, No. 17 Montrose and No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North. Rasins and Phillpotts made the all-state first team last season, while Bubnar made the second and senior defender Sydney Wilhoite made the third. Dubiel and senior defender Abbey Clothier earned honorable mentions.
FREELAND
Record/rank: 22-1, No. 3
Coach: Lauren Kemerer, fourth season (82-8-4)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference Central.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Jessica Piper, sr. M (13 goals, 18 assists); Mackenzie Stroebel, jr. F (40 goals, 12 assists); Michelle Herring, sr. M (26 goals, 14 assists); Autumn Kloha, soph. F (32 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: The Falcons advanced to their first championship game by ending No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian’s pursuit of a fourth straight Division 2 title. That win had to be the highlight of many this spring, and came in Freeland’s fourth straight Semifinal appearance. Herring made the all-state first team last season, while Piper and Stroebel made the third and Kloha earned honorable mention. Junior midfielder Kayler Radaz had 12 goals and sophomore midfielder Emerson Lynch 14 assists entering this week, and junior keeper Alexa Walker has 14 shutouts.
Division 4
KALAMAZOO CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 20-2-3, No. 8
Coach: Jay Allen, fourth season (73-13-7)
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley.
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2008).
Players to watch: Haley Balkema, sr. F (19 goals, 10 assists); Phoebe Will, soph. F/M (11 goals); Allyson Kranstz, sr. GK (0.30 goals-against average, 19 shutouts); Kayla Beebe, soph. F (28 goals).
Outlook: Christian has won four league and District titles and made the Semifinals this week for the second time under former assistant Allen, who was part of the program for all four championship runs last decade. Kranstz and senior midfielder/forward Abbey VanDongen both made the all-state second team last season. The Comets opened the postseason by upsetting No. 2 Kalamazoo Hackett, and downed No. 16 Muskegon Catholic Central in the Semifinal.
LANSING CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-2-2, No. 1
Coach: Joel Vande Kopple, 11th season (172-46-13)
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference.
Championship history: Two runner-up finishes (most recent 2015).
Players to watch: Juliana Figueriredo, sr. M (10 goals, 17 assists); Kasey Jamieson, jr. F (42 goals, 16 assists); Rilyn Ross, soph. F (19 goals, 13 assists); Kealeigh Usiak, soph. D.
Outlook: Lansing Christian finished runner-up both in 2015 and 2011 and has played in four straight Semifinals. A star-studded lineup has made the Pilgrims favorites to claim their first title – Figueriredo, Jamieson and Usiak made the all-state first team last season, while sophomore midfielders Alex Hanks and Eliza Lewis and senior defender Lydia Sprague earned honorable mentions. Lansing Christian has continued to shine even without senior defender Abby Krueger, also an all-state first-teamer last season who has missed these recent playoffs with an injury.
PHOTO: Forest Hills Northern's Natalie Belsito works to gain possession against Pontiac Notre Dame during last season's Division 2 Final. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)