Gull Lake Stands Tall Again After Shootout
June 12, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – The final kicks of 2015 came down to gut feelings for Richland Gull Lake goalkeeper Regan Troff.
She closed her eyes and said a prayer. And then she made saves that extended one of the most impressive championship runs in MHSAA girls soccer history.
After 100 minutes of scoreless play Friday, this season’s Division 2 Final came down to a shootout between two-time reigning champion Gull Lake and Fenton – which was seeking its first MHSAA title in any sport since winning in softball in 1993.
Troff, the team’s first-year starting keeper, considered how her team would react if she succeeded or failed – before saving two of three Fenton kicks as the Blue Devils won the shootout 4-1 and the game 1-0 at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium.
“I was just thinking about how much I love my team,” Troff said. “There’s no better feeling than knowing you have a group of 24-something girls who love you no matter what, whether you mess up, don’t mess up or save the game. They’re always going to be there, and you always have them to fall back on.”
There wasn’t much falling down this spring as the Blue Devils finished 25-1-1 despite graduating a strong group of seniors after last season’s repeat. Gull Lake became the eighth team to win at least three straight MHSAA girls soccer championships (and sixth program; Madison Heights Bishop Foley won three straight on three occasions.).
Troff replaced one of those graduated stars, keeper Maggie Harma, who had 18 shutouts during both the 2013 and 2014 seasons and played in net as a freshman at Wayne State University.
Troff spent part of Thursday’s practice talking with Harma and listening to her mentor’s final words of advice. They didn’t specifically come to mind as Friday’s game went to the shootout. But the theme was the same.
“She just told me to play with all of my heart, no matter what,” Troff said. “And whatever happens, just leave it all on the field because at the end of the day – if you win, or if you lose – you’re still a family no matter what.”
The teams had combined for 37 shots during 100 minutes of play and with each missing on a handful of scoring opportunities.
Troff had five saves and Fenton sophomore Abigail Quesnelle had 10 during regulation. The crossbars could’ve been credited with a few as well.
Gull Lake had won a shootout in the Regional Semifinal, as Troff had two key saves that allowed the Blue Devils to come back from two penalty kicks down and beat Mason.
This time, coach Jeff Corstange reminded his keeper to be patient, make her guess and go with it.
Gull Lake kicked first in the shootout, and senior Hannah Phommavongsa scored. Fenton’s first shot was saved by Troff, and Gull Lake junior Maddie Fouts sent her shot low into the net to make it 2-0. Junior Chloe Foor then scored to pull Fenton within 2-1.
But Gull Lake senior Hayley Buckhout made it 3-1, Troff saved Fenton’s next kick, and senior Annie Walbridge clinched it by connecting on the Blue Devils’ fourth penalty shot.
“Keepers tell you all the time that, oh, they can tell or you can guess it. To a certain extent you can, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Troff said. “You’re going with that gut feeling that you have, and that’s what I do, and just hope for the best.”
“You never want to lose on PKs,” Corstange added. “I talked to their goalie afterward; she played a tremendous game. And I told her that it’s not the way anyone wants to go out, and I apologized to her. PKs are never fun.”
Regardless of the loss, it was a historic run for Fenton (15-5-3). The Tigers advanced to the championship game for the first time after making the Semifinals for the third time in seven seasons.
Just a few inches here and there kept them from instead leaving with their first championship trophy. But they did finish with 11 wins over their final 13 games.
“It’s the way they play. There’s not a team that played harder than us all year,” said Fenton coach Matt Sullivan, who finished his 11th season. “The way these girls treat each other is just so special. I’ve been coaching for a long time, and I’ve never been around anything like this.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Gull Lake players celebrate after a score during Friday’s shootout. (Middle) Fenton’s Brianna Costigan (20) pushes the ball ahead with Kenzie Harney (11) among those defending.
Wilk Inspires - Again - as 2nd Injury Comeback Helps Spark Historic Midland Run
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
May 28, 2025
The physical feeling of tearing her ACL was familiar to Theresa Wilk.
She tore the ligament in her right knee while playing soccer not long before starting her freshman year at Midland. So, when she suffered the same injury, to the same knee, in the same fashion, during the District Final her sophomore year, there was little doubt in her mind what had happened.
What was unfamiliar, however, was the feeling that came along with it.
“As soon as I felt the buckle, I knew,” Wilk said. “Honestly, I didn’t think I would ever come back to soccer. I really wanted to quit everything. I didn’t want to go out and see people. It was definitely a lot harder than the first time around. The first time, I was able to think, ‘I still have three more years after this.’”
Those injuries cost Wilk two full high school seasons, but not, as she had feared, her career. After a second long rehabilitation process, and nearly two full years away from the field, she’s back in the Chemics’ midfield and has helped lead her team to a 19-0 record heading into Friday night’s Division 1 District Final against Midland Dow.
It’s a comeback that required special types of resilience and determination – and anyone who has watched Wilk play is well aware she possesses both.
“It’s unbelievable, for the size of her, how much of a scrapper she is,” Midland coach Rico Barassi said. “She’s great at stealing balls. She will see the player, and they’ll try to shield the ball, and she’ll just take it, then the other player will push her and we’ll get a foul. It’s uncanny. She also sees the field very well and is very unselfish. She’s very often the assist behind the assist. But with Theresa, you just let her float on the field. She always finds the ball and finds the player. She will chase somebody down. She could be on the 18 (yard box) on the other side of the field, and she will chase a player down.”
Barassi has always seen the potential in Wilk, so much so that despite her suffering her first injury seven months prior to what would have been her freshman season, he saved her No. 20 jersey and a spot for her on the varsity team.
Saving a jersey and spot is something Barassi said he does for all players on his team when they suffer a serious injury, but it’s still a massive statement for a freshman who has yet to play a high school game, and one that meant a lot to Wilk.
“That was the biggest part – I had my number, he gave me a jersey, a bag and everything,” Wilk said. “He told me that in my sophomore year, when you’re ready, you have a spot on the team. That really pushed me through.”
Wilk was one of several freshmen to earn a spot on the varsity team their first year, as nine were brought up and made an immediate impact. That year, while Wilk served as a team manager, the Chemics finished 7-7-4 – and Barassi knew the future was bright.
“I thought they’re small, they’re little, but they’re very good,” Barassi said. “Wait until they get to be juniors and seniors, they’re going to make history.”
The following two seasons resulted in District titles for Midland, including with a shootout victory over Dow in 2023.
Wilk’s second ACL tear came during the second overtime of that game, on a cross she played with her left foot. The familiar buckle was enough to tell her what had happened, even if the initial MRI results were inconclusive.
Due to her familiarity with the injury, Wilk said she recovered more quickly the second time. She was even given clearance to return to action in March of her junior year. But knowing that she still had a ways to go to build up her strength and be the player she was capable of being, she decided to keep working on her recovery and sit out last season.
Once again, her spot and her number were safe, and she served as a team manager while the Chemics went 16-2-3, claimed a second-straight District title and advanced to the Regional Final where they lost 3-2 to eventual Finals champion Spring Lake.
Watching it all happen without being on the field was difficult for Wilk, but the support system around her helped get her through.
“I think the biggest thing was they didn’t treat me any differently than if I wasn’t injured,” she said. “My family still had me do my chores, they let me be independent and only came (to help) if I asked. Same as my team, they didn’t constantly bring it up and talk about it, or be like, ‘Oh man, that’s really sad.’ I think they knew I didn’t want that. Everyone was so amazing and nice, and I didn’t ever feel like I wasn’t part of the team.”
On March 19 of this year, Wilk returned to the field for the Chemics in a 2-1 win against Grand Ledge. She admits there’s a bit of a difference in how she plays, and that she isn’t always as aggressive as she used to be. But her game has evolved, and while she continues to be a defensive force in the midfield, her ability as a passer has shined through, leading her to first-team all-Saginaw Valley League honors.
It also helped her to feel like her return to action was complete.
“The biggest moment for me that was like, ‘I’m back,’ was during the Dow game (April 28) when I had an assist to Alahna Beckett,” Wilk said. “She scored our second goal, and that got us up a little bit and we got the momentum. That was a really big moment where I was proud of myself. That’s when I felt I was fully back.”
This past week, Wilk graduated summa cum laude from Midland, and she will attend Grand Valley State University in the fall, where she plans to study nursing.
“I think that I kind of knew before my experience that I wanted to do healthcare,” she said. “But my experience set in stone what I wanted to do.”
Before she leaves for Allendale, there’s more work to be done on the soccer field, starting with Friday night’s match against Dow which will be a bit of a full-circle moment for Wilk.
As it approaches, though, she’s more focused on what she and her teammates have been able to accomplish together, and what could still be ahead.
“I’m really proud of the team,” she said. “I’ve known all these girls basically my whole life, and seeing us all grow up together and all accomplishing this amazing task together is wonderful to see. I think we can (make a postseason run), we just have to play our style and continue doing what we do, and work together. We have an amazing connection on the team, and I feel like it really shows on the field.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Midland's Theresa Wilk (20) and her teammates celebrate during a game this season. (Middle) Wilk takes a quick photo from her hospital bed after her second ACL tear. (Below) Wilk, left, shares a positive moment during physical therapy. (Soccer photo provided by the Midland athletic department; hospital and therapy photos courtesy of the Wilk family.)