Marian Rallies, Achieves Perfection
June 16, 2017
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
WILLIAMSTON – Ellie Deconinck couldn’t have seen her high school career come more full circle Friday at Williamston High School.
The last time Bloomfield Hills Marian was in the Division 2 girls soccer championship game in 2014, Deconinck as a freshman scored its lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Richland Gull Lake.
Now a senior who made a return trip with Marian to Williamston for the 2017 title game, Deconinck heard Marian coach Barry Brodsky remind her of that goal as Marian trailed Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 1-0 at halftime.
“We both said, ‘That’s your goal down there,’” Brodsky said.
In her last high school game, it certainly was Deconinck’s goal, as she scored twice during the second half to lift Marian to a 2-1 win and its sixth MHSAA championship since 2003.
This title actually ended a five-year drought that was long by Marian’s standards.
Brodsky also said of those six championships, this was the first time a team of his had rallied in the title game.
“People think that just because you have a lot of talent that you are automatically going to win,” Brodsky said. “It doesn’t work that way. The teams we play have a lot of talent. You have to have some luck with you.”
After Marian dominated the scoring chances and play for most of the half, Forest Hills Northern stunned the Mustangs by taking a 1-0 lead with 15:59 left in the first half on a goal by freshman Addie Brown. She got loose just outside the box and fired a perfect shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar and went in.
Marian finally capitalized on a chance 1:15 into the second half, tying the game on Deconinck’s first goal, blasted home from point-blank range after another scoring chance hit the crossbar.
Deconinck struck again with 20:07 remaining, taking a pass in the middle of the box from freshman teammate Anna Leonard and fighting off a couple of defenders to chip a shot into the net and give Marian a 2-1 lead.
“I thought the first half of the game was some of the best soccer our team played all season,” said Deconinck, one of just six seniors on Marian’s roster. “Going into halftime, the seniors and captains were trying to keep everyone’s heads up. We were really proud of how we were playing. We were a touch off. To come back in the second half and play so well to get our team this victory is unbelievable.”
Marian, which hadn’t given up a goal in the MHSAA Tournament before Brown’s first-half tally for Forest Hills Northern, didn’t allow a serious scoring chance the rest of the way.
The Mustangs finished 24-0, their second unbeaten season in school history. The 2004 championship team went 25-0.
“They are very deep, and with a lot of bodies they can rotate,” Forest Hills Northern coach Daniel Siminski said. “They kind of wore us down a bit, and gaps opened up.”
It was the second straight Finals loss for Forest Hills Northern (20-1-4), which fell in last year’s to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in a shootout (2-1).
“You can’t get too upset when you go undefeated and your first loss is in the state finals,” Siminski said. “That was a helluva game. They kind of wore us down in the second half. If you are going to lose, you lose to the best team. They played better than us today, and they earned it. They deserve it.”
Click for the full scoring summary.
PHOTOS: (Top) Forest Hills Northern’s Lauren Kozal tries to outrun a Marian player to the ball during Friday’s Division 2 Final. (Middle) Marian keeper Isabel Hayes gathers a shot.
Performance: Birch Run's Kalyn Breckenridge
May 23, 2016
Kalyn Breckenridge
Birch Run junior – Soccer
Shutting down opponents has become the norm for Birch Run and third-year goalkeeper Breckenridge, who had 29 shutouts in goal heading into this season – and has since added 16 more to tie her previous single-season shutout record set in 2015 (she also broke it originally with 13 as a freshman). Birch Run’s 1-0 win over rival Frankenmuth on May 11 was her 11th straight of a since-ended shutout streak and earned her the Michigan National Guard Performance of the Week for May 9-15.
Breckenridge had 12 saves in the win over the Eagles, and to that point Birch Run had outscored its opponents this season 64-1. The Panthers are ranked No. 8 in Division 3 and clinched a second straight Tri-Valley Conference East championship last week with a win over North Branch, after finishing 16-1-3 last year while losing only in their District Final. Birch Run is 17-3 heading into Monday’s game against Otisville-LakeVille.
Kalyn, along with twin sister Kyla and also-junior Madison Enderle, is part of a strong nucleus that should put the team in MHSAA title contention both next month and again next year. Kalyn Breckenridge earned a Division 3 all-state honorable mention last season and also has broken the school’s career shutouts record (formerly 36) this season. She also plays basketball and has played volleyball during her high school career, and carries a 3.5 grade-point average. Although she has another year to decide where, Breckenridge is interested in a career in law enforcement, possibly with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Coach Duane Enderle said: "(Shutouts are) always a combination of the team, but what separates her from other goalkeepers is when it comes down to making those critical saves, she's able to step up and make those saves. A lot of goalkeepers, you see great defenses in front of them and great numbers too. But when it comes down to facing the 1 v. 1 quick striker at the high school level, a lot of times they don't make those saves. She's been solid (for three years) but is even progressing to a higher level; she has a very high ceiling."
Performance Point: “I’ve been able to get some action this year more than I did last year, and I feel I’ve just improved throughout my season. Also, my defense and the rest of the team has (improved), and the shutouts have really been a team effort – me doing my job, and also (them doing) theirs. Beating Frankenmuth was a great setup for us. We wanted to win the TVC again this year, win back to back, so it was a special moment for me and the team.”
Have no fear: Breckenridge has played keeper since she was 10. “I also used to be a catcher in softball. I’ve always been hand-eye coordinated. I’ve never been afraid to throw my body out in front of any ball, even if it’s going 30, 40 miles per hour. I’ve always been known to be fearless.”
Play them all: “I was introduced (to all my sports) at a really young age. My sister and I always have been very into athletics. We would hate not doing anything at all. We’d usually go from one practice to the next, and we played softball too, so we were playing four sports at a time and we absolutely loved it. We’ve always had a love for sports; TV or something like that has not been interesting for us.”
Sisterly bond: “It’s definitely special. I get to share with her how we did in the game. When we get home I’ll tell my sister how great she did, and she’ll tell me how great I did. We can share wins together. We’ve always been super close. We’ve never been the arguing type of twins.”
Serve and protect: “I’d like to be an FBI agent or some type of police detective. I used to always want to serve my country in some way. I always wanted to help people, and I guess that really pushed me to do something. ... My dad, grandpa, all my uncles have served our country in a way, and that’s made me want to step up and do the same thing.”
– Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2015-16 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom, or protecting lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2015-16 honorees
May 11: Morgan Beadlescomb, Algonac boys track & field - Read
May 4: Abby Krzywiecki, Farmington Hills Mercy softball - Read
April 27: Mike Mokma, Holland Christian baseball - Read
April 20: Abby Divozzo, Cadillac girls soccer - Read
March 30: Cassius Winston, Detroit U-D Jesuit boys basketball - Read
March 23: Kierra Fletcher, Warren Cousino girls basketball - Read
March 16: Jacob Montague, Grosse Pointe South swimming & diving - Read
March 9: Kyle Tuttle, St. Charles boys bowling - Read
March 2: Brittney Schnicke, Caledonia girls bowling - Read
Feb. 24: Kamari Newman, Detroit East English boys basketball - Read
Feb. 17: Jason Whitens, Powers North Central boys basketball - Read
Feb. 10: Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Read
Feb. 3: Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 27: Mardrekia Cook, Muskegon girls basketball - Read
Jan. 20: Sage Castillo, Hartland wrestling - Read
Jan. 13: Rob Zofchak, Dexter swimming & diving - Read
Jan. 6: Tyler Deming, Caro wrestling – Read
Dec. 15: Jordan Weber, East Jordan boys basketball – Read
Dec. 8: Kaitlyn Geers, Kent City girls basketball – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Birch Run's Kalyn Breckenridge dives to make a stop against Frankenmuth during a 1-0 shutout on May 11. (Middle) Breckenridge goes into traffic to make another stop. (Photos courtesy of the Frankenmuth athletic department.)