Unexpected Becomes Elite As Hartland Makes History
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
June 19, 2021
EAST LANSING – Hartland wasn’t supposed to be in the Division 1 championship game.
And Julia Pietila wasn’t supposed to play.
So, naturally, it was Pietila – hobbling on a severely sprained left ankle which almost kept her out of the game altogether – who scored two goals as Hartland blanked Troy Athens, 4-0, in Saturday’s MHSAA Division 1 Girls Soccer Final.
“It was hurting, but it’s the state championship game,” explained Pietila, who scored the Eagles’ first and last goals in the weekend’s final game in calm, dry conditions at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Soccer Complex.
“It was now or never, so I just went with it. Once I got into the swing of things, I forgot about it.”
Hartland (20-4-1) had entered the postseason off a third-place league finish and ranked 23rd in Division 1 based on the Michigan Power Rating used to seed the top two teams at the District level.
But the Eagles seemingly forgot about all of that and the fact that it had never played in a girls soccer Finals game before, shutting out six of its seven postseason opponents.
The Eagles capped it Saturday by making Athens – No. 2 in final regular-season MPR – pay for its aggressiveness with an impressive counterattack, then cashing in on their opportunities.
It was an emotional win for veteran Hartland coach Andrew Kartsounes – who has been teaching at Hartland for 30 years and coaching soccer for 27, including the past 16 as the girls head coach – in his first appearance in a championship game.
“I was wondering if I was ever going to get here, and then to play the kind of game we did today was just amazing,” said Kartsounes, who is assisted by Wade Foster and Eric Anderson. “We just kept plugging away and created chances and, today, we finished a lot of our chances.”
Hartland grabbed a 1-0 halftime lead after junior Hannah Kastamo broke through the Athens defense and put a shot on goal, which Pietila booted in off the rebound at the 16:56 mark.
The key portion of the game was the first 10 minutes of the second half. During that period, the Red Hawks controlled play and had two excellent scoring chances – a header off a free kick that missed wide right and a nifty boot by junior Abby Mayne which just missed wide left.
But just as Athens was feeling good about things and the crowd of red was coming alive in the stands, Hartland responded with its aforementioned counterattack.
Senior Maria Storm was able to break away and send a perfectly angled kick into the top-right corner of the net with 31:32 remaining to make it 2-0 – a goal which seemed to demoralize Athens. Just two minutes later, Hartland made it 3-0 on another goal by Kastamo.
“We haven’t seen that kind of counterattack in a while,” said 10th-year Athens coach Todd Heugh. “We generated corner kicks, and they generated goals. Soccer is a game of chances. They made good on theirs, and we did not on ours.”
Athens (17-2-4) has won four girls soccer championships, but its last title came 21 years ago in 2000. The Red Hawks, who had posted eight consecutive shutouts coming into Saturday’s Final, now have three runner-up finishes.
Kartsounes agreed the key to the victory was weathering the storm early in the second half.
“They started the second half and were really taking it to us,” said Kartsounes, who received tremendous on-field leadership from captains Kamryn Gereck, Justina L’Esperance and Storm. “I told my assistants that we can’t survive like this for 40 minutes, then we finally started possessing the ball.”
Pietila completed the scoring with her second goal of the day at the 18:21 mark. Alyse Daavettila and L’Esperance added assists for the Eagles.
Athens actually held the edge in total shots (16-14) and corner kicks (6-3), but Hartland held a 9-7 advantage in shots on goal. Athens senior keeper Nitya Balusu made five saves.
Hartland junior keeper Morgan Seog was outstanding in goal, finishing with six saves. The Eagles produced shutouts in the first five playoff games and final game.
The only postseason game in which Hartland allowed a goal was Wednesday’s Semifinal, a narrow 3-2 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central. It was also seven minutes into that game when Pietila sprained her ankle on a sprinkler.
“On Wednesday night, there was no way she was going to play, Thursday was a little better and it wasn’t until after warmups today that we knew she was going to play for sure,” said Kartsounes. “Then she goes out there and scores the game-winning goal of the state finals on one leg.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Hartland players celebrate during their Division 1 Final win Saturday. (Middle) The Eagles’ Maria Storm (13) and Athens’ Meagan Lindgren (15) battle for possession.
Preview: Historic Opportunities Abound as Contenders Conclude at DeMartin Stadium
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 12, 2025
The MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals have seen 18 champions also finish their seasons undefeated, the most recent in 2021.
Both Saline and Hudsonville Unity Christian have the opportunity this weekend to become the next.
And that’s not all on the all-time historical side of these two days of championships at DeMartin Stadium.
Byron Center, New Boston Huron and both Division 3 contenders – Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Warren Regina – are set to play in their first championship matches, meaning the Division 3 champion is guaranteed to be a first-time Finals winner.
Following is this weekend’s schedule at Michigan State University:
Division 1 - Saturday - 4 p.m. - Stream
Byron Center vs. Saline
Division 2 - Friday - 4 p.m. - Stream
Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. New Boston Huron
Division 3 - Friday - 1 p.m. - Stream
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Warren Regina
Division 4 - Saturday - 1 p.m. - Stream
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
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
BYRON CENTER
Record/rank: 19-1-3, No. 12
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: John Conlon, fifth season (85-13)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Ella Alexander, soph. F (9 goals, 14 assists); Morgan Malek, sr. M (11 goals, 9 assists), Jordan Kerns, sr. D (7 goals, 2 assists), Nora Schans, fr. GK (0.30 goals-against average, 12 shutouts).
Outlook: Byron Center claimed its third Regional title under Conlon, who previously coached East Kentwood and is one of the winningest coaches in state history for both girls and boys soccer. Only No. 6 Midland, in the Regional Final, has scored against Byron Center during this MHSAA Tournament; the Bulldogs have shut out Northville, No. 3 Rockford, Grand Haven and Hudsonville. The team’s scoring has been impressively balanced with eight players netting between 7-12 goals heading into this week; freshman Bristol Collard (12) is the leading goal-scorer, and sophomore Nora Leavitt (10) is also high on the list. Kerns earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
SALINE
Record/rank: 21-0-2, No. 1
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Coach: Leigh Rumbold, seventh season (78-21-17)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2015.
Players to watch: Sienna Snyder, sr. D (30 goals, 9 assists); Sadie Walsh, jr. M (20 goals, 12 assists); MaKena Means, jr. D (16 goals, 5 assists); Kaylee Mitzel, soph. GK (0.23 goals-against average, 18 shutouts).
Outlook: Saline’s run to its second Final has seen plenty of offensive power, with a combined 19 goals, but the defense has been just as impressive with shutouts in all five games including against No. 13 Ann Arbor Skyline and No. 8 Troy Athens. Total, Mitzel and the Hornets have given up only five goals this season. Sophomore Laynie Tousa (12 goals/9 assists) is another top scorer, and four more teammates had found the net at least five times heading into this week. Snyder and Walsh both earned all-state honorable mentions last season. Rumbold formerly played professionally in this country and also in England and New Zealand.
Division 2
HUDSONVILLE UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-0-2, No. 1
League finish: First in O-K Conference Black
Coach: Randy Heethuis, 36th season (663-105-44)
Championship history: 12 MHSAA titles (most recent 2024), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Ava Lutke, sr. F (28 goals, 27 assists); Kyla Kobryzcki, soph. F (15 goals, 10 assists); Ava Steen, jr. D (6 goals, 4 assists); Tessa Ponstein, jr. F (14 goals, 10 assists).
Outlook: Unity Christian is playing for a third-straight championship, and this time in Division 2 after winning Division 3 the last two years. The Crusaders have not lost in 30 games, going back more than a calendar year, and they have 19 shutouts this season including seven straight. Junior Payton Barendsen (0.10 goals-against average) and senior Kennidee Crump (0.31) have split time almost evenly in net. Lutke and Steen made the all-state first team in their former division last season, and Kobryzcki made the third.
NEW BOSTON HURON
Record/rank: 21-1-1, No. 4
League finish: First in Huron League
Coach: Matt Lividini, third season (39-9-7)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Brooklyn Burke, jr. GK (0.50 goals-against average, 15 shutouts); Rylie Cassett, sr. F (23 goals, 25 assists); Miley Skamiera, soph. F (28 goals, 15 assists); Avery Turk, jr. F (20 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Huron has gone from 5-7-3 during Lividini’s first season leading the program to a combined 34-2-4 over the last two. Huron has allowed only one goals over its last seven matches, a run that’s included a 1-0 win over No. 9 DeWitt in the Semifinal. Senior Gabby Emelian is another key contributor in the midfield, with seven goals and 16 assists. Lividini played on Riverview Gabriel Richard’s 1991 Class C-D runner-up team before going on to play professionally and also compete in the Olympics in bobsled for San Marino.
Division 3
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 12-8-2, No. 7
League finish: Sixth in O-K White
Coach: Genevieve Sandner, 19th season (209-132-34)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Natalie Beachler, sr. GK (1.53 goals-against average, .753 save %); Maris Klein, sr. M (11 goals, 7 assists); Maurine Schneider, sr. M (11 goals, 9 assists); Emma Mead, sr. F (10 goals, 3 assists).
Outlook: Grand Rapids Catholic Central is riding a three-game shutout streak that included a 3-0 Regional Final win over No. 10 Traverse City St. Francis. The Cougars played in the same league as three top-14 teams from Division 2 and emerged from a 1-7-1 run midway through the season and defeated Division 2 No. 7 Forest Hills Central heading into the playoffs. Mead earned all-state honorable mention last season, and Sandner returned this spring after two away from the program she began leading in 2005.
WARREN REGINA
Record/rank: 7-5-6, No. 11
League finish: Fourth in Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Stefano Moraccini, ninth season (record N/A).
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Jenna Moeller, sr. D/M/F; Ava Janusch, jr. M/F; Anna Booms, fr. D/M; Kate Booms, jr. D/M. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Regina advanced to its first Semifinal since 2019 and now will play in its first championship game. The Saddlelites haven’t given up more than one goal in any of five playoff matches, and they’ve defeated No. 2 Detroit Country Day, No. 8 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and No. 14 Ann Arbor Greenhills along the way. Moeller earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 4
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 14-3-4, No. 5
League finish: Tied for fourth in CHSL AA
Coach: David Dwaihy, 17th season (188-103-14)
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2016 and 2005.
Players to watch: Aline Rahaim, soph. GK (1.00 goals-against average, 8 shutouts); Aubrey Hermann, soph. M (7 goals, 7 assists); Jasmine Diaz-Don, jr. M (4 goals, 8 assists); Kerith Short, sr. M (13 goals, 11 assists).
Outlook: Liggett won its second Regional title in three seasons this spring and jumped from finishing 8-8 overall a year ago, navigating an impressive playoffs that’s included wins over No. 2 Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, No. 9 Plymouth Christian Academy, No. 10 Clarkston Everest Collegiate and No. 12 Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Three of the team’s eight shutouts have come during the postseason. Six seniors anchor the lineup, with Short a returning all-state third-team selection from a year ago.
KALAMAZOO CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 17-4-2, No. 4
League finish: First in Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley
Coach: Jay Allen, 11th season (184-43-15)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2023), five runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Maysen Steensma, sr. D; Izzy Suloff, jr. M; Jordyn Bonnema, sr. M; Emily Gorton, jr. F. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Kalamazoo Christian will play in its fourth-straight Division 4 championship game, having finished runner-up both in 2022 and last year in a shootout defeat to Jackson Lumen Christi to go with its 2023 title clincher. The Comets have defeated top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, No. 7 Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central and No. 14 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep during this run, and also avenged last year’s Lumen Christi loss in an April rematch. Steensma and Bonnema made the all-state first team last season.
PHOTO Kalamazoo Christian’s Emily Gorton controls possession during last season’s Division 4 championship match.