Birmingham, EGR finish title runs

June 10, 2012

Birmingham United won its first MHSAA championship since 2009, but needed overtime to do so in a 12-11 win over Hartland.

The teams were knotted 8-8 after regulation, thanks to a goal by Hartland senior Rachel Sharpe with 51 seconds to play in the second half. Hartland then outscored United 2-1 in the first 3-minute overtime. But United scored the final three goals of the second extra period, capped by junior Kathy Quigley’s go-ahead goal with eight seconds to play.

She finished with five goals, and senior Sarah Feiten had four. Both scored twice during the overtimes. United (18-11) had also needed overtime to get past Bloomfield Hills Marian in the Regional final, and downed Rockford in the Semifinal by the same score as Saturday, 12-11.

Amber Crouse led Hartland (20-4-1) with three goals. The Eagles improved two wins from last season.

Click for the full scoring summary.

Division 2 girls at Rockford

East Grand Rapids capped its first trip to an MHSAA Final with its first championship to also finish a perfect 28-0, thanks to a 17-6 win over Okemos.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first half, thanks to seven straight goals over the final 15:44. Senior Lauren Hooker added two goals for a season total of 107, good for second-most in the MHSAA record book. Junior Claire Ludlow scored four goals and added an assist for East Grand Rapids.

Okemos, making its first Finals appearance since its second-straight championship in 2010, finished 16-6-1. Sophomore Olivia Sherman had two goals and two assists for the Chieftains.

Click for the full scoring summary.

PHOTOS: (Top) Birmingham United senior Bailey Boese (13) eludes defenders on her way to Hartland's net in the Division 1 Final. (Middle) East Grand Rapids' Lauren Hooker (left) and Okemos' Alex King (11) battle for possession during the Division 2 Final.

'South Lyon Lacrosse' Wins Out as United Turns to Season-Long Style to Finish Title Run

By Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com

June 7, 2025

ANN ARBOR – South Lyon United girls lacrosse was perfect throughout the 2025 season playing “South Lyon lacrosse.”

So, when United found itself trailing Hartland 3-2 at halftime of the Division 2 championship game Saturday at the University of Michigan, the solution was simple.

Play South Lyon lacrosse.

United kept Hartland scoreless over the final two periods of play while controlling possession and netting four third-period goals to pick up a 6-3 win and complete an undefeated season with its first Finals championship.

“We really weren’t playing our game, so we had to just settle down and play like South Lyon lacrosse and not Hartland lacrosse,” South Lyon United coach Deanna Radcliffe said. “I just told them that if they remained poised and do what we have worked on all year, eventually (the lead) would come.”

The lead came midway through the third period. Junior Shealyn Perry netted the first goal in the second half with 7:19 remaining in the third to make it 3-3. That was followed just over a minute later by a free protection shot score from sophomore Reagan Shields to make it 4-3 in favor of United (24-0).

Sophomore Cate Cumberland added another goal only 36 seconds later on an assist from Perry, then Perry recorded her third and final goal of the match with 24.3 seconds left in the third to make it 6-3.

“I definitely did put a lot of pressure on (myself), but it was all for my team and I don’t regret it at all,” Perry said of leading the second-half charge.

With the lead, South Lyon went into possession control in the fourth, limiting Hartland’s opportunities to get back in the game. When the Eagles (20-6) did have the ball, they had some rushed turnovers that gave it right back to United.

“(South Lyon) has a talented defense. They have a lot of fast girls, and I think we were just too relaxed with our sticks in the midfield,” Hartland coach Ryan Skomial said of the scoreless second half.

United was the first to score Saturday, but it took just over 10 minutes of gameplay to get the scoring started. Junior Gabriela Lucchesi found the net first, but Hartland senior Ella Ebright answered a minute later.

Hartland works to slow down a South Lyon United rush during the Division 1 Final. In the second, Hartland senior Claire Brown gave the Eagles their first lead, 2-1, off a free protection shot. Perry responded for United with her first goal of the day, but Hartland countered with a goal from junior Amanda Norton during the final minute of the half.

Radcliffe admitted her young team, which had just four seniors, may have been nervous coming into the Final with an unbeaten record. The veteran coach admitted she had plenty of nerves herself.

“I didn’t even turn around until the very end of the game because I didn’t want to look (at the crowd). Even I was (nervous),” Radcliffe said. “It’s a different setting, a different stage.”

Perry said the team remained confident at halftime and stuck to the initial game plan with an emphasis on possession control.

She was key in all phases, helping with faceoffs, locking up on defense, and scoring three goals with an assist to earn South Lyon United its first title. Perry was quick to acknowledge her senior teammates, who played on graduation day, while holding an opponent to the fewest goals in MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals history.

“I could have never imagined it. I am beyond excited,” Perry said of being a Division 1 champion. “I am so proud of my coach for leading us on this journey. I’m so proud of the seniors that had to leave graduation early to play in this game with us. They know they made the right choice to come win this championship with us.”

The win for South Lyon United ended a three-year run of Brighton Division 1 titles. Brighton ended South Lyon’s season in 2024, but Radcliffe knew her team had a chance to come back and do something special in 2025.

“At the end of last year, when (the team) lost to Brighton and they realized they didn’t do what they could have done, I think they had belief that if they worked … I told them that if everybody just works a little bit harder, you can surprise yourself next year. I think they all bought into it, and here we are,” she said.

Hartland finished runner-up for the second time in program history, reaching its first Final since 2012. Skomial encouraged her players to keep their heads held high and be proud of their runner-up trophy after the match.

“It’s not something a lot of people expected. We were unseeded going into Regionals, graduated a lot of talent. I don’t think anybody expected this team to grind and get here. … Honestly, it was just an honor to get here,” Skomial said. “It’s so fun to be on this stage, and it’s such a great memory for the girls. It stings right now, but they will come away with a fond memory that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) South Lyon United players celebrate their first Finals championship Saturday. (Middle) Hartland works to slow down a South Lyon United rush during the Division 1 Final.