MICHIGAN GIRLS SOCCER: No mechanical failures, Kalamazoo Christian bounces back with sixth state title
- Dan Stickradt
- Jun 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 15
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Comets never trail in recording 4-1 triumph over University-Liggett in 11th finals appearance
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Last year Kalamazoo Christin’s bus broke down on the way from Kalamazoo Christian to East Lansing for the Division 4 girls soccer state finals.
The Comets showed up well after 12 p.m. for a 1 p.m. game and the team was out of sorts, out of rhythm, and just seemed off according to veteran coach Jay Allen.
Despite outshooting unranked Jackson Lumen Christi 21-7 through regulation and double overtime periods, Kalamazoo Christian – making its 15th appearance in the Division 4 Final Four this week and 11th appearance in the state finals including the sixth in the last eight calendar years – ended up losing 2-1 to Lumen Christi in last year’s Division 4 finals.
It marks sixth state championship for the Comets, who are now 6-5 all-time in state title games. Kalamazoo Christian competed in the finals the last four years, going 2-2 in that span.
“Not only were we better prepared, but our bus didn’t break down (this year),” laughed Allen. “But also this group they’ve worked hard all season to get (back) to this point. The whole team played a whole 80 minutes, regardless if (an individual) played two minutes or 80 minutes. But they gave it 100 percent. I told them before the game that the team that wants it the most will win.
“It was the drive of the senior class, Jordan Bonnema and Maysen Steemsma,” continued Allen. “They pick up the whole team and were solid for 80 minutes.”
The Comets won a state championship in 2023 with a resounding 5-0 victory over Clarkston Everest Collegiate and had multiple upperclassmen playing in their third or fourth straight state finals match. They remember the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in last year’s title game or the state title run two years ago.
Kalamazoo Christian also lost in the 2022 state championship match to Royal Oak Shrine (1-0).
The Comets came out right away and scored on the game’s first shot and never trailed. Junior midfielder Izzy Suloff opened the scoring for the comets when she scooped up a ball outside the box and uncorked a right-footed blast that sailed top shelf under the crossbar with 37:49 still to play in the first half.
Kalamazoo Christian upped the lead to 2-0 when they scored on its first shot of the second half . Racing onto the ball near the end line in the right side, sophomore Avery Lambarth sent the cross out to the middle by the six yards box and senior midfielder Jordyn Bonnema found some space to send it home with 37:44 still to play in the second half.
Liggett (14-4-4) finally pulled one back with 32:33 left when senior midfielder Kerith Short bent a cornerkick from the right side right to the goal line and KC goalkeeper Kailey Triemsta bubbled the ball over the goal line and into the net. The Knights outshot the Comets 5-1 over the first 7:27 of the second half.
“I think we got comfortable with our 2-0 lead,” admitted Allen. “We didn’t button things down in the back. We started to play out of control and we started to play away from our game plan.
“I think (Liggett’s) first goal was a wake up call,” added Allen. “We kind of snapped back into it and started to play again.”
Kalamazoo Christian opened up a 3-1 advantage when senior midfielder Rachel Miller sent a high cornerkick from the left side that bended over towards the far post and Bonnema was there crashing the doorstep with the header with 18:14 remaining.
The Comets were not done.
Sophomore Lauren Leonard’s shot from outside the 18 was deflected downward by Rahaim and freshman forward Laila Rashid scooped up the loose ball and fired a shot into the back of the net to cap the scoring with 7:05 still to play.
“Thee seniors, they’ve been here four times and we’ve been on both ends,” reminded Allen. “I think they really wanted this one.”
Bonnema, a four-year veteran, ended her fine prep career playing multiple sports with a pair of goals and a second state title.
“This means everything to me. These girls are my best friends and I’ve been with them for four years straight and to finish it off with a win is something that we’ll always remember," smiled Bonnema.
Kalamazoo Christian finishes with an 18-4-2 and a 83-23 scoring edge following the state finals win. The Comets also had 13 shutouts this season and outscored the opposition 21-2 with four clean sheets in the state tournament. Only Liggett and rival Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep were able to score on the Comets during this year’s tournament run.
Over the last four years, KC won four straight Southwestern Athletic Conference-Valley Division, district and regional titles to go along with the two state championships and two state runner-up finishes.
Kalamazoo Christian outshot Liggett 16-14 overall in the game, including 9-8 with shots on goal and held a 3-1 edge off cornerkicks.
Liggett had a hard time penetrating the Comets’ stingy backline in the first half. Kalamazoo Christian faced its fifth straight opponent that was either ranked or listed as honorable mention in the MIHSSCA Division 4 polls – including a 1-0 upset over top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in the regional semifinals 11 days prior.
Triemstra finished the day with seven saves for the Comets, while sophomore Aline Rahaim finished with five saves for University Liggett.
Liggett never gave up but played with extra attackers to try to tie the game in the second half. The Comets scored twice in the final 19 minutes to pull away.
“When you get to this stage you have to go for it,” said veteran Liggett coach David Dwaihy, who coached his last girls soccer game for the school. “I think the way we moved and probed throughout the match and we didn’t get rewarded with the goal (to tie) it. Credit to Kalamazoo Christian as they are a fantastic team and they overwhelmed us at times. I was pleased with the way we played. It didn’t feel like a loss at times. It’s still a loss that we’ll celebrate.”
It was Liggett’s first state title game appearance since the Knights won it all in 2016 with a victory over Montrose (1-0) .
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