Preview: Ready for Rematches
June 13, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Two of Saturday’s MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals are rematches of 2013 title games.
That alone tells the stories behind two of this weekend’s four championship games.
Clarkston Everest College/Waterford Our Lady actually will face Grandville Calvin Christian in the Division 4 Final for the third straight season – Calvin Christian won the last two championship meetings. Richland Gull Lake will look to repeat in Division 2 against Bloomfield Hills Marian, its opponent last season and the champion in 2012.
Among the four teams playing in Division 1 or Division 3, Utica Eisenhower is seeking its first MHSAA title while the other three have some recent history at the Finals – Hudsonville Unity Christian also was a 2012 champion, while Northville and Detroit Country Day both are seeking their first titles since 2004.
Below is Saturday's schedule, followed by a look at all eight contenders:
Division 1 at Williamston - Noon
Utica Eisenhower (18-2-1) vs. Northville (22-0)
Division 2 at Williamston - 3 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian (19-0-1) vs. Richland Gull Lake (23-1-1)
Division 3 at Mason - Noon
Hudsonville Unity Christian (22-1) vs. Detroit Country Day (21-3-3)
Division 4 at Mason - 3 p.m.
Clarkston Everest/WOLL (17-1-1) vs. Grandville Calvin Christian (23-1)
Tickets cost $7. All Finals will be streamed live online at MHSAA.TV, with radio broadcasts available on MHSAAnetwork.com.
All statistics below are through at least the regular season, with most through teams' Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
NORTHVILLE
Record/rank: 22-0, No. 1
Coach: Eric Brucker, fifth season (85-11-10)
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Central and overall
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2004), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Megan Buckingham, sr. F (22 goals, 20 assists); Jamie Cheslik, sr. F (32 goals, 16 assists); Emily Maresh, jr. GK (0.16 goals-against average, .972 save %, 18 shutouts); Gabby Mencotti, sr. M (7 goals, 4 assists).
Outlook: Four teams have scored one goal apiece on Northville this season. That’s it. Maresh replaced an all-state keeper who graduated in 2013 and has shined behind a strong defensive group. The Mustangs’ tournament run has included wins over No. 6 Novi, No. 9 Saline and honorable mention Okemos, and Novi scored the only goal Northville has given up during the playoffs. Cheslik is set to play next season at Michigan State University, Buckingham at University of North Carolina, Mencotti at Grand Valley Sate University and senior midfielder Suzie Redick at University of Detroit Mercy.
UTICA EISENHOWER
Record/rank: 18-2-1, No. 4
Coach: Mehrdad Nekoogar, 10th season (156-18-19)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2009.
Players to watch: Caitlin Carroll, sr. M (14 goals, 5 assists); Paige Duda, jr. F (16 goals, 4 assists); Isabella Palazzolo, jr. F (10 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Eisenhower has won five straight league titles but won its first District championship since 2011. The Eagles eliminated No. 3 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek and honorable mention Grand Blanc among others during this tournament run, and beat honorable mention Okemos during the regular season – that last win as part of an 11-game shutout streak. Carroll earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 2
BIRMINGHAM MARIAN
Record/rank: 19-0-1, No. 1
Coach: Barry Brodsky, 13th season (241-22-29)
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic High School League Division 1
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Kelly Sweeney, jr. F (20 goals, 11 assists); Hannah Redoute, fr. F (13 goals, 9 assists); Jaclyn Engel, jr. M (9 goals, 12 assists).
Outlook: Marian has won three titles over the last five seasons and once again has a champion’s resume’ – including wins over No. 7 Livonia Ladywood, No. 10 Lapeer West and honorable mentions Auburn Hills Avondale and Warren Regina during the tournament. The Mustangs have give up only five goals – and only one in the postseason, to Ladywood in the Semifinal. Sweeney and senior midfielder Annika Johnson made the all-state first team in 2013.
RICHLAND GULL LAKE
Record/rank: 23-1-1, No. 2
Coach: Jeff Corstange, third season (57-7-3)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Rachel Fouts, sr. M (12 goals, 13 assists); Maggie Harma, sr. GK (0.42 GAA, .940 save %, 17 shutouts); Tabitha Boze, sr. M (10 goals, 10 assists); Amanda Paveltic, jr. F (14 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Gull Lake may have stunned some by knocking off powerful Marian in the Final a year ago, but the Blue Devils’ return is no surprise. Fouts made the all-state first team last season, while Harma made the third team and both Boze and Paveltic earned honorable mentions. Three others have at least 13 goals, including leading scorer Kirsten Taylor, a junior, with 18. Just as Marian eliminated many of the best from the Detroit area, Gull Lake did the same on the west side of the state with tournament wins over No. 4 Stevensville Lakeshore, No. 9 Haslett and honorable mention Grand Rapids Christian. The lone loss was to Division 1 No. 8 Rochester Adams.
Division 3
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 21-3-3, No. 3
Coach: Bob Bukari, 28th season (record N/A)
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2004), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jenna Staudt, jr. D; Michelle Manning, sr. F; Isabel Nino, fr. GK (Stats not submitted.).
Outlook: Country Day is annually in the Division 3 mix, but making its first championship game appearance since back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006. The Yellowjackets have eight straight shutouts, including against No. 5 Flint Powers Catholic, No. 6 Freeland and honorable mention Grosse Ile during the tournament. Manning made the all-state first team last season, and Staudt was second teamer.
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 22-1, No. 2
Coach: Randy Heethuis, 25th season (464-86-28)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Bethany Balcer, jr. M (26 goals, 16 assists); Aubrey Schierbeek, sr. F (30 goals, 20 assists); Lauren Orr, jr. F (9 goals, 12 assists); Cassandra Besteman, jr. M (4 goals, 4 assists).
Outlook: This will be Unity Christian’s ninth championship game appearance in the last decade, and the Crusaders will be playing for their eighth MHSAA title during that time. They didn’t make it out of the Regional in 2013, but brought back six players this spring who earned all-state recognition – Schierbeek, Orr, Besteman, defenders Elly Brummel and Maddy VanDyke (three goals, five assists) and keeper Abby Veeneman (0.32 GAA, 11 shutouts). They’ve given up only one goal in the postseason, in the 5-1 District Final win over No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian.
Division 4
GRANDVILLE CALVIN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 2
Coach: Tim TerHaar, 14th season (232-61-20)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2013 and 2012.
Players to watch: Camie Rietberg, jr. M (13 goals, 7 assists); Morgan Buursma, jr. D (8 goals, 5 assists); Sarah Klunder, sr. M (19 goals, 23 assists), Whitney Koets, (24 goals, 4 assists); Hilary Curry, jr. F (9 goals, 10 assists); Emily VanVliet, jr. F (16 goals, 15 assists).
Outlook: Calvin Christian has claimed the last two Division 4 titles and keeps winning with a proven formula – prepare during the regular season against bigger opponents, fill out a lineup with plenty of scoring options and dominate during the tournament. They’re scoring even more than a year ago, with 135 goals so far including another 17 off the bench from forward Laura Ramaker. Calvin Christian downed No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian, No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and No. 8 Holland Black River during this tournament run, giving up its only goal of the postseason in the Quarterfinal to WMC. The lone loss was to Division 3 finalist Unity Christian.
CLARKSTON EVEREST COLLEGIATE/WATERFORD OUR LADY
Record/rank: 17-1-1, No. 1
Coach: Courtney Shegos, first season (17-1-1)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League Intersectional
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2010, runners-up 2013 and 2012.
Players to watch: Anna Robb, jr. F (19 goals, 7 assists), Alex Troy, fr. M (10 goals, 6 assists); Lindsay Straw, jr. M (17 goals, 18 assists); Megan Luttinen, sr. GK (0.35 GAA, 12 shutouts, .950 save %).
Outlook: Former Grand Blanc standout and Michigan State University captain Shegos took over the program this spring, and it hasn’t missed a beat led by three of its top offensive players and keeper from 2013. Robb made the all-state team last season while Straw, Troy and Luttinen earned honorable mentions. The lone loss came in the regular-season finale to Division 3 top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, and Everest/Our Lady has given up more than one goal only twice – yielding two to Notre Dame Prep and two to Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in the District Final. Everest/Our Lady then came back to shut out No. 5 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 5-0 in the Regional Semifinal.
PHOTO: Clarkston Everest Collegiate/Waterford Our Lady’s Megan Luttinen makes a save during the 2013 MHSAA Division 4 Final. She’ll be in net again Saturday.
TC West Standout Renews Ties to Titans, Cheers Past Teammates' Gold Pursuit
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
July 16, 2021
Savanna Wojtanowski was made here. She played here. She stayed here — except for stints in Washington, D.C., where international soccer players joined her.
Now she’s back as a high school soccer coach.
While lots of faces familiar to United States and Canadian television viewers and soccer fans are expected at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, some of those players will be personally familiar to Wojtanowski.
Wojtanowski played alongside a handful of current and recent players on the U.S. and Canadian women’s teams after serving as four-year starting goalie for Traverse City West and during a college career that began with two seasons at Ferris State and concluded with her final two at Michigan State in 2016 and 2017. During her time with the Spartans, Wojtanowski spent two offseasons with the reserve team for the Washington Spirit, one of the original eight teams when the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was formed in 2012.
At West, Wojtanowski was named second team all-conference as a junior and senior, as well as first team all-district, first team all-region and all-state honorable mention her senior season in 2013. West winning the Big North Conference title that spring remains her favorite memory from high school soccer – and she quickly has matched that achievement as a coach, leading West to the BNC championship this past spring in her first season after taking over the program.
Wojtanowski is looking for the U.S. national team to come out with a vengeance after the disappointment of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. There the U.S. fell to Sweden in a semifinal shootout, which meant failing to reach the gold medal match for the first time since women’s soccer was introduced to the Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta.
Sweden is the U.S.’s opening-game opponent July 21 in Tokyo.
“I believe there is a lot of revenge being chased after the Rio Olympics,” the 25-year-old former keeper said. “I was with the Spirit during Rio, and when the team returned from the Olympics, the sense of disappointment was felt for a long time.
“I believe going into this year's Olympics, we will see a different type of fire displayed from the USWNT.”
Wojtanowski won’t see former Washington Spirit teammate Diana Matheson of Canadian fame and Estelle Johnson of Cameroon playing in Tokyo. Matheson recently announced her retirement after 18 years representing Canada’s national team. Johnson and her teammates lost a playoff with Chile for the last of 16 slots in the Olympics.
Wojtanowski feels fortunate that she had the chance to compete with and against the women trying to claim gold at Tokyo.
“During college I was able to play two years on the Washington Spirit reserves, which opened the door to the pro side of the game,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to be one of two college players training full-time with the pro squad for those two summers.
“Having the opportunity to play alongside some USWNT women and the Canada women was such a great experience.”
Wojtanowski played with current U.S. roster players Crystal Dunn and Kristie Mewis. The current Canadians she played with are Stephanie Labbe and Shelina Zadorsky. Labbe was Canada’s starting goalkeeper in Rio.
Dunn, though, stands out most to Wojtanowski. Dunn was with the Spirit but now plays for Portland. She has 24 goals and 19 assists in 116 appearances for the USWNT as primarily a defender.
“(Dunn) was such a treat to play with …. her humor, attitude, and training mentality is something I will forever remember,” Wojtanowski said. “She was constantly dancing, laughing, and having a great time at training, but when it was time to get serious she would get the job done.”
Wojtanowski also had the tough job of trying to stop U.S. standout Rose Lavelle during Lavelle’s time starring for Wisconsin. The past Badgers standout and now-Washington Spirit midfielder has 14 goals and nine assists in 56 appearances for the U.S.
Wojtanowski began her collegiate career with two seasons at Ferris State University. After transferring to MSU, she played two more seasons and as a junior in 2016 tied the MSU single-game record with 14 saves against then-No. 16 Penn State. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a focus on administration and management and a master’s certificate in supply chain management and procurement. She returned home to start the next chapters of life, and she works as a supply chain buyer fulltime along with her guidance of the Titans.
She’s thrilled to be back at her high school alma mater, which she guided to an overall 10-4-1 record this spring, with the Titans eventually falling to Midland Dow in a Division 1 District Final.
“I wanted to give back to the community,” said Wojtanowski, who previously had coached at the club level in Lansing. “West has always had a very special place in my heart ever since graduation.
“When this opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to take the opportunity to be a Titan again,” she continued. “It has been a special experience to coach the program that I grew up with.”
Wojtanowski wants to instill a family-based culture in the Titans program, something she came to know and love while at Michigan State.
“The biggest thing for me is growing them as individuals both on and off the soccer field,” she said.
Wojtanowski believes girls high school and women’s soccer in this country have changed for the better since she played. And, she’s not the least bit surprised by the consistent success of the USWNT.
“The women's game in the US has grown significantly since I started playing soccer in 2000,” Wojtanowski noted. “Our farm systems here in the U.S. along with club, college, and other programs feed a constantly-elite level of players through the USWNT system.”
2020-21 Made in Michigan
July 8: Caro Champs Find Common Ground Again as Mental Health Providers - Read
June 28: Michigan's Minor Leaguers Making Up for Lost Season - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Savanna Wojtanowski leads a halftime discussion this spring with her Traverse City West varsity. (Middle) Wojtanowski, second row standing far right in group photo, trained two seasons with the Washington Spirit’s reserves; the Spirit first team included U.S. national teamer Crystal Dunn (left in second photo) and Cameroon national teamer Estelle Johnson (far right). (Below) Wojtanowski makes a save for West against Traverse City Central in 2012. (Top photo by Daisy Kinney, middle courtesy of Savanna Wojtanowski and below courtesy of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.)