Off Top Finish, Somsel Eyes Bright Future
June 23, 2020
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
TECUMSEH – Erin Somsel will be giving her Valedictorian speech to fellow Tecumseh High School graduates next month. Her message will be to not take anything for granted.
“I think that’s a pretty important thing, especially because of what we are all going through right now,” said Somsel. “You just never know.”
Somsel wasn’t one to take anything for granted in the classroom or on the Tecumseh soccer field.
She entered her senior year No. 3 academically in her class but juggled four advanced placement classes to finish first among her classmates with a 4.222 grade point average.
“I made the goal of being Valedictorian my freshman year,” she said. “I didn’t know if it was possible. I was No. 3 in my class my sophomore and junior years and the start of my senior year. I think the extra advanced placement classes helped put me over the top. It was tough, but worth it.”
Somsel, 18, wants to become a neurologist. She will study biology and biochemistry on a pre-med track at Kalamazoo College. Oh, yeah – she plans on playing soccer too.
“I knew I wanted to play at the next level for a while now,” she said. “Soccer has been a year-round sport for me. It’s been my only sport since middle school.”
Somsel picked up the game before going to school. By the age of 7 she was playing club soccer on traveling teams.
“I played on the local club team in Tecumseh for two years and then moved to the Jackson Rush,” she said. “It was through club soccer that we had a camp in which there was some college coaches. The Kalamazoo coach came to the camp year after year. I’ve known him since my freshman year.”
She missed out on her senior season of soccer because of the global pandemic but committed to Kalamazoo recently. She played center back for Tecumseh and the Rush and intends to continue playing defense in college.
“I’ve always just liked defense,” she said. “I was never one of those players that wanted to be up front and to score goals. I gravitated toward defense from the start. At center-mid, I like the fact that you can see the entire field and sort of direct people. That’s where I like to play.”
Somsel has been a captain for both the Rush and her Tecumseh squad. She was named to the all-county and all-District teams in 2018 and 2019 and was honorable mention in the Southeastern Conference. She picked up two “Defender of the Year” honors from Tecumseh.
Over three varsity seasons, she started all 56 games in which she played. She scored seven goals and had 10 assists over her three seasons, taking just 40 shots on goal during her career.
When she wasn’t hitting the books or on the soccer field, Somsel volunteered with the Lenawee County Humane Society and was an active member of the National Honor Society and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).
Somsel isn’t worried about trying to mix soccer into her college regimen. By now, she’s used to it.
“Soccer really helped me tremendously with my academics,” said the daughter of Jim and Holly Somsel. “It helped me develop a really good work ethic. I had to have a really good study schedule to keep up with everything, and I had to stick to that schedule. Soccer helped me stay on track.”
Taking the advanced placement classes wasn’t an accident.
“I felt it would be a really good idea, especially since I am going into pre-med,” she said. “I thought it would better prepare me for playing sports and studying in college.”
She did a lot of homework during the car rides from her home in Tecumseh to Jackson, the home of her club team.
“My parents and everyone was super supportive,” she said. “My Tecumseh coaches (Thomas Goodman and Matt Twiss) and my Rush coach (Marco Bernardini) really helped me along the way.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Tecumseh’s Erin Somsel lines up a free kick during a game last season. (Middle) Somsel, wearing 2 earlier in her career, controls the ball. (Top photo courtesy of Somsel; middle by Mike Dickie.)
Preview: Championship Rematch Among Headliners at DeMartin Stadium
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 13, 2024
The return of two reigning champions and a rematch of last year’s Division 3 title match are just the start of headlines emerging from this weekend’s MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals at DeMartin Stadium.
There should be some familiarity this weekend for most contenders as six of the final eight teams have reached the season’s final weekend at least once since 2021 – including Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grosse Ile, which played to a 3-0 Crusaders win a year ago, and Kalamazoo Christian which is seeking a repeat as well.
Three teams are seeking a first championship, and a fourth its first this century.
Following is this weekend’s schedule:
Division 1 - Friday - 4 p.m.
Hartland vs. Rochester Adams
Division 2 - Saturday - 4 p.m.
Spring Lake vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian
Division 3 - Saturday - 1 p.m.
Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. Grosse Ile
Division 4 - Friday - 1 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Jackson Lumen Christi
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. One ticket is good for all 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: 16-3-3, No. 11
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Coach: Andrew Kartsounes, 19th season (230-91-52)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2021.
Players to watch: Alyse Daavettila, sr. F/M (12 goals, 6 assists); Addie Frantti, jr. F/M (9 goals, 8 assists); Paige Sundman, soph. F (10 goals, 3 assists); Jenna Brock, jr. GK (0.95 goals-against average, 9 shutouts).
Outlook: Hartland suffered one of its lone losses this spring to Livonia Stevenson in the regular-season finale, but bounced right back to win a third District and second Regional championship in four seasons. The only other defeats came in the season opener to Salem and in late April to No. 10 Midland Dow, and the Eagles earned a win and draw with No. 9 Canton in league play. Daavettila made the all-state third team last season. Midfielder Emma Kastamo is another of four senior starters and had five goals and seven assists entering the week.
ROCHESTER ADAMS
Record/rank: 15-2-2, No. 6
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Josh Hickey, seventh season (77-29-16)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1999), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lexi Calcamuggio, soph. GK (0.70 goals-against average, 7 shutouts); Evelyn Kekhoua, sr. F (12 goals, 4 assists); Danielle Danko, sr. M (10 goals, 6 assists); Sadie Rogers, jr. M (11 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: After reaching its first Semifinal since 2012, Adams is headed to the Finals for the first time since its most recent championship season of 1999. An overtime win over No. 3 Troy in their Regional Final has highlighted this run, with Troy having handed the Highlanders their first loss in early April. The other defeat came against No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, and Adams rebounded quickly and picked up late regular-season wins over Dow (5-0) and No. 12 Troy Athens (4-1). Rogers earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 15-3-3, No. 8
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Danny Price, first season (15-3-3)
Championship history: 10 MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Dani Mertz, sr. GK (0.53 goals-against average, 14 shutouts); Nia Bordogna, fr. M (5 goals, 10 assists); Olivia Zahnow, sr. D; Clair Dauer, soph. M (15 goals, 2 assists).
Outlook: Marian missed the Finals last season for the first time since 2016 (not counting COVID-canceled 2020), but have returned under Price, who played professionally in England and also has coached Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice’s boys team since 2019. He inherited plenty of talent; Dauer made the all-state second team last season, Zahnow made the third team, and Mertz, junior defender Nadia Valka, sophomore defender/forward Lily Robinson and junior forward Bella Musachio all earned honorable mentions. The second-leading scorer is sophomore forward Giulianna Agrusso (10 goals, 3 assists) and three more players were next with five goals apiece entering this week. The Mustangs have not allowed a goal over six postseason games, a run that included avenging their most recent loss, to Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood. The other defeats came to Okemos and No. 11 Mason.
SPRING LAKE
Record/rank: 16-2-5, No. 1
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue
Coach: Becky May, eighth season (118-17-13)
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2021.
Players to watch: Jessica Stewart, sr. GK (0.76 goals-against average, 10 shutouts); Ella Andree, sr. F (12 goals, 6 assists); Clara Saunders, sr. M (10 goals, 16 assists); Aveya Patino, fr. F (27 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: Spring Lake earned this return to the Finals for the second time in four seasons in part by defeating No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and No. 3 Midland in its Regional, and its only losses were to Division 3 top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian and No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian. The Lakers then came back to earn a draw with Unity in the league tournament championship game. Saunders made the all-state first team last season, Andree and Stewart made the second team and senior defender Brooke Bolthouse earned an honorable mention.
Division 3
GROSSE ILE
Record/rank: 17-2-5, No. 5
League finish: Second in Huron League
Coach: Kyle Lesperance, sixth season (80-17-14)
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up 2023.
Players to watch: Addison Nemeth, sr. D; Cassidy Eblin, sr. M (8 goals, 18 assists); Alaina Korody, jr. D (8 goals, 4 assists); Mallory Botten, jr. F (20 goals, 21 assists).
Outlook: After several successful seasons, Grosse Ile broke through last year to make the Finals for the first time – and will now play for a first championship again in a rematch of last season’s title game. The Red Devils defeated No. 12 Detroit Country Day to advance, and their only losses were to Division 1 No. 4 Saline and Division 2 No. 10 New Boston Huron. Korody and Eblin made the all-state third team last season, and Nemeth earned honorable mention. Junior Monica Arndt is giving up only 1.06 goals per game in net, with 11 shutouts heading into the week.
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-1-1, No. 1
League finish: First in O-K Blue
Coach: Randy Heethuis, 35th season (641-105-42)
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Vivian Nagelkirk, sr. F/M (22 goals, 8 assists); Ava Lutke, jr. F (18 goals, 15 assists); Anna Newhof, sr. GK (0.50 goals-against average, 9 shutouts); Kyle Kobrzycki, fr. F/M (13 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Unity just keeps rolling, with this weekend providing an opportunity to repeat as a champion for the first time since winning three straight Division 3 titles from 2014-16. Lutke made the all-state first team last season, but the Crusaders replaced seven graduates who also earned all-state honors and this spring still lost only to Division 1 No. 1 Hudsonville (and by just a goal). In addition to those listed above, five more players entered this week with at least six goals or five assists, or both. They have yet to allow a goal in the playoffs with wins over No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian, No. 10 Grand Rapids West Catholic and No. 14 Freeland highlighting the run.
Division 4
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 13-7, unranked
League finish: Eighth in CHSL AA
Coach: Blake Newman-Gillig, fourth season (42-31-4)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2000.
Players to watch: Codi Ruge, soph. F (16 goals, 4 assists); Paityn Petitto, jr. F (9 goals, 9 assists); Izzy Ermatinger, sr. GK (1.80 goals-against average, 7 shutouts); Kathleen Doane, jr. D (6 goals, 2 assists).
Outlook: Lumen Christi went from unranked to Regional champion for the first time since 2007, and has taken another step as well allowing only one goal over six postseason games including wins over No. 5 Manchester, No. 8 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian and a Regional Final victory over Royal Oak Shrine Catholic that avenged a 5-0 regular-season defeat. Doane made the all-state second team last season, and Ruge earned an honorable mention. Senior forward Brooke Lefere had added eight goals heading into this week.
KALAMAZOO CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 18-4-2, No. 6
League finish: Tied for first in Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley
Coach: Jay Allen, 11th season (181-35-8)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Emily Gorton, soph. (11 goals, 5 assists); Izzy Suloff, soph. (16 goals, 4 assists); Jordyn Bonnema, jr. (12 goals, 4 assists); Elizabeth Netz, sr. GK (12 shutouts).
Outlook: After four runner-up finishes over a five-season span heading into last year’s Final, Kalamazoo Christian won its first championship since 2008 and now will seek what would be a third repeat in program history. This run has been highlighted by wins over No. 7 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and No. 10 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep – and shared the SAC Valley title after drawing with the latter during the regular season. The Comets also own a 2-1 win over Jackson Lumen Christi from May 2.
PHOTO Unity Christian’s Vivian Nagelkirk (3) and Grosse Ile’s Olivia Zuccaro contend for the ball during last season’s Division 3 Final.