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.
Defense Dazzles as Adams Pulls Away for 1st Finals Victory Since 1999
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 14, 2024
EAST LANSING – Rochester Adams tentatively held onto a one-goal lead in the MHSAA Division 1 girls soccer championship match Friday at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium.
The Highlanders had chance after chance to distance themselves from Hartland, which was being stifled by sophomore goalkeeper Lexi Calcamuggio.
Junior Sadie Rogers had one of those chances, and whiffed on a shot. But she did find the net with 4:39 to play, and Adams went on to claim its third Finals championship with a 2-0 victory.
“My only thought was to help the team out as much as possible,’’ said Rogers, a junior. “I knew this season I was more of an assister. I had the chance, so I took it. I was definitely frustrated in the beginning that my chances weren’t going where I wanted them, but I just kept at it.’’
Adams (16-2-2) came into the Final seeking its first Division 1 championship since 1999. The Highlanders also won Class A in 1992, and its two runner-up finishes came during that decade as well.
Hartland (16-4-3) had won Division 1 as recently as 2021, and this spring finished first in the Kensington Lake Activities Association West with a 10-1-3 record while Adams was second in the Oakland Activities Association at 3-2-1.
Both teams missed on early scoring chances Friday until senior Adams Evelyn Kekhoua took a pass from Danielle Danko and scored with 23 minutes, 46 seconds on the clock to give their team a 1-0 lead.
“I felt we exploded after that,’’ said Kekhoua. “It built up the confidence.’’
With trouble getting the ball out of its own end, Hartland had few chances to tie the score during the first half. Early in the second, Calcamuggio made a spectacular save on a shot by Josie Cheyne to keep the Highlanders ahead.
“I’m so proud of our defense. They are like a brick wall out there,’’ said Calcamuggio. “I owe it to them; they did a good job.
“There was one side of the net open, so I knew where (Cheyne) was going. I tried to trust it and put my body against the ball and it hit me. My defense is so good, they kept everyone under wraps.’’
Calcamuggio entered this week with a 0.70 goals-against average and seven shutouts.
Danko also assisted on Rogers’ goal.
“On the first goal I saw Evelyn on my right, and I knew I could get a cross to her and I knew she could put it in. That’s where my target was. She came through,” Danko said. “The second one I drove down the line and cut it back, and Sadie was yelling ‘Danny, Danny.’ I passed it to her and she buried the second one. It gives you the cushion.’’
Said Adams coach Josh Hickey: “Danielle is such a special player.’’
PHOTOS (Top) Hartland’s Addie Frantti (14) and Adams’ Catherine Delikat contend for possession during Friday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Highlanders keeper Lexi Calcamuggio boots the ball.