Rockford Holds Off Brighton Charge to Add to Title Streak
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 12, 2021
NOVI – Overcoming a canceled season in 2020, Rockford made it eight straight Division 1 lacrosse titles with a 19-16 victory over Brighton on Saturday at Novi High School.
Only last’s year break due to COVID-19 has interrupted the Rams’ near decade-long dominance – although the Bulldogs made a strong attempt as the teams met in the championship game for the third-straight season.
“This is just a special group of young ladies,’’ said Rockford coach Mike Emery. “They’ve been through so much with the off-field stuff, COVID and the protocols. We lost our season last year. To be able to finish our season this year is just incredible.
"We’ve had a lot of great teams, and this team stacks right up there with them. This is one of my most rewarding seasons.”
Rockford (14-4) also had defeated Brighton (18-6-1) during the regular season 19-5.
“We had a lot of players under quarantine back then,’’ said Brighton coach Ashton Peters.
“I think they started to get a run on us in the beginning (this time). We came back and made it close, we just didn’t have enough time. I truly believe we could have won, but they scored five straight points and we couldn’t get back in it.’’
Rockford got on the board early on a goal by Chloe Dunham, who scored six goals total, with an assist from Mackenzie Delacher. Seconds later Isabelle Osborn, who tallied five goals, scored for the Rams to make it 2-0.
Osborn made it 3-0 less than one minute later with her second goal.
Brighton finally got on the board with a goal by Gabby Mainhardt. But Sydney Walsh made it 4-1 for the Rams, and seconds later Chloe Holmes tacked on another to make it 5-1.
Mainhardt scored her second to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Holmes scored her second for Rockford to make it 6-2. Ella Boose became the second player to score for Brighton to trim the deficit to 6-3.
Osborn scored her third goal of the game to make it 7-3, and Katherine Rodriguez scored seconds later to make it 8-3.
Sophie Mondro ended the streak for Brighton to reduce the lead to 8-4. Rodriguez scored her second for Rockford for a 9-4 lead.
Dunham scored her second as Rockford reached double figures, 10-5.
“We didn’t really know what to expect this year, and it kind of gave us a new perspective as far as what a privilege it is to be out here, and we love the game,’’ Dunham said. “We played that way today. We have a lot of balance and we trusted each other.’’
Mainhardt scored her third for the Bulldogs to make it 10-6. Osborn’s fourth gave Rockford an 11-6 lead, but Kaia Malachino closed the first half with a goal for Brighton.
After trailing 11-7 at halftime, Amanda Granader scored her second goal of the game to get Brighton within 11-8 early in the second half.
Walsh helped stem the tide with her second goal to make it 12-8.
Rodriguez scored her third to increase the Rams lead to 13-8. Dunham made it three straight goals for the Rams to extend the lead to 14-8.
Dunham’s fourth made 15-8 as Brighton’s offense wilted until Mainhardt scored back-to-back goals to make it 15-10. She finished with five goals. Dunham added her fifth with an assist from Osborn to put Rockford up six.
Dunham tacked on her sixth to increase the lead to 17-10 and Osborn’s fifth made it 18-10.
Two goals by Amaria Whitby got the Bulldogs to within five goals, 15-13.
With 1:09 left, the Bulldogs had cut the lead to 19-16 on Boose’s second goal as Rockford’s offense became turnover prone. But the Rams were able to hang on for the final minute-plus to close out the championship.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rockford’s Isabelle Osborn (15) considers her next move Saturday while Brighton’s Olivia Groce guards her. (Middle) Abbie Chaka (15) and Kelley Elizabeth (26) defend the Bulldogs’ goal.
Preview: Titles to be Decided by Rematch, Matchup of 1st-Title Hopefuls
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 6, 2025
Saturday’s MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Finals at University of Michigan will begin with a rematch of the 2024 title decider and conclude with a matchup of teams making their first championship game appearances in more than a decade.
Detroit Country Day will take on Grand Rapids Catholic Central at 11 a.m. with the Division 2 title on the line and after the Cougars won last year’s season finale 10-9.
Hartland and South Lyon United will follow in the Division 1 Final at 2 p.m., with the winner claiming the champion's trophy in this sport for the first time.
Below is a glance at all four teams playing at U-M. Rankings as part of “best wins” are based on the Michigan Power Rating formula. Tickets cost $11 and are good for both games, and may be purchased online only at GoFan.
Both games will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Division 1
HARTLAND
Record/MPR: 20-5, No. 7
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Coach: Ryan Skomial, first season (16-4)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2012.
Best wins: 7-6 over No. 4 Rockford in Semifinal, 8-7 over No. 3 Lake Orion in Regional Final, 19-7 over No. 8 Holt in Regional Semifinal, 8-6 over No. 10 White Lake Lakeland in Regional Quarterfinal, 8-2 over No. 6 Birmingham United, 8-2 and 9-6 over No. 9 Bloomfield Hills.
Players to watch: Amanda Norton, jr. M; Ella Ebright, sr. A; Claire Pielack, jr. G.
Outlook: Still one of the state’s all-time leading scorers 12 years after graduating, Skomial has returned to Hartland this season after helping lead Brighton to the last three Division 1 championships – including as head coach in 2022 – and now has Hartland playing in a Final for the first time since her junior season. After losing three one-goal games during the regular season, the Eagles have won two straight in two of the biggest games in program history.
SOUTH LYON UNITED
Record/MPR: 20-0, No. 1
League finish: First in Lakes Valley Conference
Coach: Deanna Radcliffe, ninth season (143-26)
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 12-6 over No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in Semifinal, 12-9 (Regional Final) and 8-7 (OT) over No. 2 Brighton, 13-4 and 9-5 over No. 10 White Lake Lakeland, 15-6 over No. 9 Bloomfield Hills, 15-8 over No. 3 Lake Orion, 10-3 over No. 8 Holt, 15-7 over No. 6 Birmingham United.
Players to watch: Shaelyn Perry, jr. M (46 goals, 21 assists); Reagan Shields, soph. A (50 goals, 33 assists); Madison Lukas, soph. A/M (35 goals, 8 assists); Alyssa Jakubiec, jr. A (31 goals, 16 assists).
Outlook: Radcliffe – who is in her second tenure at South Lyon after also coaching at Hartland from 2013-22 – has the Lions undefeated just like when she took them into the 2008 championship game. Since opening the season with a one-goal win over Brighton, South Lyon United’s closest game has been three goals in their Regional Final rematch with the Bulldogs. Junior attacks Gabriela Lucchesi (27 goals, 20 assists) and Gianna Lucchesi (25/17), senior mid Courtney Putnam (23/17) and sophomore defender Cate Cumberland (14/9) also are among top scorers.
Division 2
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/MPR: 16-3, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Coach: Liz Nussbaum, second season (33-7-1)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2023, three runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 19-8 over No. 9 Saline in Semifinal, 11-10 over No. 2 East Grand Rapids, 21-3 over No. 6 Haslett, 9-6 and 18-6 over No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 17-11 and 12-6 over Division 1 No. 2 Brighton, 19-7 over Division 1 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 19-5 over Division 1 No. 7 Hartland, 19-5 over Division 1 No. 6 Birmingham United.
Players to watch: Mary Pavlou, sr. A (76 goals, 13 assists); Charlotte Cook, fr. M (46 goals, 17 assists); Georgia Pavlou, sr. A (54 goals, 40 assists); Campbell Lindner, jr. G (7.08 goals-against average, .490 save %).
Outlook: Country Day will play in its fourth-straight championship game, having added runner-up finishes last spring and in 2022 to its title in 2023. All three of the Yellowjackets’ losses this spring came to opponents from Indiana or Illinois. Mary and George Pavlou are finishing up all-state careers and Cook looks to be one of the next class of standouts. Sophomore mid Jackie Calso (32 goals, 11 assists) is among leading scorers as well.
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/MPR: 16-5, No. 3
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 1
Coach: Joe Curcuru, second season (39-5)
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2024 and 2011.
Best wins: 19-3 over No. 6 Haslett in Semifinal, 8-7 over No. 2 East Grand Rapids in Regional Final, 15-3 (Regional Quarterfinal) and 10-9 (2OT) over No. 10 Spring Lake, 12-7 and 11-7 over No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 8-6 and 13-7 over Division 1 No. 4 Rockford, 12-5 over Division 1 No. 6 Birmingham United.
Players to watch: Catherine Marshall, sr. M (88 goals, 28 assists), Lily Engstrom, jr. M (86 goals, 32 assists), Alexandra Unzens, fr. A (14 goals, 6 assists); Samaya Dean, sr. G (6.55 goals-against average, .525 save %).
Outlook: The Cougars avenged a pair of regular-season losses to East Grand Rapids in the Regional Final on the way to earning this opportunity to repeat, and can complete it by avenging 9-6 and 18-6 defeats to Country Day from the season’s first five weeks. Marshall and Engstrom are one of the most potent 1-2 scoring pairs in the state and with Dean have been starring for multiple seasons. Seniors Ameila Sharpe (14 goals) and Claire Sullivan (12) also are among leading scorers from the attack spots. Catholic Central’s only other loss this season came to three-time reigning Division 1 champion Brighton.
PHOTO Grand Rapids Catholic Central players raise their sticks together during last season’s Division 2 championship win.