Holland Rides 2nd-Half Surge to 1st Title
November 4, 2017
By Jeff Chaney
Special for Second Half
COMSTOCK PARK – When describing his senior all-state forward, Holland boys soccer coach Greg Ceithaml says Daniel Arellano is 'electric'.
It took Arellano just over a half to put a charge into his team and lead the Dutch to the school's first MHSAA Finals championship.
Arellano scored on a beautiful goal just more than four minutes into the second half, and later assisted on another in Holland's 3-0 win over East Lansing in the Division 2 Final on Saturday at Comstock Park High School.
"His goal was impressive. I thought his assist was more impressive," Ceithaml said. "The guys have a lot of confidence knowing that when we step on the field with him in front, good things usually happen."
The first good thing happened with 35 minutes, 43 seconds to play in the game when Arellano scored the game's first goal on a hard shot off the right side of the Trojans' goal. It was Arellano's 20th goal of the season.
His assist came later in the half, when he dribbled through the East Lansing defense and made a sharp pass to senior midfielder Sam Accardo, who finished the play with his 16th goal of the season.
In between those two scores, senior forward Jose Penaloza put in his eighth goal of the year at the 32:30 mark of the second half.
"We just needed to get a rhythm going," Arellano said. "We just remained focused, and that was key. While we were in the huddle (at the half), Coach was telling us, ‘You want this more. There is no other team out there that wants this more than we do.’ Now that just proves it, because it is our first ever state championship."
Ceithaml admitted there weren’t many adjustments made after a tough first half that included a steady cold rain. He just tried to will his team to play a little better and pay attention to the little details that got the Dutch to this point.
"I didn't think we possessed the ball very well (in the first half), and I give credit to East Lansing for that," said Ceithaml, whose team finished its historic season with a 19-5-2 record. "And the conditions, I told the team, we need to connect passes batter in the second half, and they did that. They executed."
On the other side of the field, East Lansing coach Nick Archer said his team was just unable to finish.
"It was a game of two different halves," said Archer, whose team ended its season with a 17-10-1 record. "In the second half, when they broke through, they finished on us. They just got through our defense, and we got caught a little flat footed. We had a couple of opportunities; we just didn't put them in.
“They are very explosive, and the few seconds they were able to explode, they got through,” Archer added.
Now Ceithaml must say goodbye to a superb senior class of 14 players who struggled a bit when they were freshmen, but made history on their way out.
"We took our lumps (early), but we were learning," Ceithaml said. "Then last year Regional Finals, and then this year (the championship). I feel we have grown and evolved together, and I couldn't be happier for them.
“Right now I am speechless, I am just happy for the boys. I am glad they created a memory that I hope they carry with them for the rest of their lives."
PHOTOS: (Top) Holland’s players celebrate Saturday by hoisting the program’s first MHSAA championship trophy. (Middle) Daniel Arellano (7) looks for an opening between East Lansing defenders, including Alec Fordell (6).
Turning Point Leads to Defining Moment as Cedar Springs Makes 1st Regional Final
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
October 23, 2025
CEDAR SPRINGS – The Cedar Springs boys soccer team was aiming to accomplish a program first Tuesday night.
The Red Hawks drew inspiration from an early-season setback to make school history.
Cedar Springs upset Fruitport 2-1 in a shootout to become the first boys soccer team to advance past the Regional Semifinals, and will face Traverse City St. Francis tonight for a Division 2 Regional title.
“Heart in my throat,” Red Hawks coach Chris Frilen said when talking about the emotions from Tuesday’s win. “We had played Fruitport earlier in the year and lost there, and it was a turning point for us because it was our first loss and it gave us a reality check.
“After the offseason, we thought we were great, and we are not losing, and then you get your butt kicked. So getting a chance to play them again on our field with high stakes ... that was a big win for sure.”
Cedar Springs (16-4-3) also reached the Regional Semifinals in 2023, but lost to eventual Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian.
After starting this fall with three wins, the Red Hawks were shut out by Fruitport 2-0 on Aug. 21.
“We lost earlier in the season to them. So we really wanted to beat them because it was a tough loss,” said senior striker Ian Steans, who tied the rematch five minutes into the second half with his 33rd goal of the season.
“That was a game we really wanted to win because no team had made it past the Regional Semifinals.”
In the shootout, athletic junior keeper Brody Klenk stopped two of Fruitport’s first three penalty kicks in dramatic fashion.
“We thought if we could get level with them then we can make this a real fight, and hats off to Fruitport,” Frilen said. “They just kept taking it to us, and we had to respond defensively. It was back and forth, but the guys were confident in the huddle going into the shootout.
“It was just really satisfying because one of our assistant coaches is an alum, and he was on a team that never made it past the Regional Semifinals and he almost broke down. I was right there with him. It was very emotional.”
The expectations for a successful season began during the summer after the team competed at the Western Michigan University team camp.
Cedar Springs finished unbeaten and showed signs of growth.
“The potential was there because we had a good group of guys, and I thought after that team camp that we could have something special,” Frilen said. “We did some goal-setting during the week, and they set their sights on Regionals as an achievable goal. And so for us, we thought we could do this, but it was one game at a time.”
Stearns is one of 10 seniors Frilen described as “the core of the team.” They also include captains Jacob Smith and Avery Umphrey, both solid defenders on the back line, and midfielder Austin Grice.
“We have a lot of confidence, and we can win in multiple ways,” Stearns said. “It isn't one person, it's the whole team working together and communicating. Going into the season, we expected to make it far. We wanted to win the conference and Districts and we didn't know if we would be here, but we are.”
Cedar Springs went through a short lull midway through the season when it lost three straight games.
The Red Hawks haven’t lost since.
“It was a rollercoaster for a while, but that was the moment we got quiet and talked it out,” Frilen said. “For us to go forward we said that we are much stronger when we are all together, and we all have to pull in the same direction.”
The Red Hawks will host against Traverse City St. Francis, which defeated East Grand Rapids 2-1 in the other Regional Semifinal.
The two teams squared off previously last month.
“It was a Saturday morning and they came down here and we won 1-0, but it wasn’t easy,” Frilen said. “You have to think they will have that on their minds, so we have to be watchful of that. Every game is different, and we know with the stakes as high as they are we are going to get their best. We have to be ready.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Cedar Springs’ Marcus McCarthy (20) considers his options offensively during a regular-season game against Traverse City St. Francis. (Middle) Ian Stearns pursues the ball. (Below) The Red Hawks take a team photo after securing the District title last week. (Photos courtesy of the Cedar Springs boys soccer program.)