Gull Lake Returns to State's Elite
June 15, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
WILLIAMSTON – Can one save change a soccer season?
It certainly can alter a championship game, as junior Maggie Harma and Richland Gull Lake found out Saturday afternoon in Williamston.
Bloomfield Hills Marian fired 27 shots during the double-overtime MHSAA Division 2 Final. Harma, the keeper, had to save 13.
But the shot she stopped 30 seconds into the 100-minute game might’ve saved the Blue Devils’ first championship run since 1992, one they finished with a 1-0 victory over the reigning champion Mustangs.
“If it had gone in, our team would’ve been down the whole game trying to come back,” Harma said. “Because I saved it, it kinda gave us the little push we needed: We are here, we deserve to be here, we’re not here by luck. We’re here because we’re good, and we can win this.”
Gull Lake (21-1-1) was a Finals regular during the 1990s. But the current players were either still figuring out how to run or maybe even how to walk when the Blue Devils played in their most recent championship game in 1999.
Marian’s story is nearly the opposite. The Mustangs (17-3-4) have won five titles over the last 11 seasons, including three of the last five in Division 2.
Gull Lake second-year coach Jeff Corstange was plenty familiar with his program’s previous success, having graduated from the school in 1996.
“That’s one of the things when I came into this coaching role two years ago; I knew what it took to get there,” Corstange said. “These girls were young. They didn’t really know what it was. But I wanted to bring excitement back to Gull Lake.
“The whole community supported us tonight, and they get energy off of that.”
Harma admitted her team was a bit intimidated when Marian first arrived Saturday. But Corstange had emphasized to his players that they deserved to be in the Final, and the numbers said the same.
Gull Lake entered the postseason ranked No. 3, just one spot behind Marian. The Blue Devils gave up only eight goals this season – and including Saturday, not one during the MHSAA tournament.
“It starts with their keeper. She’s a really good keeper. And the four in the back are really good,” Marian coach Barry Brodsky said. “Just for whatever reason, we couldn’t get that last little inch it takes to get it into the goal. I thought we were going to get it the first 30 seconds of the game. Sometimes when you don’t get that goal you think you should, that’s the game right there.”
Gull Lake didn’t get its goal until 3:56 into the first overtime. Sophomore forward Amanda Pavletic, who had 15 goals this season although she wasn’t a starter, found the back of the net and sent the Blue Devils’ supporters into a frenzy.
Like it had in a 1-0 overtime Semifinal win over Spring Lake in the Semifinal, Gull Lake’s defense held strong over the final 16 minutes to secure the win.
“We worked really hard in the preseason, and we knew what we were capable of doing this year,” Corstange said. “All that hard work and determination ... this goes to show we can battle with anybody, being a small school. We welcome the battle. We have a lot of talent out there.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Gull Lake freshman Kenzie Harney (11) battles with a Bloomfield Hills Marian player for possession during Saturday’s Division 2 Final. (Middle) Marian sophomore Kelly Sweeney (11) pushes the ball past the outstretched foot of Gull Lake’s Olivia Sullivan. (Click to see more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Preview: Ramping Up for Rematches
June 14, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend will feature a first-time scenario in MHSAA girls soccer, and one certainly rare in any sport at any level:
The Division 2, 3 and 4 championships games Friday or Saturday at Williamston High School will be rematches of the same Finals from 2017. Grand Blanc is back in Division 1 and has a rematch ahead as well – against Novi, which followed the Bobcats in league play earlier this spring.
Following is this weekend’s schedule:
Division 1 - Friday - 4 p.m.
Grand Blanc vs. Novi
Division 2 - Saturday - 4 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
Division 3 - Saturday - 1 p.m.
Flint Powers Catholic vs. Freeland
Division 4 - Friday - 1 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Lansing Christian
Tickets cost $8. Radio broadcasts of all games can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All games will be streamed live online at MHSAA.TV and viewable on subscription basis.
All statistics below are through Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
GRAND BLANC
Record/rank: 27-1, No. 4
Coach: Greg Kehler, 20th season (326-88-57)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold
Championship history: Three runner-up finishes (most recent 2017).
Players to watch: Paige Webber, jr. F (33 goals, 15 assists); Faith Webber, soph. F (25 goals, 17 assists); Madison McKay, jr. GK (0.38 goals-against average, 18 shutouts); Ashton Cassell, sr. M (15 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Grand Blanc will play in its second championship game in three seasons, its only defeat this spring coming early to No. 2 Brighton. The Bobcats have yet to give up a postseason goal after six games including wins over No. 8 Midland and No. 18 Rochester Adams. Cassell and Paige Webber have been named to the all-state first team, Faith Webber made the second, McKay, senior mid Morgan Metzger (8 goals/15 assists) and junior mid Allyson Childers (2/8) made the third and senior defenders Morgan Jewell and Lara Wheeler earned honorable mentions. Sophomore forward Jenna Blackburn added another 16 goals and 10 assists heading into the week.
NOVI
Record/rank: 18-5-1, No. 6
Coach: Todd Pheiffer, fourth season (56-17-4)
League finish: Third in KLAA Gold
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2011).
Players to watch: Avery Fenchel, soph. F (20 goals, 9 assists); Jessie Bandyk, jr. M (12 goals/10 assists); Callie Rich, sr. GK (0.98 GAA, 11 shutouts); Emmie Takada, sr. M (4 goals, 1 assist).
Outlook: After finishing third in the same league as Grand Blanc, Novi went on to win its second Regional in three seasons. The Wildcats eliminated No. 14 Northville, No. 15 Saline and No. 20 Canton on the way to this championship game. Bandyk, Fenchel and Rich all have been named to the all-state first team, while Takada, junior defender Lauren Calhoun and freshman defender Eva Burns earned honorable mentions. Junior forward Julia Stadtherr is another valuable scorer, tallying 14 goals heading into this week.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 21-0-1, No. 1
Coach: Barry Brodsky, 17th season (317-26-36)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jansen Eichenlaub, jr. F (31 goals, 10 assists); Annie Bruce, sr. M (15 goals, 8 assists); Claudia Schilling, sr. M (9 goals, 21 assists); Sara Stroud, jr. M (3 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Marian earned its first championship since 2012 last season to move into third alone for most titles in MHSAA girls soccer history. The Mustangs have given up only nine goals and just one over six postseason games while facing No. 4 DeWitt and No. 9 Trenton among others. Bruce, Eichenlaub and Schilling have been named to the all-state first team, while Stroud made the second, junior defender Neve Badalow the third and sophomore forward Chloe Aberlarde (14 goals, 10 assists) and senior defender Emme DeConinck earned honorable mentions. Freshman Maria Askounis added 10 goals and nine assists entering the week.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
Record/rank: 19-5, No. 3
Coach: Daniel Siminski, fifth season (87-16-10)
League finish: Second in Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Championship history: Three runner-up finishes (most recent 2017).
Players to watch: Elyse DeSchryver, soph. M/F (17 goals, 3 assists); Addie Brown, soph. M (13 goals, 19 assists); Credence White, sr. M (9 goals, 2 assists); Sophia Terzes, sr. M (4 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: Forest Hills Northern is aiming for its first championship after finishing runner-up the last two years, and with a few of last season’s standouts setting the pace again. Brown led the team in goals in 2017 and has been named to the all-state second team this season, while DeSchryver made the third team. Terzes also is a past all-stater. After winning the Regional Final in a shootout against Spring Lake, FHN downed No. 2 Richland Gull Lake in overtime in the Semifinal. The Rangers also eliminated No. 7 Lowell, No. 8 Ada Forest Hills Eastern and No. 18 Middleville Thornapple Kellogg during this run.
Division 3
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 22-1-3, No. 1
Coach: Art Moody, 11th season (207-41-20)
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League.
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2017), six runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Sophie Bubnar, sr. F (23 goals, 31 assists); Rachel Rasins, jr. F (35 goals, 16 assists), Madeline Cardinal, sr. M (11 goals, 20 assists); Natalie Deitering, soph. GK (0.79 GAA, 15 shutouts).
Outlook: Powers will play in its third straight championship game after winning its first title last season since 2011. The Chargers have 19 shutouts and haven’t given up a goal during the postseason while averaging more than six goals per playoff game. They’ve defeated No. 6 Warren Regina, No. 9 Montrose, No. 10 Birch Run and No. 11 Williamston along the way. Bubnar, Cardinal and Raisins made the all-state first team, while Deitering and freshman defender Kate Cardinal made the second team, junior midfielder Camryn Murlick (7 goals, 7 assists) made the third and junior Dominique Amato (17 goals, 12 assists) earned an honorable mention. Junior forward Kennedy Myers added 13 goals and 10 assists heading into the week; she and Amato are high-scoring subs.
FREELAND
Record/rank: 22-4, No. 18
Coach: Lauren Kemerer, fifth season (103-12-4)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference Central.
Championship history: Division 3 runner-up 2017.
Players to watch: Mackenzie Stroebel, sr. F (30 goals, 10 assists); Autumn Kloha, jr. F (26 goals, 13 assists); Kayler Radaz, sr. M (11 goals, 7 assists); Erin Tyson, jr. M (15 goals, 14 assists).
Outlook: Freeland cruised through most of its first five postseason games without giving up a goal, then allowed one in upsetting No. 4 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the Semifinal. A number of this season’s top contributors helped the Falcons to their first MHSAA championship game a year ago. Kloha and Stroebel have been named all-state first team, while Radaz and Tyson earned honorable mentions. Junior Madeline Boyes (16 goals, 3 assists) fills out a group of talented forwards, while junior Emerson Lynch (11 goals, 10 assists) comes off the bench to supply the midfield.
Division 4
KALAMAZOO CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 18-2-5, No. 3
Coach: Jay Allen, fourth season (91-15-11)
League finish: Tied for first in Southwestern Athletic Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2008), Division 4 runner-up 2017.
Players to watch: Kayla Beebe, jr. F; Lauryn Mohney, soph. M; Elise VanSparrentak, jr. D; Emma Bertrand, jr. M. (Statistics not submitted).
Outlook: Kalamazoo Christian returned to the championship round last season for the first time since winning Division 4 in 2008, and Beebe is back after also helping that team to the season’s final day. She made the all-state first team this spring, while Mohney made the second, VanSparrentak the third and Bertrand and sophomore keeper Jenna Blackwell earned honorable mentions. Kalamazoo Christian was one of the few to score this season on top-ranked North Muskegon, going on to win a Semifinal shootout to advance, and the Comets also beat No. 6 Kalamazoo Hackett during this tournament run.
LANSING CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 18-3-2, No. 2
Coach: Joel Vande Kopple, 12th season (189-49-15)
League finish: First in Greater Lansing Activities Conference.
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2017, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Kasey Jamieson, jr. F (53 goals, 18 assists); Jenna Li, sr. M (17 goals, 21 assists); Kealeigh Usiak, jr. D (3 goals, 1 assist); Lynn Cullens, sr. GK (0.73 GAA, 15 shutouts).
Outlook: The Pilgrims broke through for their first championship last season and have made at least the Semifinals five straight seasons. Jamieson will finish among the leading scorers in MHSAA history and made the all-state first team with Li and Cullens. Usiak made the second team, and junior midfielder Eliza Lewis earned an honorable mention. Lansing Christian shut out No. 7 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in a Semifinal, its fifth shutout in five tournament games while also defeating No. 5 Manchester and No. 18 Dansville among others.
PHOTO: Lansing Christian’s Kasey Jamieson (11) moves the ball upfield during last season’s Division 4 Final against Kalamazoo Christian.