BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
C: 248-884-1051
TW: @MISOCCERNETWORK
ROCHESTER HILLS – There was once an occasion where Lilley Bosley was going to try hockey. After all, she was young and athletic and was already excelling in a variety of sports.
“My dad wanted me to try hockey. It’s kind of funny. It was the night before hockey tryouts at the Onyx Arena. My dad he was like ‘we need to get you gear if you are going to play hockey,’” recalled Bosley. “At the last minute I decided I didn’t want to do it after all.”
Hockey’s loss is soccer’s gain.
“I started playing soccer when I was four,” smiled Bosley. “I played soccer and basketball early in my life. I also golfed a little and tried dance. I wanted to try almost everything.”
Bosley tried a multitude of sports and activities, but it is soccer that was her first love and that is where she has become most successful.
And what a soccer career it’s been for the Rochester Stoney Creek senior. Between center back, attacking midfielder or forward, Bosley is one of Michigan’s top soccer players – all youth levels combined.
Bosley and her Rochester Stoney Creek teammates earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Division 1 Utica District and are ranked third in the state in the Division 1 coaches top 15 rankings. The Cougars have posted an impressive 19-1-1 record entering the postseason and finished second in the deep OAA Red Division.
Stoney Creek has pitched 16 shutouts this season and outscored the opposition 71-6 in the regular season with Bosley leading the cast of talented players to one of their most successful seasons.
“I think as the season is coming to an end that we want to dial it up a notch and come (into games) harder and not think about it coming to an end and not slowing down and slacking off,” said Bosley. “I think we’re trying to focus more in practice, show up and being focused and getting ready for districts.”
Being focused and ready will be crucial as the Cougars find themselves in a tough district.
“We’re very hungry obviously we lost the last two years unfortunately in the district finals so we’re striving for that and want to (advance) beyond that,” said Bosley. “We’re focusing on one game at a time because we have two more games before that district final. Once we get there then we’ll focus on that (game).”
Bosley said they would love to get another shot at top-ranked Rochester, which won the league the last two years (2023 and 2022) and defeated Stoney Creek 2-1 in a shootout (4-3 on PKs) in the district finals last year.
“We would love to play them, especially because we tied them in the regular season each year (2021-2023),” noted Bosley, whose squad tied the Falcons in the final OAA-Red match this season 1-1. The regular season meetings in 2021 and 2022 also ended in 1-1 draws.
The 5-foot-9, 130-pound speedster gave up all sports entering high school except for soccer and basketball and has only played soccer since after her sophomore year of high school.
Bosley came off the bench in basketball and was a sparkplug offensively and defensively on the hard court for two years, as Stoney Creek was one of the better prep programs in talent-laden Oakland County. By the time she was a junior, Bosley opted to dedicate her full time athletically to soccer.
On the club circuit, Bosley has starred for her Liverpool FC ECNL (formerly Vardar ECNL when she was in middle school). She played mostly center back in club and occasional center midfield on her club team.
In high school, Bosley has played all over the field depending on the game and game situation. She will spend time at attacking center midfielder, up top at forward as a target player or even as a lock-down defender at center back.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why she is so special. She can play wherever we need her,” said Stoney Creek head coach Bryan Mittelstadt, noting that Bosley is one of 13 seniors on the roster this season. “She scores from everywhere and she makes teammates around her better.”
Headed for the University of Michigan on a soccer scholarship, primarily as a center back, Bosley has garnered all type of attention as a top 100 prospect nationally even though she does not play for a 10-month ECNL team or a Girls Academy team where athletes cannot play high school soccer in Michigan and have a difficult time playing a secondary sport. She was recruited by a host of NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II schools regardless before committing to U-M two years ago and signing last November.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten at least a tryout with the national team in her age group. She ranks up there for sure with the best ones in the state (playing ECNL 10-month or GA),” added Mittelstadt. “I don’t think she’s scratched the surface of how good she can be.”
Despite her high accolades on the club circuit, Bosley opted to continue playing high school girls soccer in the spring months.
“It’s fun playing with your friends. It’s different feeling than in club soccer. You have your team that supports you (in club) but in (high school) all of your friends there, your community comes and watches, the teachers and everyone wants to watch you play and do good,” added Bosley. “It’s unfortunate that it comes down to all of these top players having to make a decision to play high school or not. I wanted to play high school for a long time. It’s fun representing your school and playing with a different group than you normally would in club. It’s a different atmosphere and feeling. I like playing high school.”
Bosley carries a very versatile skillset that is far from being one-dimensional.
“I definitely think it helps playing all over,” noted Bosley. “In college, I think I will be playing somewhere on the defensive end because my main position has always been a center back. But I like playing (in the attack, too). In the midfield I get to distribute the ball more, which is what I practice a lot as a center back. I love to run and use my speed to get past players, so I recently have been focusing on my skills, moves…usually as a defender you don’t need 1-v-1 skills. I’ve always understood how to pass and hit some through balls to the right space, so that has always helped me. But in high school I can also use my speed and score as a midfielder or forward.”
After her freshman season was cancelled along with everyone’s due to state lockdowns, Bosley has been a key contributor all over the soccer field.
As a sophomore Bosley earned All-State Second Team honors for the OAA Red Division champion Cougars, tallying up 19 goals and three assists. Stoney Creek wound up being 1-0 upset victims to Romeo in a Division 1 district finals that season in a game where Bosley admits that she and her teammates did not play well.
During her junior year she blew up in the club and the high school circuit, elevating her skillset on both the field and her name on the recruiting circuit. She was an All-League performer for her ECNL Liverpool side, while in high school Bosley led Stoney Creek with 26 goals and six assists and racked in all types of postseason awards – All-OAA Red Division, All-District, All-Region, Division 1 All-State First Team and All-State Dream Team for a squad that finished as the district runners-up again and tied for third in the deep OAA Red Division that still produced three teams in the Elite Eight, two Final Four squads and the Division 1 state champion (Bloomfield Hills).
Additionally, Bosley was named Miss Soccer by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association, given annually to the state’s top overall player on the high school circuit. What made that so unique is Bosley was a rare junior to win the prestigious award – just the sixth in the 40-plus years of the top honor.
While a handful of players have won the award as a junior – only two others have won the award twice as both a junior and senior. Previously, Anne Morrell of Plymouth Canton won in both 2000 and 2001 (she shared the honor as a junior with Troy Athens’ Tiffany Laskowski in 2000) and later on Laura Heyboer of Hudsonville Unity Christian won the high accolades in both 2007 and 2008.
Livonia Stevenson’s Andrea Seid (1998), Troy Athens Stephanie Lusiner (1993) and Rochester Adams’ Kara Nance (1992) also won the Miss Soccer award as juniors but did not repeat as seniors. Each of them still made the 11-player All-State Dream Team as seniors nevertheless.
Bosley can join elite company if she can win the award for the second straight season and join the aforementioned Morrell and Heyboer as two-time winners of the Miss Soccer award. And what a 2023 season she has had. Entering the Division 1 postseason, she has led the Cougars into the top 10 of the state rankings each week since late March. On the field, she has collected 37 goals and 10 assists and has eclipsed several school records along the way.
She keeps adding to her single-season goals scored record while she is already the school’s career goals leader and career points leader. Her 47 points entering the postseason this season is another record while her four goals in a game earlier this season tied another school record.
“We usually pull someone once they score a third or fourth goal,” laughed Mittelstadt. “We want to give other girls a chance.”
Stoney Creek will compete in one of the state’s most difficult districts – all four divisions combined. All seven schools in the district finished above five-hundred overall record-wise while five schools – Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek, Rochester Adams, Romeo and Utica Eisenhower -- all spent time in the Division 1 Top 15 rankings or listed as honorable mention throughout the season. Additionally, two teams (Rochester and Utica Eisenhower) won league championships while three other teams (Stoney Creek, Romeo and Utica) finished as league runners-up.
“It’s going to be so tough,” added Bosley. “There’s a lot of pressure for everyone – everyone feels that especially when it comes down to a big moment in the game or if it (reaches penalty kicks),” continued Bosley. “(There’s) definitely some pressure but we have to get over that and work in the game and hopefully don’t have to go to PKs in a game.”
And teams will have work on marking Lilley Bosley and be aware of her everywhere she is on the field and every time she touches the soccer ball.
Special players can do that.
All-Time Michigan Mr. Soccer and Miss Soccer award winners 1974-2022
ALL-TIME MICHIGAN MISS SOCCER WINNERS
Below is a list of the Michigan Miss Soccer winners, as presented by the Michigan High School Coaches Association each year to the top-ranked high school soccer player. The award debuted back in 1983.
* Asterisk denotes a co-Miss Soccer Winner; ** Double-Asterisk denotes player was a non-senior when they earned award.
2023: TBA on June 21
2022: Lillie Bosley, Rochester Stoney Creek M/F **
2021: Madison Salzenstein, Birmingham-Detroit Country Day M
2020: No Winner, Season Cancelled
2019: Jesse Bandyk, Novi F
2018: Zoe Gaffney, Birmingham Seaholm M/F
2017: Danielle Stephan, DeWitt F/M
2016: Sydney Blitchok, Grandville M
2015: Taylor Mulder, Saline F
2014: Megan Buckingham, Northville M/F
2013: Madi Lewis, Plymouth F
2012: Irene Young, Troy F
2011: Olivia Brannon, Troy Athens F
2010: Annie Steinlage Spring Lake F
2009: Paige Webster, Portage Central F
2008: Laura Heyboer, Hudsonville Unity Christian F
2007: Laura Heyboer, Hudsonville Unity Christian F **
2006: Emily Esbrook, Novi F
2005: Kristi Timar, Novi F
2004: Megan Garrity, Birmingham Marian M
2003: Megan Pimpkins, Holt M
2002: Lindsay Tarpley, Portage Central F
2001: Anne Morrell, Plymouth Canton F
2000: Tiffany Laskowski, Troy Athens F*
Anne Morrell, Plymouth Canton F*
1999: Andrea Sied, Livonia Stevenson D**
1998: Allison Campbell, Livonia Stevenson F
1997: Sara Kloosterman, Farmington Harrison G
1996: Amber Berendowsky, Brighton F
1995: Heather Brown-Charron, Birmingham Seaholm M
1994: Carrie Povalaitis, Troy D
1993: Stephanie Lusiner, Troy Athens M/F**
1992: Kara Nance, Rochester Adams M**
1991: Ragen Coyne, Livonia Stevenson M
1990: Carrie Maier, Farmington F
1989: Jenny Russell, Birmingham-Detroit Country Day
1988: N/A
1987: N/A
1986: Cindy Wass, Troy Athens M/F
1985: N/A
1984: N/A
1983: N/A
ALL-TIME MICHIGAN MR. SOCCER WINNERS
Below is a list of the Michigan Mr. Soccer winners, as presented by the Michigan High School Coaches Association each year to the top-ranked high school soccer player. The award debuted back in 1974.
** Asterisk denotes player was a non-senior when they earned award.
2022: Winner will be announced live on Michigan Soccer Network’s YouTube Channel on Nov. 8, 2022, as part of the inaugural 2022 Michigan Boys Soccer Dream Team Reveal Show! The show will run from 8-9 p.m.
2022: Kyle Pierson, Novi Detroit Catholic Central F
2021: Jack Guggemos, Okemos F
2020: Bosh Tonyi, Grosse Ile F
2019: Aidan O’Connor, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern D
2018: Brennan Creek, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep M/F
2017: Michael Melaragni, Rochester Stoney Creek M/F
2016: Dalton Michael, Traverse City West F
2015: Anthony Bowie, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central F
2014: DeJuan Jones, East Lansing M/F
2013: Alec Lasinski, Ann Arbor Skyline F **
2012: Dewey Lewis, Rockford F
2011: Zach Carroll, Grand Blanc D
2010: Dzenan Catic, East Kentwood F
2009: Soony Saad, Dearborn F
2008: Kevin Cope, Plymouth Salem D
2007: Casey Townsend, Traverse City West F
2006: Casey Townsend, Traverse City West F **
2005: Eric Alexander, Portage Central M
2004: Jake Stacy, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central F
2003: Billy Weaver, Lake Orion F
2002: Simon Omekanda, Rochester Adams F
2001: Ryan Alexander, Detroit U-D Jesuit M
2000: JD Johnston, Portage Northern M
1999: Ricky Strong, Rochester Adams F
1998: Nick DeGraw, Clinton Twp. Chippewa Valley M/F
1997: Ryan Mack, Birmingham Seaholm F
1996: Corey Woolfolk, Ann Arbor Pioneer M
1995: Anders Kelto, Traverse City Central M
1994: Brandon Maggio, Birmingham Detroit Country Day M
1993: Adam Hunter, Birmingham Detroit Country Day F
1992: Tom Baker, Plymouth Canton M
1991: Travis Roy, Livonia Stevenson D
1990: Brian Maisonneuve, Warren DeLaSalle M
1989: Joel Russell, Birmingham Detroit Country Day D/M
1988: Lamar Peters, Birmingham Brother Rice F
1987: Alexi Lalas, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood M/D
1986: Lars Richters, Livonia Stevenson F
1985: Lyle Wensley, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist F
1984: Mark Noffert, Troy Athens F
1983: Kantu Lulaj, Hamtramck M
1982: Gary Mexicotte, Livonia Stevenson M
1981: Marty Hagen, Troy Athens
1980: Nikki Gogri, Bloomfield Hills Lahser
1979: Tag Graham, Bloomfield Hills Laser
1978: Bill Holmes, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
1977: Dick Huff, Birmingham Groves
1976: Tony Hermiz, Ferndale
1975: Doug Manning, Birmingham Seaholm
1974: George Poppa Jr., Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Email updates to stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com
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