The return of two reigning champions and a rematch of last year’s Division 3 title match is just the beginning of what will be talked about in this weekend’s MHSAA girls soccer finals at DeMartin Stadium.
This weekend should feel somewhat familiar to most of the contenders: Six of the final eight teams have reached the season’s final weekend at least once since 2021, including Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grosse Isle, who beat the Crusaders 3-0 last year, and Kalamazoo Christian, which is also looking to win back-to-back championships.
Three teams are looking to win their first championship and a fourth is looking to win their first championship this century.
This weekend’s schedule is as follows:
Division 1 – Friday – 4pm
Hartland vs. Rochester Adams
Division 2 – Saturday – 4pm
Spring Lake vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian
Division 3 – Saturday – 1pm
Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. Grosse Isle
Division 4 – Friday – 1pm
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Jackson Lumen Christi
Tickets are priced at $11 and can be purchased online exclusively through GoFan. One ticket will entitle you to attend every football, softball and baseball game played that day at MSU’s Old College Field. All four finals will be broadcast and available by subscription on MHSAA.tv, with free audio broadcasts on the MHSAA Network.
Below is an overview of all eight participating teams along with stats leading up to the Regional Tournament.
Division 1
Heartland
Results/Ranks: 16-3-3, 11th place
League standings: 1st in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Western Division
Coach: Andrew Cartsones, 19 seasons (230-91-52)
Championship history: 2021 Division 1 champions.
Players to watch: Alyse Daavettila, Sr. F/M (12 goals, 6 assists); Addie Frantti, Jr. F/M (9 goals, 8 assists); Paige Sundman, Soph. F (10 goals, 3 assists); Jenna Brock, Jr. GK (0.95 goals against average, 9 shutouts).
Outlook: Hartland suffered its lone loss this spring to Livonia Stevenson in the regular-season finale but bounced back quickly to win its third district championship and second region title in four seasons. Its only other losses came in the season opener at Salem and at No. 10 Midland Dow in late April, while the Eagles have one win and one draw against No. 9 Canton in league play. Davetila was named third-team all-state last season. Midfielder Emma Castamo is also one of four senior starters and has five goals and seven assists entering this week.
Rochester Adams
Results/Ranks: 15-2-2, 6th place
League standings: Auckland Activities Association Red 2nd place
Coach: Josh Hickey, 7th season (77-29-16)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recently in 1999), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Lexi Calcamuggio, sophomore, GK (0.70 goals against average, 7 shutouts); Evelyn Kekhoua, senior, F (12 goals, 4 assists); Danielle Danko, senior, M (10 goals, 6 assists); Sadie Rogers, junior, M (11 goals, 8 assists).
Outlook: Reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2012, Adams is heading to the finals for the first time since its most recent championship season in 1999. An overtime win over No. 3 Troy in the regional final was the highlight of this run. Troy handed the Highlanders their first loss in early April. The other loss was to No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, but Adams bounced back quickly with wins over Dow (5-0) and No. 12 Troy Athens (4-1) later in the regular season. Rogers was named All-State Honorable Mention last season.
Division 2
Bloomfield Hills Marian
Results/Ranks: 15-3-3, 8th place
League standings: 1st in the Catholic High School League Central
Coach: Danny Price, first season (15-3-3)
Championship history: 10 MHSAA titles (most recent in 2021), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Dani Mertz, Sr. GK (0.53 goals allowed average, 14 shutouts), Nia Bordogna, fr. M (5 goals, 10 assists), Olivia Zanow, Sr. D, Claire Dauer, Sophomore M (15 goals, 2 assists).
Outlook: Marian missed out on the finals last season for the first time since 2016 (except for 2020, which was canceled due to COVID-19), but returns under Coach Price, who played professionally in England and has also coached the boys team at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice since 2019. He inherits a lot of talent. Dauer was named to the All-State second team last season, Zarnow to the third team, and Mertz, junior defender Nadia Valka, sophomore defender/forward Lily Robinson and junior forward Bella Musacchio were all honorable mentions. Sophomore forward Juliana Agrusso is the second-leading scorer (10 goals, three assists), and three more players follow with five goals each as of this week. The Mustangs are scoreless in six postseason games, including avenging their most recent loss to Bloomfield Hills-Cranbrook Kingswood.
Spring Lake
Record/Rank: 16-2-5, 1st place
League standings: 2nd in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue
Coach: Becky May, 8th season (118-17-13)
Championship history: 2021 Division 2 runner-up.
Players to watch: Jessica Stewart, Sr. GK (0.76 goals conceded average, 10 shutouts), Ella Andree, Sr. F (12 goals, 6 assists), Clara Sanders, Sr. M (10 goals, 16 assists), Aveya Patino, fr. F (27 goals, 7 assists).
Outlook: Spring Lake beat No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and No. 3 Midland in the regional to reach its second finals appearance in four seasons. Its only losses came to top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian and No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian in Division 3. The Lakers then drew with Unity in the league tournament finals. Sanders was named first-team all-state last season, while Andre and Stewart were second-team picks and senior defender Brooke Bolthouse was an honorable mention.
Division 3
Grosse Ile
Results/Ranks: 17-2-5, 5th place
League standings: 2nd in the Huron League
Coach: Kyle Lesperance, 6th season (80-17-14)
Championship history: 2023 Division 3 runner-up.
Players to watch: Addison Nemeth, Sr. D, Cassidy Evelyn, Sr. M (8 goals, 18 assists), Alaina Kolody, Jr. D (8 goals, 4 assists), Mallory Botten, Jr. F (20 goals, 21 assists).
Outlook: After several successful seasons, Grosse Isle reached the finals for the first time last year, and now they will once again compete for their first championship in a rematch of last season’s finals. The Red Devils defeated No. 12 Detroit Country Day to advance, losing only to No. 4 Saline in Division 1 and No. 10 New Boston Huron in Division 2. Kolody and Evelyn were third-team all-state selections last season, while Nemeth was named honorable mention. Junior Monica Arndt has allowed just 1.06 goals per game as goalkeeper and has recorded 11 shutouts prior to this week.
Hudsonville Unity Christian
Record/Rank: 21-1-1, 1st place
League standings: 1st in OK Blue
Coach: Randy Heathhouse, 35th season (641-105-42)
Championship history: 11 MHSAA titles (most recent in 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Vivian Nagelkirk, Sr. F/M (22 goals, 8 assists); Ava Lutke, Jr. F (18 goals, 15 assists); Anna Neuhoff, Sr. GK (0.50 goals against, 9 shutouts); Kyle Kobrzycki, fr. F/M (13 goals, 9 assists).
Outlook: Unity is on a roll and this weekend will be their chance to repeat as champions for the first time since winning three straight Division 3 titles from 2014-2016. While Luedtke was a first-team All-State selection last season, the Crusaders have added seven graduates who earned All-State honors and only lost to No. 1 Division 1 player Hudsonville this spring (and by just one goal). In addition to the above, they added five players with at least six goals and/or five assists this week. They have yet to allow a goal in the playoffs, highlighted by wins over No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian, No. 10 Grand Rapids West Catholic and No. 14 Freeland.
Division 4
Jackson Lumen Christi
Record/Rank: 13-7, Unranked
League standings: CHSL AA 8th
Coach: Blake Newman-Gillig, 4th year (42-31-4)
Championships: 2000 Division 4 runner-up.
Players to watch: Cody Ruge, sophomore forward (16 goals, four assists), Pattyn Petitot, junior forward (nine goals, nine assists), Jizzy Ermatinger, senior goalkeeper (1.80 goals-against average, seven shutouts), Kathleen Doane, junior defenseman (six goals, two assists).
Outlook: Lumen Christi took another step forward as it rose from unranked to regional champion for the first time since 2007. It allowed just one goal in six postseason games, including wins over No. 5 Manchester and No. 8 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian and avenging a 5-0 regular-season loss with a win over Royal Oak Shrine Catholic in the regional final. Dawn was named second-team all-state last season and Ruzi was named honorable mention. Senior forward Brooke LeFaire had added eight goals entering this week.
Kalamazoo Christian
Results/rankings: 18-4-2, 6th place
League standings: Tied for first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley.
Coach: Jay Allen, 11th season (181-35-8)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent in 2023), four runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Emily Gorton, sophomore (11 goals, five assists), Izzy Saroff, sophomore (16 goals, four assists), Jordyn Bonnema, junior (12 goals, four assists), Elizabeth Netz, senior goalkeeper (12 shutouts).
Outlook: After four runner-up finishes in the five seasons leading up to last year’s final, Kalamazoo Christian is now seeking its third straight championship in school history after winning its first championship since 2008. Highlights of that run included wins over No. 7 Grand Rapids Northpointe Christian and No. 10 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, which shared the SAC Valley title after drawing with the latter during the regular season. The Comets also have a 2-1 win over Jackson Lumen Christi on May 2.
Photo: Unity Christian’s Vivian Nagelkirk (3) and Grosse Ile’s Olivia Zuccaro compete for the ball during last season’s Division 3 final.
