Senior's Parting Goal Seals Pilgrims' Repeat

June 15, 2018

By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half

WILLIAMSTON – Lansing Christian senior Kasey Jamieson scored nearly 200 goals during her terrific high school career. But it’s pretty obvious which one she’ll remember most: The last. 

Playing in her final high school game Saturday, Jamieson scored what turned out to be not only the last goal of her career, but also the entire season in Division 4.

Her tuck inside the near post was the decider as Lansing Christian claimed its second consecutive MHSAA title with a 1-0 win over Kalamazoo Christian at Williamston High School. 

“You can’t get much better than that,” Jamieson said. “It’s fun to end the year with a final goal. My final goal was in the state championship, and it was the final thing I’ll do at LCS. It’s pretty exciting.”

With 14:46 remaining the first half, Jamieson took a long pass from junior teammate Rilyn Ross in the left corner of the penalty box, beat a defender one-on-one and put a shot past the keeper to make it 1-0 Pilgrims.

It turned out to be the only goal of the game as the Pilgrims and Comets met in the Division 4 Final for the second consecutive season. 

In 2017, Lansing Christian scored the first goal in overtime and thought it was on its way to the title before Kalamazoo Christian scored off of a corner kick with four minutes left in the second overtime period to force a shootout.

Lansing Christian ultimately prevailed in that shootout to win its first girls soccer title.

A year later, the Pilgrims won title No. 2 by holding on to the early lead through relentless pressure up front, winning balls in the midfield and playing stout defense on the backline. 

Lansing Christian (20-3-2) outshot Kalamazoo Christian (20-3-4) by a 26-9 margin and had plenty of chances to increase its lead. But the game stayed 1-0 – although Kalamazoo Christian found a little life during the final 10 minutes with three corner kicks, which brought back bad memories for Lansing Christian head coach Joel Vande Kopple.

“That’s how they scored on us last year,” Vande Kopple said. “My stomach was up in my throat. But (goalie Lynn Cullens) and our defense were amazing. We didn’t give up a goal the whole tournament run.”

Lansing Christian indeed held on and now will say farewell to a senior class that will be hard to top in the future.

Jamieson, Cullens, Jessie Kruger, Sarah Voss, Alex Hanks, Jenna Li and Ally McHugh went to the MHSAA Finals three times, made Semifinals all four years and leave with two championships. 

“It was a great way to send them off,” Vande Kopple said. 

Sophomore goalie Jenna Blackwell made 25 saves in goal for Kalamazoo Christian.

“We battled to the end,” Kalamazoo Christian head coach Jay Allen said. “We made a few mistakes in the back there. In a game like that, you make one mistake and you lose.”

While disappointed over losing in the Final for the second straight year, one look at the roster offers a smile for Kalamazoo Christian. 

The Comets graduate just two seniors off their squad, Carmen Katie and Madelyn Batts, and will return 10 sophomores and three freshmen. 

“It’s a loaded roster, but what you have to understand is that those two seniors kept that roster together,” Allen said. “They brought the team together, led the team and got us to where we are. It was their leadership.”

Click for the full box score.

VIDEO: Lansing Christian's Kasey Jamieson scores the lone goal of the Division 4 Girls Soccer Final with under 15 minutes to play.

PHOTOS: (Top) Lansing Christian’s Eliza Lewis (17) pushes the ball upfield as Kalamazoo Christian’s Mikayla Tiesman chases. (Middle) Karina Deering keeps possession for the Comets.

Performance of the Week: Trenton's Chloe Wishart

April 11, 2024

Chloe Wishart headshotChloe Wishart ♦ Trenton
Junior ♦ Soccer

Trenton is off to a 3-0 start this spring, and Wishart is playing a leading role. She scored four goals in a 6-0 opening win over Gibraltar Carlson, then two more in a 3-0 victory over Riverview that was a rematch of a Division 2 District Final from a year ago. She added another pair of goals in Monday’s 4-0 win over Allen Park. Wishart also had three assists through the team’s first three games.

After earning a Division 2 all-state honorable mention as a freshman, Wishart missed most of last spring with a knee injury and played only a few games at the end as the Trojans finished 15-3-2 and reached the Regional Finals. She’s providing a major boost back at full strength and with a bit of a positional switch into more of a scoring spot as she previously played near the back of the midfield. Trenton improved to 4-0 with a 3-0 win Wednesday over Brownstown Woodhaven and was ranked No. 4 in Division 2 in this season’s first coaches association state rankings posted this week.

@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Chloe Wishart #soccer #trenton #letsgo #goal #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Chloe Wishart #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #tangled #chickfila #beyonce #vampirediaries #nighttime #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

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Past 2023-24 Honorees

March 28: Jenna Maki, Ishpeming basketball - Report
March 22:
Jaremiah Palmer, Niles Brandywine basketball - Report
March 15:
Leah Hodge, North Farmington gymnastics - Report
March 8:
Darius Marines, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling - Report
March 1:
Rylee Smith, Zeeland West bowling - Report
Feb. 22:
Caleb Lewandowski, Traverse City West skiing - Report
Feb. 15:
Jadin Mix, Onaway basketball - Report
Feb. 8:
Onalee Wallis, Cadillac skiing - Report
Feb. 1:
Abbey DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek competitive cheer - Report
Jan. 25:
Ewan Todd, Riverview swimming - Report
Jan. 18:
Ashley Weller, Jackson Northwest basketball - Report
Jan. 11:
Michael Baldwin, Saginaw Arthur Hill wrestling - Report
Dec. 15:
Jena Fijolek, Fenton bowling - Report
Dec. 8:
Sophia Wagner, Escanaba gymnastics - Report
Dec. 1:
Isaiah Marshall, Southfield Arts & Technology football - Report
Nov. 24:
Sarah Bradley, Clarkston Everest Collegiate volleyball - Report
Nov. 17:
Kalieb Osborne, Waterford Mott football - Report
Nov. 10:
Tekalegn Vlasma, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian soccer - Report
Nov. 3:
Colton Kinnie, Birmingham Seaholm football - Report
Oct. 27:
Lauren Timpf, Macomb Lutheran North golf - Report
Oct. 20:
Alena Li, Okemos golf - Report
Oct. 13:
Seth Norder, Grand Haven cross country - Report
Oct. 5:
Paige Anderson, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer golf - Report
Sept. 29:
MacKenzie Bisballe, Lake City volleyball - Report
Sept. 22:
Jhace Massey, Gladwin football - Report
Sept. 15:
Kaylee Draper, Sturgis swimming - Report
Sept. 8:
Owen Jackson, Traverse City St. Francis tennis - Report
Sept. 1:
Rachel Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report

(Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)