GRAND LEDGE — Before this fall, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian goalie Kaden Peggar hadn’t played high school soccer because he was rostered with an MLS Next team. 

But after some prodding from WMC friends and players he has known a majority of his life, Peggar decided to suit up for the high school team this year, and it was obvious to him what it produced.

“Memories upon memories upon memories,” Peggar said. “Full memories.”

The biggest memory might have been Saturday’s Division 4 Final, with Western Michigan Christian recording a 1-0 shootout win over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett to claim its fourth title in five years.

Liggett was winning the shootout 3-2 after three rounds, which created some unforeseen angst for Peggar.

“I have a really good knack for (penalty kicks), and I feel like I can guess the side most of the time,” he said. “In the first three, I didn’t get it. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I got a little nervous. But I was like, ‘I have to get the next one.’”

Peggar did in the top half of the fourth round, and then senior teammate Tyson Annema scored in the bottom half of the fourth to tie the shootout at 3-3.

In the fifth round, Peggar made another save to give his team a chance to win. 

“I decided to kind of go myself and go on my own instincts because in practice, I have a pretty high percentage guessing the right way when I go by myself as well,” Peggar said.

That set the stage for junior Carter MacKellar, who stepped up and delivered a goal to give Western Michigan Christian a clinching 4-3 advantage in the shootout after a scoreless regulation and overtime period. 

“I always go to the left, and I practice that all season,” MacKellar said. “I just put it there, and that’s where it was going to go. It worked out good.”

For the Warriors, the championship completed a mission that started last year when it lost in a District Final to North Muskegon.

“They’ve been waiting for this moment ever since losing to North Muskegon last year in the District Finals,” Western Michigan Christian head coach Ben Buursma said. “So this was their mission, and we started as early as we could. These guys worked really hard to get it done.”

The Warriors claimed their 11^th championship, and tied the MHSAA record for most Finals appearances with their 18^th. 

WMC, which earned a 5-0 Semifinal win over Kalamazoo Christian while Liggett won a shootout in its Semifinal against Clarkston Everest Collegiate, seemed to be the fresher team during the final 25 minutes, having much of the play on the Liggett side of the field.

Liggett generated some pressure during the first portion of overtime, but neither team had any great chance throughout the game. 

Western Michigan Christian ended up with an 18-8 edge in shots, while corner kick opportunities were five apiece. 

It was the second-straight year Liggett fell in the Division 4 title decider on a shootout, as they lost last year’s championship match to Leland in similar fashion. 

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s Kaden Peggar dives to make a save during Saturday’s Division 4 shootout. (Middle) WMC’s Tyson Annema (9) controls possession as Liggett’s Owen Hermann defends. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)