Preview: Soccer Returns with Past Champs, New Contenders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 17, 2021
Four first-time finalists – one playing in each championship game – will make their MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals debuts this weekend at DeMartin Stadium.
They'll be joined by reigning champions in Bloomfield Hills Marian and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, and two more past champs looking to climb once again as the first titles are awarded since 2019 after last season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Following is this weekend’s schedule:
Division 1 - Saturday - 4 p.m.
Troy Athens vs. Hartland
Division 2 - Friday - 4 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Spring Lake
Division 3 - Friday - 1 p.m.
Boyne City vs. Detroit Country Day
Division 4 - Saturday - 1 p.m.
North Muskegon vs. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic
Tickets cost $9.40 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. One ticket is good for all girls soccer, softball and baseball games at MSU’s Old College Field that day. All four Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv, with free audio broadcasts on the MHSAA Network.
Below is a glance at all eight teams taking the field, with statistics through Regionals:
Division 1
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 19-4-1, unranked
League finish: Third in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Coach: Andrew Kartsounes, 16th season (189-80-42)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Hannah Kastamo, jr. F (20 goals, 10 assists); Justina L’Esperance, sr. M (22 goals, 8 assists); Julia Pietila, sr. F (16 goals, 7 assists); Morgan Seog, jr. GK (0.27 goals-against average, .939 save %).
Outlook: Hartland has won 10 straight games and now reached the Semifinals for the first time. The Eagles shut out their first five postseason opponents – including reigning champ Novi and No. 14 Lake Orion – before defeating No. 11 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 3-2 in the Semifinal. Senior midfielder Jaden Frigerio had a team-high 13 assists entering the week as Hartland has outscored its opponents by a combined 89-15. Sophomore Leila Al-Qallaf (0.83 goals-against average) has split time with Seog in goal, and they’ve combined for 13 shutouts.
TROY ATHENS
Record/rank: 17-1-4, No. 2
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Todd Heugh, 10th season (119-46-35)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2000), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Nitya Balusu, sr. GK (0.77 goals-against average, 11 shutouts); Abby Mayne, jr. M (20 goals, 13 assists); Gillian Ciak, jr. M (11 goals, 7 assists); Alyssa Carnes, jr. D (9 goals, 4 assists).
Outlook: In 2019, Heugh coached the Athens boys team to its first championship since 1997, and this weekend his girls team will attempt something similar in their first title game appearance since the 2000 win. The Red Hawks have eight straight shutouts, including a 2-0 win over No. 20 Ann Arbor Skyline in the Semifinal. Junior Casey Gruber (9 goals/2 assists), sophomore Amanda Leonard (8 goals/8 assists) and freshman Alex Haggerty also share in a balanced scoring effort.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 12-3-1, No. 12
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Barry Brodsky, 20th season (345-30-37)
Championship history: Eight MHSAA titles (most recent 2019), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lauren Briggs, sr. M (3 goals, 6 assists); Abby Lucchesi, jr. M (4 goals, 5 assists); Elle Ervin, fr. F (23 goals, 3 assists); Maria Askounis, sr. F (10 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Marian is seeking its fourth-straight Division 2 championship and also hasn’t given up a goal during the postseason with senior Izabel Toma a standout in net. The tournament run has included wins over top-ranked DeWitt, No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and No. 13 Dearborn Divine Child. Askounis and now-senior Emily Rassel scored Marian’s goals in the 2019 Final, and now-senior Olivia DeConinck started that Final as a sophomore. Askounis earned all-state honorable mention that season.
SPRING LAKE
Record/rank: 15-3-2, No. 4
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue
Coach: Becky May, fifth season (69-8-5)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Meah Bajt, jr. F (31 goals, 8 assists); Zoe Komar, sr. F (10 goals, 4 assists); Eryn Bouwhuis, jr. D (7 goals, 8 assists); Jessica Stewart, fr. GK (0.95 goals-against average, 9 shutouts).
Outlook: Spring Lake has won District titles every season under May, who played at Michigan State, and this season took a few more steps reaching its first championship match. They advanced with a 2-1 Semifinal win over No. 7 Byron Center, and the Lakers’ only losses this spring were twice the Division 3 No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian and once to Division 1 No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. This could be just the first of a few deep tournament runs; Spring Lake will graduate only three starters.
Division 3
BOYNE CITY
Record/rank: 21-1-2, No. 7
League finish: Tied for first in Lake Michigan Conference
Coach: Eduardo Fantozzi, fifth season (68-24-2)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Jordan Noble, sr. M/F (33 goals, 29 assists); Inanna Hauger, sr. M (12 goals, 22 assists); Taylor Noble, sr. M/F (33 goals, 13 assists); Ally Herrick, sr. M/D (3 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: A star-studded group of sophomores who helped Boyne City to its first Semifinal in 2019 have the Ramblers headed to their first championship game this weekend. They’ve navigated one of the toughest tournament roads, defeating No. 6 Elk Rapids, No. 8 Cheboygan, No. 10 Big Rapids and No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian along the way. The lone loss was to Elk Rapids in April. Jordan Noble made the all-state first team, Hauger and Taylor Noble the second team and Herrick earned honorable mention in 2019. Sophomore Reagan Woodall (13 goals) and senior Megan Harmeling (14) also are finding the net regularly this season.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 16-2-2, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Laura Hamway, sixth season (74-21-6)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2004), five runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lila Bienhold, sr. GK (0.50 goals-against average); Calihan Bearden, sr. D (2 goals); Madison Salzenstein, sr. F. (11 goals, 4 assists); Jordan John, sr. F (6 goals, 4 assists).
Outlook: Country Day is making its first championship game appearance since back-to-back Division 3 runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2015. The Yellowjackets were in Division 2 the last season of play, in 2019, and Bienhold made the all-state first team with Bearden and Salzenstein earning honorable mentions. They’ve given up just one goal over five postseason games this spring while also navigating a difficult path, defeating No. 3 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, No. 5 Grosse Ile, No. 13 Williamston and No. 15 Clawson. Country Day also has wins over Division 1 finalist Troy Athens and Division 2 finalist Bloomfield Hills Marian.
Division 4
NORTH MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 19-1-1, No. 6
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Coach: Caleb Parnin, first season (19-1-1)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Hope Johnson, sr. F (36 goals, 21 assists); Audrey Wilson, sr. M (18 goals, 15 assists); Emily Olsen, sr. M (21 goals, 21 assists); Syann Fairfield, sr. GK (5 goals scored, 2 assists; 14 shutouts).
Outlook: North Muskegon made back-to-back Semifinals in 2018 and 2019 and has taken another step into its first Final. Fairfield and Wilson made the all-state second team as sophomores, and Fairfield has given up only five goals over 17 games this spring. The Norsemen have allowed only one goal over five postseason games, with shutouts of top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian and No. 16 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian along the way. Sophomore forward Natalie Pannucci (17 goals, 9 assists) also is among offensive catalysts.
ROYAL OAK SHRINE CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 14-3-1, No. 11
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League AA
Coach: Mark Soma, 21st season (record N/A)
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2019.
Players to watch: Ellie Plunkey, sr. F; Bridgette Drouillard, jr. M; Addy Vemulapalli, soph. GK. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Shrine reached and won its first Final in 2019, and then graduated a number of past all-staters last spring who would’ve given them a strong chance of returning in 2020 – but has come back this spring with just three senior starters. Shrine has given up only one goal over four playoff games, to No. 15 Bad Axe in the Semifinal, and also has defeated No. 9 Allen Park Inter-City Baptist and No. 12 Adrian Lenawee Christian during this run. All three losses came in April, to No. 3 Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Division 3 No. 17 Wixom St. Catherine and Division 2 No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
PHOTO: Marian's Maria Askounis makes a run at the goal during the 2019 Division 2 championship game.
New Heroes Bring Unity Christian Repeat Result in Finals Rematch
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
June 15, 2024
EAST LANSING – There were plenty of new faces on the field this season for the Hudsonville Unity Christian girls soccer team, but the result ended up being very familiar.
The Crusaders claimed their second-straight Division 3 Finals title Saturday at DeMartin Stadium, and for the second-straight year did so with a 3-0 victory over Grosse Ile.
“We had 12 seniors graduate last year from that state title team, and I think 15 kids total that didn’t return,” Unity Christian coach Randy Heethuis said. “The kids that came back, it was a good solid core, and they did a good job of leading us back here the entire year. The youngsters, they came along. Pretty much every challenge that we threw at them – we had a tough schedule – they answered the bell.”
It was the 12th title for Heethuis and the Unity Christian program, tying Madison Heights Bishop Foley for most in the sport’s history.
“I feel like it’s very good for our school,” said junior forward Ava Lutke. “We worked really hard to get here. Every year is a new year, but we work our butts off to get to the state finals and to win, so it’s really good.”
Also really good? Lutke. The Michigan State commit had a goal and two assists for the Crusaders on her future home field. She totaled 11 shots, with six on frame against Grosse Ile keeper Monica Arndt.
As Heethuis talked about many options he had while putting his team together this season, he was asked what part of that was Lutke.
“Many pieces,” he said with a smile. “And to her credit, too, she struggled a little bit early in the year. But she played different positions. I think she prefers to play up top, which she did probably three-fourths of the time today, but we played her in the midfield, she does great there. A couple times she even went back into more of a holding, defensive center mid spot – she’s just a gamer. She’s extremely competitive and wants to do whatever she can to help the team win. That’s a credit to her.”
Lutke set up Unity Christian’s first goal, taking a ball down the wing and turning it inside, which drew three Grosse Ile defenders toward her. She found the supporting run of Emma Vruggink in the box, and Vruggink smashed the ball into the open net 14 minutes, 27 seconds into the first half.
Unity Christian (22-1-1) consistently put pressure on the Grosse Ile defense, pinning the Red Devils back into their own end for much of the game. But between Arndt, who had 12 saves, and some timely defending, the score remained 1-0 through the first 10 minutes of the second half.
At that point, however, Unity Christian found some cracks and scored a pair of goals in less than two minutes.
The first came when Lutke jumped on a loose ball near the top of the box and slotted it inside the post. Several passes led to the build-up of the goal, with Addi Pell pushing it in Lutke’s direction. On the way there, it took a glance off a Grosse Ile defender, falling right into Lutke’s path.
Tessa Ponstein scored 1 minute, 43 seconds later, with a curling left-footed shot from outside the box that found the opposite corner. Lutke had the assist on that goal.
Grosse Ile coach Kyle Lesperance said that while he felt his team was able to create a little more than it did a year ago against Unity Christian, the Red Devils (17-3-5) were still facing an uphill battle.
“They’re just so dangerous. They’re so fast-paced,” Lesperance said. “They’re technical on the ball, they’re very well-coached in their positions and off-the-ball movements. They’re a beast in this division.”
And this version of Unity Christian wasn’t even at full strength. Senior forward Vivian Nagelkirk, who led the team in scoring this season, injured her ankle in the Semifinal win against Freeland and had to be helped off the field.
She started Saturday, though, and while clearly laboring at times, was pushing the ball up the field until she was finally subbed off in the final 10 minutes.
“To be honest, I knew I was going to play,” she said. “I wasn’t going to sit out. When it happened right away, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m going to play.’ But then I was like, “There’s no way I’m sitting out of this thing.’ So we just wrapped it up really tight, and we played.”
Nagelkirk finished the game with two of her team’s 32 total shots on the day. Grosse Ile managed three shots, with one testing Unity Christian keeper Anna Newhof, who made the single save required of her.
PHOTOS (Top) Unity Christian celebrates its repeat Division 3 Final win over Grosse Ile on Saturday. (Middle) Grosse Ile’s Alaina Korody winds up to send the ball downfield. (Below) Unity’s Emma Vruggink (12) controls possession while Olivia Zuccaro (16) defends.