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Harbor Springs players celebrate during Friday’s Division 4 championship win at DeMartin Stadium.

Harbor Springs Strikes Early, Shuts Down Shrine to Claim 1st Finals Title

By Brian Freiberger 
Special for MHSAA.com

June 12, 2026

EAST LANSING – Harbor Springs returned to an MHSAA girls soccer championship game Friday for the first time since finishing Division 4 runner-up in 2001.

The Rams departed with their first Finals title after a marvelous 2-0 win over Royal Oak Shrine Catholic at DeMartin Stadium.

"This is incredible and I'm proud of the team," Harbor Springs junior Stefi Reskevics said. "From the start of the season we knew that we had to do something great." 

Shrine got out on the front foot to start, but eventually, the Rams would find their rhythm after the 10-minute mark. 

Nearly halfway through the first half, Harbor Springs senior Sophie Barnadyn flipped the field and found a wide-open Reskevics for a couple of touches and a rocket from outside the box that passed the Knights goalkeeper.

Harbor Springs’ Meme Animikwam (13) and Shrine’s Samantha Donley make contact with the ball at the same time. The Rams had many chances throughout the first half, but most of those opportunities were turned away by Shrine junior defender Maddie Malkowski. 

Harbor Springs would go into the break with a sizeable control on the time of possession and shots on goal. 

"This puts Harbor Springs on the map, and this program has been very successful since 2001," Harbor Springs coach Aaron Riley said. "I'm glad that we won it for that team. The ladies appreciate the community support."

Both teams would go back and forth throughout the start of the second half. 

Shrine came out strong again, but the Rams turned away multiple chances. 

Both teams battled in the midfield until Reskevics was injured at midfield halfway through the period. 

Harbor Springs senior Lizzie Bassett received a free kick after the injury that turned into a breakaway and a penalty kick after the goalkeeper committed a foul inside of the box. 

Bassett managed to find the net with a low left-side shot to give the Rams a commanding 2-0 lead. 

"It's crazy that we made school history. This is the best team that we could have done it with. We worked really hard all season, and I'm just proud of everyone that we accomplished our goal," she said.

Shrine would have multiple opportunities throughout the rest of the game but couldn't find the back of the net thanks to great play from sophomore goalkeeper Lillian McShannock to complete the shutout.

Donley (9) battles the Rams’ Addison Zulski (14) for possession.  The goal for the Rams (20-1-2) was to slow down Shrine sophomore Julia Kraemer, who led the Knights in goals this season. Lilly Barnadyn and Makenna Brey led the defense.

The Knights ended their season with an 11-9-2 record.

"We played really well despite the score. We had a wide-open shot in the first five minutes and didn't put it away," Shrine coach Mark Soma said. "We did everything we wanted to do as a group, and as a team you can't complain about that. Sometimes you just lose games because the team gets one or two more opportunities than you do.

Harbor Springs did a good job and scored when they needed to. ... It just seemed it was one of those days where they weren't going in. ... We played a great game, and the girls should be proud." 

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PHOTOS (Top) Harbor Springs players celebrate during Friday’s Division 4 championship win at DeMartin Stadium. (Middle) Harbor Springs’ Meme Animikwam (13) and Shrine’s Samantha Donley make contact with the ball at the same time. (Below) ,Donley (9) battles the Rams’ Addison Zulski (14) for possession. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

High 5s: 6/12/12

June 14, 2012

A few thousand teams began this spring on MHSAA fields and courts. Heading into the final weekend of the 2011-12 school year, that number is down to 100 and change.

Each week, Second Half gives "High 5s" to athletes and a team based on their accomplishments the previous week or throughout the season. Below are an athlete and team who will be looking to finish this season with one last win.

Josh Vyletel
Howell senior
Pitcher

Vyletel threw a complete-game no-hitter as Howell beat rival Brighton 4-3 in a Division 1 Quarterfinal on Tuesday to advance to the MHSAA Semifinals for the first time. Vyletel improved to 15-2 this spring, which ties him for 10th in the MHSAA record book for most wins in one season. He’ll take the ball again Friday for the Highlanders against Warren DeLaSalle at Battle Creek’s Bailey Park.

My kind of pitcher: “I want to be a pitcher that’s a go-to guy. I always want to be consistent. I know how to throw strikes; I don’t walk too many batters. I know if I get it over the plate, good things will happen. I’m not really the kind of pitcher that will blow it by you. My game is hitting the corners and such, and when I do it pretty well and locate my pitches, I believe in myself.”

He winds up and delivers: “My fastball moves by itself, and I usually keep them off-balance with the curve. My fastball and curveball I can locate the best.”

No. 1 highlight: “Against Brighton, the last game we played. It was crazy. There was a big crowd, and every pitch the parents and students were just going out cheering. It got my adrenaline going.”

I learned the most about baseball from: “My dad (John) has always been there for me. He’s always backing me up on baseball. He was never a great baseball player, but he says if you believe in yourself you can go far in life. He taught me to believe in myself.”

Up next: Vyletel will attend Lansing Community College beginning this fall and join the Stars’ baseball team. 

Grandville Calvin Christian girls soccer

Calvin Christian will play for its first MHSAA championship Saturday at Michigan State University. Last weekend, the Squires (24-2-1) knocked out two ranked teams in last week’s Division 4 Regional – first No. 8 St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 7-0 and then No. 2 Kalamazoo Christian 7-2. The Squires entered the postseason ranked No. 4.

This spring's previous honorees