MICHIGAN GIRLS SOCCER: Grand Rapids Catholic Central snares title in first state finals appearance
- Dan Stickradt
- Jun 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 14
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Genevieve Sandner remembers quite well what it's like to play in a state championship game. She played in three of them as a high school soccer player back in the 1990s.
It was Genevieve Young back then and she helped lead Madison Heights Bishop Foley to Class B-C-D or Class B state crowns in 1994, 1995 and 1997 while also reaching the state semifinals with the Ventures in 1996.
Fast forward nearly three decades and Sandner guided her Grand Rapids Catholic Central side to its first state title, as the seventh-ranked Cougars shut down No. 12-ranked Warren Regina 2-0 Friday in the Division 3 state finals at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium.
“I told them to just go out and work hard and have fun,” said Sandner. “You never know when you might get a chance in a game like this and if you will ever get to play in a state final.
“I had the experience of playing in three when I was in high school and the memories – they stay with you forever,” added Sandner.
Sandner, who returned to the program after a two-year hiatus, and spent her 19th season overall with the program this season, orchestrated a great mid-season turnaround. Grand Rapids Catholic Central opened the season ranked No. 1 in Division 3 but fell down the charts as the Cougars played a brutally-tough schedule of almost all Division 1 and Division 2 schools.
In fact, Catholic Central, ranked seventh entering the postseason, at one time was 4-4-1 overall and finished 7-8-2 in the regular season and only sixth in its Ottawa Kent Conference White Division – one of the toughest leagues in the state this season.
Catholic Central righted the ship with a 1-0 win over Division 2 perennial powerhouse Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the last game of the regular season, then closed with six straight tournament wins. All of this came in a year where all four state semifinalists had never been to a state championship match, and the Cougars seized the moment this year with the first state title run.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central(13-8-1) outscored the opposition 16-2 in the state tournament and closed with four straight shutouts after engaging in several one- and two-goal games throughout the regular season. The Cougars outscored their foes 56-25 this season and only allowed three goals in its final seven matches.
The two-platoon goalkeepers of seniors Natalie Beachler and Charlie Walker split a lot of time this season and shared the shutout on the big stage. Beachler played the first half with three saves while Walker played the final 40 minutes and did not have to make a save.
“Natalie was back and Charlie was hurt most of her time here,” noted Sandner. “She’s had a confidence boost and we saw her out there in the second half (being a part of this).”
The Cougars’ postseason goals-against-average was a paltry 0.34 while for the entire state tournament.
In the finals, both teams traded off eight total shots with Catholic Central holding a 5-3 edge with shots on goal. Regina (7-7-6) did collect a 5-4 edge off cornerkicks
Grand Rapids Catholic Central scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the first half.
Senior forward Sophie Piccione sent a high cornerkick from the right side into the mixing bowl. Sophomore midfielder Maurine Schneider had the initial shot and junior forward Grace McKinney scooped up the rebound on the doorstep and sent it home from one yard out with 19:32 left in the first half. The series featured the Cougars’ first two shots of the game.
The game stood at 1-0 until there was 30:31 remaining in the second half. That’s when Piccione sent a free kick into the box, Regina was able to redirect it to the top of the box but Schneider was there to intercept, take a tough before uncorking a right-footed shot from 16 yards out for the 2-0 lead.
The strength of schedule is what helped the Cougars prepare for the state tournament run.
“We were playing extremely hard teams and all my club teammates are good players. But we were getting down on ourselves and after practice we were like we have to keep working,” said Schneider. “That’s just was led us up here to the state championship (game) because of the hard teams we’ve played.”
Catholic Central held on for its 11th shutout of the season and to finally claim its long sought-after state title.
After decades of running into the likes of Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grand Rapids South Christian – both up in Division 2 this season – the Cougars seized the moment by going on a seven-game win streak to cap the season and hoist the coveted state championship trophy.
Regina entered the postseason just 2-5-6 and struggled and was outscored 19-10 in the regular season. In the postseason, the Sadellites finished 5-1 and had an 11-2 scoring edge before Friday’s state finals. Regina just couldn’t generate chances.
“I told the girls I’m super proud of them,” said Stefano Moraccini. “To get us here to the final and to be here. For the girls to come in here and play well. And we did play well. We conceded a goal off a cornerkick and a set piece off a foul (in the second half). It’s tough. We (just) didn’t finish in the attacking third.”
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