Preview: Several of History's Best Back to Make More, New Contenders Seek to Join Them
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 11, 2026
An impressive sampling of MHSAA girls soccer history's championship leaders will be finishing the 2026 seasons this weekend at Michigan State’s DeMartin Stadium.
The most titanic matchup of this Finals weekend may be in Division 2, where 13-time champion Hudsonville Unity Christian will face nine-time champion Bloomfield Hills Marian in the season’s final match Saturday afternoon. They rank first and third, respectively, in Finals titles in this sport.
Detroit Country Day is making its 12th trip to a championship match, Troy is making its eighth and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic will be playing in its fourth.
On the other side are Rockford, Grand Rapids West Catholic and Harbor Springs, all seeking their first championship in this sport.
Following is this weekend’s schedule at Michigan State University:
Division 1 - Friday - 4 p.m.
Troy vs. Rockford
Division 2 - Saturday - 4 p.m.
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian
Division 3 - Saturday - 1 p.m.
Detroit Country Day vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic
Division 4 - Friday - 1 p.m.
Royal Oak Shrine Catholic vs. Harbor Springs
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. One ticket is good for all soccer, softball and baseball games at MSU’s Old College Field that day. All four Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv.
Below is a glance at all eight contenders, with statistics through Regionals:
Division 1
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 21-2, No. 10
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Stu Quackenbush, sixth season (72-15-13)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Audrey Muterspaugh, sr. F (10 goals, 22 assists); Grace Young, sr. D (6 goals, 4 assists); Laney Carlson, sr. M (9 goals, 7 assists); Sawyer Lenon, sr. M (8 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: Rockford has followed up its first Regional championship with its first trip to the Finals and built toward this over the last three seasons with a third-straight league title and second-straight District championship kicking off this run. Carlson, Lenon, Muterspaugh and Young all earned all-state honorable mentions last season and make up part of an overall balanced lineup. Ten players had scored between 5-10 goals entering this week, including as well seniors Reese Petack (10 goals, 7 assists) and Sydney DeKuiper (10/4). Senior keeper Kaia Slanger entered the week with nine shutouts and a 0.41 goals-against average while splitting time in net.
TROY
Record/rank: 17-3-2, No. 8
League finish: Third in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Tony Casali, first season (17-3-2)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Olivia Jasniewicz, sr. F (13 goals, 11 assists); Sabrina Gaul, sr. F (15 goals, 7 assists); Emma Rozek, sr. D (1 goal, 3 assists); Maren Swan, sr. M (7 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: This will be Troy’s first Final since its most recent championship season, and the Colts earned it in part with wins over No. 3 Rochester Adams and No. 13 Troy Athens along the way. Casali took over the program this year after leading Sterling Heights Stevenson to a league title in 2025, and Troy is seven wins better this spring than last. Jasniewicz made the all-state first team last season, and Rozek and Gaul earned honorable mentions. Senior Kennedy Brudenell and junior Kiera Gallihugh have combined in goal to give up fewer than one per game.
Division 2
BLOOMFIELD HILLS MARIAN
Record/rank: 21-2, No. 3
League finish: First in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Danny Price, third season (52-9-4)
Championship history: Nine MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), five runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Clair Dauer, sr. CM (10 goals, 4 assists), Leah Nalichowski, jr. F (28 goals, 15 assists); Nia Bordogna, jr. M (10 goals, 21 assists); Emma Wyciskalla, soph. F (20 goals, 10 assists);
Outlook: Marian has finished runner-up twice, in 2022 and 2024, since winning its most recent championship, and the Mustangs enter this decider having won its first five postseason games by a combined score of 26-2. That run has included defeating No. 5 DeWitt, No. 10 New Boston Huron and No. 13 Waterford Kettering. Bordogna and Dauer both made the all-state first team last season, while sophomore keeper Olivia Bussa (0.26 goals-against average) and Wyciskalla earned honorable mentions.
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 23-0, No. 1
League finish: First in O-K Black
Coach: Randy Heethuis, 37th season (687-105-44)
Championship history: Thirteen MHSAA titles (most recent 2025), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Ava Steen, sr. D (6 goals, 5 assists); Addison Pell, sr. M (7 goals, 2 assists); Kyla Kobrzycki, jr. M/F (18 goals, 23 assists); Tessa Ponstein, sr. F (21 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Unity Christian is pursuing a fourth-straight Finals championship – which would tie for the second-longest streak behind its record six straight from 2005-10. The Crusaders also haven’t lost a game since May 22, 2024, a run of 54 without a defeat and only three ties among them. A shutout of Marian would also give Unity a fourth-straight playoffs without giving up a goal. Steen made the all-state first team last year, Kobrzycki and Ponstein made the second and Pell earned an honorable mention. Sophomore Olivia Walters had added 11 goals and 10 assists entering the week, and senior keeper Payton Barendsen has given up only one goal all season.
Division 3
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 13-4-3, No. 3
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Coach: Laura Hamway, 11th season (113-58-19)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), five runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jenna Shaban, sr.; Megan Mateer, jr.; Charlotte Hartley, jr.; Georgia Hopkins, jr.; Julia Goetz, jr. (No positions or statistics provided.)
Outlook: Country Day defeated top-ranked Goodrich 1-0 in their Semifinal to advance to Finals weekend for the first time since 2021. The Yellowjackets have given up only one goal over five playoff games and have shutouts in seven of their last nine overall. Shaban and Mateer made the all-state first team last season, and Hartley, Hopkins and Goetz earned honorable mentions.
GRAND RAPIDS WEST CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 18-5-2, No. 7
League finish: Third in O-K Gold.
Coach: Ryan Smith, seventh season (74-44-16)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Katelyn Adams, sr. GK (0.72 goals-against average, 12 shutouts); Lexy Druelle, fr. M (13 goals, 14 assists); Hadley Giradot, jr. M (8 goals, 13 assists); Kenley Slanger, soph. F (34 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: West Catholic won its first Regional title as well this spring and got here with wins over No. 2 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, No. 5 Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy and No. 10 Traverse City St. Francis. It’s also been a great jump off last season’s 8-9-4 finish. Slanger made the all-state second team last spring and Adams earned an honorable mention, and they’ve played major parts in the Falcons taking that big step. Junior Avery Dusseau (10 goals/3 assists) is another top scorer.
Division 4
HARBOR SPRINGS
Record/rank: 19-1-1, No. 9
League finish: First in Northern Shores Conference
Coach: Aaron Riley, 11th season (122-74-12)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2001.
Players to watch: Stefi Reskevics, jr. F (25 goals, 8 assists); Fran Warren, sr. M; Maeve Riley, fr. F (16 goals, 19 assists); Lilly Barnadyn, sr. M (12 goals, 4 assists). (Limited statistics provided.)
Outlook: Harbor Springs is up to a combined 34-4-2 over the last two seasons and won its first Regional title since 2003. The Rams have defeated No. 7 Kalamazoo Christian and No. 13 Elk Rapids on the way, with their lone loss to Leland at the end of April. Reskevics made the all-state second team last season, and Warren earned an honorable mention. Warren also is one of only four senior starters.
ROYAL OAK SHRINE CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 11-8-3, No. 8
League finish: Sixth in CHSL AA
Coach: Mark Soma, 23rd season (record N/A)
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2019 and 2022, runner-up 2021.
Players to watch: Julia Kraemer, soph. F (27 goals, 9 assists); Leah Proctor, jr. M (6 goals, 12 assists): Rowan Armstrong, soph. F (7 goals, 5 assists); Jo Malcolm, jr. M (9 goals, 6 assists).
Outlook: After just a few years away, Shrine is back in East Lansing to play in its fourth championship game over the last seven seasons. Wins over No. 15 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian and No. 10 Schoolcraft were big along the way, but the best week of the run came when the Knights defeated No. 3 Bath and No. 2 Clarkston Everest Collegiate back-to-back in the Regional. Kraemer earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and senior Caitlin Wetzel is another playmaker in the midfield entering this week with one goal but 18 assists.
PHOTO Harbor Springs' Fran Warren makes a run upfield during her team's Division 4 Regional Final win over Ovid-Elsie. (Photo by Sarah Shepherd.)
Defense Dazzles as Adams Pulls Away for 1st Finals Victory Since 1999
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 14, 2024
EAST LANSING – Rochester Adams tentatively held onto a one-goal lead in the MHSAA Division 1 girls soccer championship match Friday at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium.
The Highlanders had chance after chance to distance themselves from Hartland, which was being stifled by sophomore goalkeeper Lexi Calcamuggio.
Junior Sadie Rogers had one of those chances, and whiffed on a shot. But she did find the net with 4:39 to play, and Adams went on to claim its third Finals championship with a 2-0 victory.
“My only thought was to help the team out as much as possible,’’ said Rogers, a junior. “I knew this season I was more of an assister. I had the chance, so I took it. I was definitely frustrated in the beginning that my chances weren’t going where I wanted them, but I just kept at it.’’
Adams (16-2-2) came into the Final seeking its first Division 1 championship since 1999. The Highlanders also won Class A in 1992, and its two runner-up finishes came during that decade as well.
Hartland (16-4-3) had won Division 1 as recently as 2021, and this spring finished first in the Kensington Lake Activities Association West with a 10-1-3 record while Adams was second in the Oakland Activities Association at 3-2-1.
Both teams missed on early scoring chances Friday until senior Adams Evelyn Kekhoua took a pass from Danielle Danko and scored with 23 minutes, 46 seconds on the clock to give their team a 1-0 lead.
“I felt we exploded after that,’’ said Kekhoua. “It built up the confidence.’’
With trouble getting the ball out of its own end, Hartland had few chances to tie the score during the first half. Early in the second, Calcamuggio made a spectacular save on a shot by Josie Cheyne to keep the Highlanders ahead.
“I’m so proud of our defense. They are like a brick wall out there,’’ said Calcamuggio. “I owe it to them; they did a good job.
“There was one side of the net open, so I knew where (Cheyne) was going. I tried to trust it and put my body against the ball and it hit me. My defense is so good, they kept everyone under wraps.’’
Calcamuggio entered this week with a 0.70 goals-against average and seven shutouts.
Danko also assisted on Rogers’ goal.
“On the first goal I saw Evelyn on my right, and I knew I could get a cross to her and I knew she could put it in. That’s where my target was. She came through,” Danko said. “The second one I drove down the line and cut it back, and Sadie was yelling ‘Danny, Danny.’ I passed it to her and she buried the second one. It gives you the cushion.’’
Said Adams coach Josh Hickey: “Danielle is such a special player.’’
PHOTOS (Top) Hartland’s Addie Frantti (14) and Adams’ Catherine Delikat contend for possession during Friday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Highlanders keeper Lexi Calcamuggio boots the ball.