Defense Key to Sailors' Title Defense
September 21, 2016
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS – Goalkeeping and defense were catalysts in last year’s MHSAA Division 3 championship run for the Grand Rapids South Christian boys soccer team.
As the Sailors attempt to replicate last year’s success, those two elements remain vital in their quest for back-to-back titles.
South Christian, top-ranked in Division 3 this week, has had to fill huge holes after the departures of all-state goalie Carter Selvius and all-state Dream Team defender Austin Clark.
“Our defense is really what we’re working on right now, knowing the guys I lost,” Sailors coach Jason Boersma said. “We lost our goalie and two real keys to our defense. It doesn’t automatically get replaced overnight having new players coming in.
“We’re working hard at figuring out what the best line-up is. We’re doing well, and we haven’t had a lot of goals scored on us, so that’s a positive.”
The Sailors surrendered only 13 goals last season, including only a single goal over seven MHSAA tournament victories.
They defeated Williamston 1-0 in a shootout to capture their third MHSAA Final in the last six years.
Selvius was one of the heroes in that game with 14 saves, and Boersma knew his absence in the net would be felt entering this season.
There was no clear-cut favorite to take over in net at the beginning. That allowed Boersma to look at a group of potential replacements.
“That’s why I kept four of them on my team,” Boersma said. “We knew what we were losing, and we had four guys who were somewhat equal. They all had different strengths and weaknesses, and we were going to let them battle it out.”
Junior Jake Tanis earned the job, and has spent a majority of time in the net.
“I’m going to give him as much experience as I can right now with him playing every single game just for more knowledge back there,” Boersma said. “He was more of a field guy, but his best chance to get time on this team was as a goalie. He has a big frame. He’s 6-2, 230 pounds, and so he has good size and is very athletic. He’s really learning right now.”
Senior midfielder Ryan Doornbos is one of eight starters back. He has faith in the players who have filled in at important positions.
“I trust them,” he said. “They’ve done a good job so far in replacing those roles, and I hope they continue to do that the rest of the year.”
Thirteen in all have returned from last season, including standouts Zack DeKock, Emmett DeJong, Sam DeVries and Daniel Sculley.
The Sailors opened the season with nine straight wins, but suffered consecutive losses to East Grand Rapids (2-0) and Caledonia (1-0) during the past week.
Doornbos missed both games with a concussion, while DeKock also is nursing an injury and didn’t play against Caledonia.
“It’s a huge difference with having him on the field for the team chemistry and moving the ball around,” Boersma said. “The effort he brings is phenomenal, and that’s a huge loss without him. He should be back within a week.”
The recent setbacks and injuries haven’t spoiled the Sailors’ outlook. Boersma would rather have them occur now than in late October and November.
“The guys are OK with losses because they learn from them,” he said. “Obviously no player likes to lose and they are competitive, but they are real good at sitting back after a game and knowing that they have to work on this and this.
“They are a very hard-working crew, and that’s one of my favorite things about them. They leave it all on the field each and every day. They know in games they lost that we made small mistakes. We make sure they don’t happen again.”
Boersma believes this team has the talent to make another deep run, but understands it will revolve around defensive adjustments.
“Knowing all the offense we had back, I was incredibly optimistic that we were going to have an opportunity, if we play the game we’re capable of playing, that on paper (we) could be one of the best teams in Division 3 in my mind,” Boersma said. “We also know soccer, and all the years I’ve watched my teams do well it has typically been my defense. You get great teams towards the end, and in the playoffs and there are numerous games you have to win in a shootout. That’s the way it goes in soccer.”
Doornbos hopes this year’s team can follow in the footsteps of last year’s in terms of staying together and creating a positive atmosphere.
“I think we need to keep each other hyped up and really be tight as a family,” he said. “I think that’s what helped us last year; our whole team was a family. We also enjoyed it last year, and that’s how we kept winning because we were having fun. We need to do those things and keep working hard.”
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at[email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) South Christian players, in white jerseys, defend their goal against Middleville Thornapple Kellogg last week. (Middle) Key returnee Zack DeKock moves the ball upfield. (Photosby Craig Pollatz.)
De La Salle Collegiate Takes Final Step to Finish 1st Title Run since 2005
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
November 2, 2024
GRAND LEDGE – Josh Ross made it to the final game of his high school soccer career without getting a single yellow card.
But Saturday, when his late goal sealed Warren De La Salle Collegiate’s Division 2 Final against Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, the senior midfielder figured it was OK to break that streak.
Ross ripped off his jersey and ran to the De La Salle student section to start off a celebration 19 years in the making.
“It was my first yellow card of my entire career,” said Ross, who was carded as jersey removal is an automatic card. “We were talking about it on the bus, we were joking that I was going to get my first yellow card taking my shirt off, and man, that was the greatest feeling that I could ever feel.”
De La Salle defeated Northern 4-1 to claim the sixth Finals title in program history, but first since 2005. Coach Thaier Mukhtar has been at the helm for all of those titles, and was emotional after this latest one.
“This is my sixth state championship – I’ve been there, I’ve done that,” he said. “But my tears were for my seniors. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
The Pilots had 10 seniors on their roster, one year after having none. But a young group a year ago advanced to the Semifinals before getting knocked out in penalty kicks, and that helped push them throughout this season.
“We had a rough start to (2023), but our group is so close,” said Ross, who had two goals and two assists. “Even though I’m a senior, I feel like I’m in the same grade as the sophomores and juniors. We’re a close group of boys that really nothing can stand in our way. Once we figured that out last year and started our run, started our roll, we got unlucky and lost in pens. But we knew how close we were, we knew how good we were, and as you see, we came out here and won today.”
De La Salle spent much of the game holding onto a 2-1 lead, as a frenetic start saw three goals scored in the game’s first 23 minutes. Neither team would find the net again, however, until Ross’ goal with 3:36 to play put the game on ice, and an Andrew Corder goal 1:26 later erased any doubt.
“The biggest weight off my shoulders ever,” Ross said. “One of the greatest feelings in my life.”
While the game was just a shot away from being tied for the majority of the second half, the Huskies weren’t able to create consistent pressure or the big chances that could test De La Salle goalkeeper Dominic Baldarotta, who stopped one of the two shots the Huskies put on frame.
The Pilots (20-3-1), meanwhile, had seven shots on frame, but just three of them coming in the second half, including the two goals in the final 3:36.
The lack of scoring chances in the second was a stark contrast to the first half, when it looked like a wide open game could be unfolding.
De La Salle created the game’s first chance in the first 20 seconds after a quick free kick, and it scored the first goal 10:01 into the game as JJ Jurczyk finished off a Ross pass following a well-worked play on a corner kick.
It only took 1:04 for Northern to answer, however, as Dylan Van Skiver scored on a free kick to tie the game.
Ross’ first goal of the game didn’t come for another 11 minutes, but both teams had pushed through that timeframe. The goal, though, was worth the relatively short wait, as Corder played a gorgeous pass to spring Ross on goal, and the senior went to the far post for a 2-1 lead.
“I saw both the defenders closing me down,” Corder said. “(The) split, I practice that at Rondos at practice every day. So I put it through and just played him.”
Ross had an assist on Corder’s second goal, while Settimo Leone had an assist on Ross’ second.
“(Ross) was extremely motivated this year to lead this team to a championship,” Mukhtar said. “He’s a two-year captain, first-team all-state last year, he’ll be first-team all-state this year, obviously. He’s just a tremendous leader. He’s the type of kid you want to adopt. He’s extremely polite – except for taking off his shirt. I guess I won’t yell at him about that; he’s done.”
Goalkeeper Lukas Darling had three saves for Northern (19-5-3), which was playing in its first Final since winning it all in 2019.
PHOTOS (Top) De La Salle’s Vince Houlihan (19) controls the ball while two Forest Hills Northern players attempt to gain possession. (Middle) FHN’s Drin Mandija (23) winds up to send the ball forward with the Pilots’ Josh Ross in pursuit. (Below) De La Salle’s Andrew Corder maintains possession. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)