Suttons Bay Goals, Assists Record-Setter U'Ren Savoring Memories from Every Season
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
June 12, 2026
Megan U’Ren knows full well there’s no guarantee the best-played soccer ball for a scoring chance will find the back of the net.
Her perspective comes from being the passer and shooter the past four years for Suttons Bay High School.
“Goals and assists are almost equally as hard because you can set someone up perfectly and then they miss,” U’Ren said. “And then even my scoring chance … if I got set up perfectly … everyone misses.”
Enough perfect-like passes were finished though — to and from U’Ren. She just finished her career as the leading goal scorer in the school’s history as well as with the most assists ever recorded. U’Ren, who plans to attend Michigan State University in the fall, gives the lion’s share of credit to her teammates for the records.
“I wasn't really expecting to break any records,” U’Ren pointed out. “You can't really score without someone assisting you and then to get all these assists, my teammates had to score goals.”
While leading the Norse to a 13-5-1 record this spring, U’Ren toppled the marks of Sydney Deadman for career goals and Lauren Lints for career assists. She had already set the single-season assists school record a few seasons earlier, surpassing Paige Kohler.
U’Ren quite possibly would have walked away with the single-season scoring record this year too, but the Norse saw six regular-season games cancelled due to Northern Michigan’s rather miserable spring weather. She finished her shortened senior season with 17 goals and six assists.
But it’s not necessarily the goals or the assists headlining U’Ren’s legacy.
“I am proud, as a dad and a coach, to see somebody from a young age take something serious, and be willing to put hours and hours of work into it … lifting weights, going to the field on her own shooting balls and stuff,” recalled her coach and father Randy U’Ren. “The girls see it. They see what happens when you put in a lot of work.”
The graduating senior U’Ren has been around Suttons Bay soccer since her dad returned to coaching high school. Under Coach U’Ren, the Norsemen’s boys soccer teams picked up District and Regional titles on a pretty regular basis.
“Megan was a great example of you put in the work, good things are bound to happen,” Randy U’Ren said. “This girl has been working with that level for many years.”
With opponents like Leland, Elk Rapids and Harbor Springs often in the Suttons Bay’s District bracket, the record holder wasn’t able to experience the postseason runs the boys had under coach U’Ren.
Leland also was a thorn to the Norse in the Northwest Conference, winning the title all four of Megan’s playing years.
“Winning Districts was always a goal, but our District has been hard,” admitted U’Ren, an all-conference player again this season. “Every single year we had teams like Harbor Springs in it.”
The Norse fell to Harbor this season in the District Semifinals on the Rams’ home field, 3-0. The Rams went on to advance to the Division 4 Final being played today at Michigan State University.
The Suttons Bay coach pointed out the assists and scoring records are more of a reflection on all the players he’s coached the last four seasons, not just his daughter.
“It’s a testament to the whole program when you have any records that come,” Randy U’Ren said, noting he’s never focused much on individual stats. “It's more like if the team is doing well, the other stuff follows. It's kind of like in business too. If you do the right things in your business, then the money will come.”
Megan U’Ren, who hopes to play college club soccer, looks back at her freshman year as her high school favorite.
“Every year was special,” she said. “But my freshman year was my favorite, getting to play with Dani, my oldest sister.”
And Megan leaves with fond memories of all four years.
“The sophomore year … breaking the assist record, and having Lauren (Lint) — that duo — was special,” she recalled. “Junior year it was seeing that the records were reachable and possible. And then, senior year breaking the records and just graduating with all of my teammates who have played club with me for so many years.”
Winning was a bigger priority than records for both U’Rens.
“I liked doing whatever the team needed and working as hard as I can to help the team succeed,” Megan U’Ren said. “But scoring was really fun, especially in the harder games.”
U’Ren broke Deadman’s record late in this season, scoring two in a win over Kalkaska. The game was stopped as center referee Ed O’Brien delivered game ball to school officials for presentation to U’Ren after the game.
“It was an honor to be asked to remove the ball if she got the record,” O’Brien said, noting he’s never done anything like it in his 25 years of refereeing high school soccer. “Number 10 is such a great player, and she could have scored more. She gave up chances prior, choosing to pass the ball instead.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Suttons Bay’s Megan U’Ren (10) works against a pair of Leland defenders this season. (Middle) Megan U’Ren, right, and her father and coach Randy. (Below) U’Ren creates space during another game this spring. (Top photo courtesy of the Leelanau Enterprise. Family and Glen Lake photo by Trudy Galla Photography.)
Middleville T-K Aims to Make Playoff Splash
May 30, 2017
By Dean Holzwarth
Special for Second Half
MIDDLEVILLE – When talking about perennial girls soccer powerhouses in the Grand Rapids area, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg might not be the first that comes to mind.
However, the rural school located south of the big city is beginning to make a name for itself on the pitch.
With a dramatic double-overtime win over Ada Forest Hills Eastern last week, the Trojans clinched a share of their third straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold championship.
Before that current three-year run in conference play, Middleville T-K had won only one conference title in school history.
The Trojans enter District play this afternoon with a sparkling 15-2-1 record and ranked No. 9 in Division 2.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get the publicity other teams do, but that’s OK,” seventh-year Trojans coach Joel Strickland said. “We are comfortable with who we are and I think we’re starting to get recognized a little, but maybe as not as much as I think they deserve.”
While winning conference titles has been satisfying, Strickland said postseason success is the key to gaining recognition.
“To win three in a row has been huge, but the next goal is we have to do some damage in the postseason to earn that respect,” he said. “We haven’t won a District title yet. That’s the next step for us.”
The Trojans will face a challenge in their District opener as they host No. 5 Richland Gull Lake, which won three straight MHSAA Division 2 Finals from 2013-15.
This year’s T-K squad includes five talented seniors, four who have committed to play at the college level, and they are confident in their abilities to pull off the upset.
“We would love to win Districts, and as a senior this is my last chance,” said Middleville T-K senior keeper Maddie Hutchins, who helped her team post 12 shutouts this season.
“No one is expecting us to win this game, but I feel like we have a real chance. It would be amazing if we could knock them out in the first round of Districts. I feel like if we’re going to do it, then this is the year. We have the talent, and as long as we play together then I think we’re pretty unstoppable. Don’t underestimate us.”
Another senior, Allexus Barnes, said winning in a District would help in their quest to gain more respect in the area.
“We’ve really grown as a team this year and we’re getting our name out there,” she said. “We’re showing people how strong we are. We have the conference titles, but I think we’re ready for that next step and I hope we can do it this year.”
The Trojans opened the season with a 4-0 loss to Grandville, but since have been on a tear. They’ve allowed only five more goals after those first four, bolstered by the play of Hutchins in net and an improved defense.
After graduating 10 from a year ago, including standout keeper Aly Miller and seven other starters, it took them a while to create their own identity.
“The first game was a little rough, but I think a lot of it was figuring out the communication issues that we may have had because we lost of a lot of senior defenders from last year,” Hutchins said. “After that, we’ve really stepped up and played as a unit and we’ve improved drastically. We’re playing really well in the back right now.”
Other senior contributors have been forward Alyvia Thorne and defenders Taylor Pratt and Breana Bouchard.
This year’s group is just as successful off the field. The squad has a cumulative grade point average of 4.03, and 12 players boast a 4.0 or higher grade point average.
Strickland expresses the importance of being well-rounded individuals who come together for the betterment of the team and the community.
“It’s about the team concept,” he said. “Understanding that it’s not about any individual. It’s about doing it together and doing it the right way. Just making sure it is bigger than just soccer. Doing well in the classroom, integrity and sportsmanship are big parts of the foundation of who we are as a program, and that winning comes with their hard work and putting in the effort out of the season.”
Many of the past and present players have competed together in the local travel Thornapple Area Soccer Club. It has become an avenue for girls to develop and hone their skills.
“That’s been a big part of our success as well,” Strickland said. “It’s an affordable club for kids who can’t afford to play at Midwest United or clubs like that. That has helped us, but this year’s team is a collaboration from all over.”
Many of the girls on the roster also play multiple sports.
“Being a smaller school, you need to have multi-sport athletes and I think that also helps them,” Strickland said. “It helps them work on different concepts. and they don’t get burned out in soccer. Having a break and playing something different is a good thing.”
A close-knit bond also has enabled the team to enjoy the experience.
“I think our camaraderie is awesome, and that’s the best part of our team,” Barnes said. “We all mesh really well together, and it has helped us a lot and brought us success.”
PHOTO: (Top) Middleville Thornapple Kellogg defender Breanna Bouchard (7) works to maintain possession. (Middle) Alyvia Thorne prepares to launch a kick during a game this season. (Photos by Marc Hutchins.)