Today In The MHSAA: 11/12/21
November 12, 2021
1. VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central needed to come back from a 2-1 deficit to get past honorable mention Brooklyn Columbia Central in a Division 3 Regional Final – Monroe News
2. VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Battle Creek St. Philip came back from a 2-1 deficit to get past No. 2 Athens in five and win a Division 4 Regional title – Battle Creek Enquirer
3. VOLLEYBALL No. 4 Rockford advanced to next week’s Division 1 Quarterfinals with a sweep of No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – FOX 17
4. VOLLEYBALL After defeating No. 4 Bronson in the Regional Semifinal, Watervliet finished a Regional title run with a win over honorable mention Kalamazoo Christian – WWMT
5. VOLLEYBALL No. 9 Reese came back after losing the first set to defeat No. 8 Cass City 3-2 in Division 3 – Saginaw News
6. VOLLEYBALL Indian River Inland Lakes claimed its first Regional title since 1995 with a 3-1 win over Rudyard in Division 4 – Cheboygan Daily Tribune
7. VOLLEYBALL Davison won its first Regional title since 1995, sweeping Traverse City West in a matchup of Division 1 honorable mentions – Flint Journal
8. VOLLEYBALL Allen Park Inter-City Baptist avenged its pair of regular-season losses to No. 8 Plymouth Christian Academy with a four-set Division 4 Regional Final win – Southgate News-Herald
9. VOLLEYBALL No. 7 Northville advanced in Division 1 with a sweep of honorable mention Saline – Ann Arbor News
10. VOLLEYBALL Honorable mention McBain avenged last season’s Division 3 Regional Final loss to Beaverton with a sweep – Cadillac News
Preview: Familiar Foes Meet Again with MHSAA Finals Championship at Stake
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 30, 2026
Ann Arbor Pioneer and Saline High School are seven miles apart, and the two programs will enter Saturday’s MHSAA Final as familiar with each other as any two field hockey teams in the state could be this season.
They’ve played each other twice this fall. Pioneer won the first meeting 5-0, on Aug. 24 in the second game of the season for both. But Saline cut the margin significantly in the Sept.14 rematch, a 1-0 Pioneer win.
And Round 3 at Michigan State University’s Ralph Young Field will be for a bigger prize.
Game time Saturday is 11 a.m. Tickets are $12, and the matchup also will be streamed on the NFHS Network and viewable with subscription.
Below is a brief look at the finalists:
ANN ARBOR PIONEER
Record: 17-3
Michigan Power Rating: No. 1
Coach: Jane Nixon, 28th season (451-51-50)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Pioneer won last season’s inaugural MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Lily Boardman, sr. F/M (9 goals, 7 assists); Klara Jones, sr. F/M (13 goals, 9 assists); Gabby Haudan, jr. F (10 goals, 7 assists); Lucy Peikert, jr. M/D (10 goals, 6 assists).
Outlook: Pioneer will play in its eighth-straight championship game including the final six Michigan High School Field Hockey League Division 1 title deciders before the MHSAA began sponsoring the sport last season. All three of the team’s losses this fall were to out-of-state teams, and the Pioneers have yet to allow a goal in four MHSAA Tournament games, outscoring their opponents by a combined 19-0. Sophomore Mara Boullion is the scheduled starter in goal and has split time this season with senior Bridget Schafer; together they have given up only 14 goals this season and only two over 15 games against in-state opponents. Jones, Haudan and senior Olivia Rollins made the all-state first team last season, and Peikert and Boullion made the second.
SALINE
Record: 19-2
Michigan Power Rating: No. 2
Coach: Sophia O’Connor, sixth season (83-20-12)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: MHSFHL Division 2 champion 2015, two MHSFHL Division 1 runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Elle Pufpaf, sr. M/F (23 goals, 6 assists); Ella Arvai, jr. M (30 goals, 11 assists); Claire Clark, sr. D (10 goals, 1 assist); Alivia Pufpaf, sr. D/M (7 goals, 5 assists).
Outlook: After reaching the Semifinals last season, Saline will play in a championship game again after most recently finishing runner-up in the MHSFHL’s Division 1 in 2024. Similar to Pioneer, Saline has allowed only one goal over four postseason games while finding the net 31 times. Minus the two losses to Pioneer, Saline has given up only six goals over 19 games. Arvai made the all-state first team last season, Elle Pufpaf made the second, and Alivia Pufpaf and Clark made the third team.