May 227 min read

CHSL GIRLS SOCCER: Mercy wins first CHSL tourney title since 1993; OLSM, Cabrini earn first championships

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The drought is over.

Farmington Hills Mercy claimed its first Catholic High School League Tournament championship Saturday in more than three decades, posting a 3-1 victory over Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood in the CHSL-Bishop Tournament finals at Royal Oak Shrine.

The Marlins previously won three straight CHSL tournament championships from 1991-93 when the CHSL only had one tournament for its member schools that sponsored girls soccer. Mercy ended a 31-year drought with its victory over Cranbrook in this year’s three-game set – the most tournaments the CHSL has offered since the league began sponsoring the sport back in the mid-1980s – with the Cardinal Tournament and newly-created St. Anne Tournament following later in the day.

The Marlins (8-4-5) have now won six CHSL Tournament titles all-time, with those championships coming in 1984, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 2024.

Mercy, which dropped down from Division 1 to Division 2 this season enrollment-wise, are listed as honorable mention in the D-2 polls. The Marlins dominated Cranbrook-Kingswood, posting an 18-5 shots edge in the contest, including 8-4 with shots on frame. Mercy also held a 3-2 edge in cornerkicks, all coming in the first half.

Mercy finished 3-0-2 in the CHSL-Central Division to finish second behind Birmingham Marian (4-0-1), good enough for the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Mercy never trailed, scoring goals in the 11th, 26th and 44th minutes to prevail.

Junior Brianna Mikha scored the first two goals, including what proved to be the game winner in the 26th minute for Mercy. That chip shot was served into the box by sophomore Arielle Etue, while senior Audrey Guyot had the assist on the first goal.

Guyot added the third Marlins goal just 3:14 into the second half to help her side regain some momentum.

Cranbrook cut the deficit down to 2-1 in the 38th minute when junior Carline Gorlier finished off a cross from senior Anna Assemany. The chances were few and far between for the Cranes after gaining some momentum at that point.

Cranbrook won back-to-back CHSL-Cardinal Tournament titles along with CHSL-AA Division titles in 2022 and 2023 to receive a promotion up into the Central Division, where the Cranes were fourth overall this season and gained the No. 4 seed in the CHSL-Bishop Tournament. Cranbrook notched a victory over Dearborn Divine Child (7-3) in the quarterfinals and upset top-seeded Marian (4-3) in the semifinals where Marian was missing seven players.

The Cranes did not have enough in the tank for another upset.

Mercy also defeated Cranbrook 1-0 back on April 23 in CHSL-Central Division play.

Senior Elle Borys notched three saves in four chances for the win in net for Mercy, which now holds a 27-12 scoring edge this season. The Marlins are on a four-game win streak with a 10-2 scoring edge and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.

Mercy visits Division 1 Ann Arbor Pioneer on Monday for a non-league game to end the regular season.

WATCH GAME HERE ON MSN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8zumZvWVbk

CHSL-CARDINAL TOURNAMENT FINALS

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S 3, MACOMB LUTHERAN NORTH 1: Just a third-year program and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is already reaping in some benefits with a talented roster.

Less than two weeks after winning the Catholic High School League-AA Division title for the first time at 8-0-0, the Eaglets added the first-ever CHSL-Cardinal Tournament championship to its impressive and growing resume with this 3-1 victory over Macomb Lutheran North at Royal Oak Shrine.

The Division 2 13th-ranked St. Mary’s squad never trailed in the contest, posting a 14-12 shots edge in the game. Lutheran North, ranked third in Division 3, held a 10-9 edge with shots on frame and also held a 5-3 edge on cornerkicks.

Senior forward/midfielder Cameron Cole, a NCAA Division I signee with NCAA Division I University of Toledo, scored the first two goals for St. Mary’s (14-2-1) which gave her a team-best 34 goals on the season.

She scored in the 10th minute and tallied again off a breakaway in the 42nd minute.

Junior Caroline Kopmeyer netted an insurance tally in the 43rd minute off a feed from senior Gwyn Teshka, as the Eaglets’ second and third goals came less than two minutes apart and inside the first three minutes of the second half.

Junior Kira Howcroft, who missed last season with an injury, has shined bright between the pipes this season and did again in the Bishop Tournament finals. She finished with nine saves in 10 chances in the finals, including stopping Lutheran North All-State senior forward Marena Maceroni on a breakaway in the first half.

WATCH GAME HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOPm_qDGdxk

The Mustangs (13-2-3, 6-1-1 in CHSL-AA Division play) lost to top-seeded St. Mary’s twice this season – the program’s only two defeats in 2024 – dropping a 2-1 decision to the Eaglets back on May 8 in the CHSL-AA Division finale as well as in the Cardinal Tournament finals as the No. 2 seed.

The Mustangs had their fair of chances coming in both the run of play and numerous set pieces throughout the contest but could only forge a 73rd-minute goal from junior Logan Solo, who started the game in goal but was pushed up into the attack midway through the second half to try to ignite some offense for Lutheran North. The Mustangs made their first appearance in the CHSL finals after joining the league nearly two decades ago.

CHSL-ST. ANNE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

ALLEN PARK CABRINI 6, BLOOMFIELD HILLS SACRED HEART 1: Revenge can be sweet, especially in a tournament setting.

And especially when a previous loss halted a division championship.

Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart, a first-year program where it is the host school for the first time after being part of a co-op as a secondary school, defeated Cabrini 3-2 in a CHSL-Intersectional Division game April 23. This time around Allen Park Cabrini sacked its revenge on Sacred Hear with a resounding 6-1 victory over the Gazelles in the CHSL-St. Anne Tournament finals at Royal Oak Shrine.

The Gazelles (9-5-0) couldn’t find the same magic as a month ago. Sacred Heart finished 6-0-0 in the CHSL-Intersectional Division to win it outright and gain the No. 1 seed for the newly-created St. Anne Tournament.

Sacred Heart picked up a 38th-minute goal from freshman Magnolia Marsh who after colliding with Cabrini goalkeeper Isabella Perez in the middle of the box as both were trying to play the ball, Marsh scooped up the loose ball and tucked it into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

The momentum was short-lived as Cabrini marched down the field a minute later and senior Kaitlyn Jabczenski headed home a Natalie Courtright cornerkick in traffic to put the Monarchs up for good at 2-1 just before the break.

Cabrini (10-3-2) was the Class C-D Tournament runner-up three straight times from 2013-2015 but never finished on the top of the pyramid until now. The Monarchs scored four times in the second half to prevail and make sure there would be no runner-up trophy being carted back to Allen Park this year.

Senior Madelynn Glazier netted the hattrick in the second half, scoring goals in the 46th minute, 68th minute and 72nd minute, while Jabczenski netted her second tally of the afternoon in the 58th minute for the Monarchs.

WATCH GAME HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC3jHeJzhuE

Perez finished the day with just one save as Cabrini dominated the stat book. The Monarchs outshot Sacred Heart by a 15-3 margin, including 8-2 with shots on frame, and even held an 8-3 edge on cornerkicks.

Freshman Katherine Pugh recorded two saves for Sacred Heart, which had spent the last eight seasons as the secondary school with Clarkston Everest Collegiate but had enough players in its school for a team this year.

WATCH GAMES HERE ON MSN:

CHSL-BISHOP TOURNAMENT FINALS: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8zumZvWVbk

CHSL-CARDINAL TOURNAMENT FINALS: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOPm_qDGdxk

CHSL-ST. ANNE TOURNAMENT FINALS: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC3jHeJzhuE

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Michigan+Soccer+NEtwork

MOST CHSL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS:

Birmingham Marian: 19

Madison Heights Bishop Foley: 11

Farmington Hills Mercy: 6

Royal Oak Shrine: 5

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes-Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified: 4

Livonia Ladywood: 2

Harper Woods Regina/Warren Regina: 1

Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard: 1

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: 1

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s: 1

Clarkston Everest Collegiate-Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart Unified: 1

Wixom St. Catherine of Siena: 1

Allen Park Cabrini: 1

Dearborn Divine Child: 1

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: 1

Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett: 0

Ann Arbor Greenhills: 0

Marine City Cardinal Mooney: 0

Macomb Lutheran North: 0

Jackson Lumen Christi: 0

Chesterfield Township Austin Catholic: 0

Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart: 0

West Bloomfield Jewish Academy: 0

Detroit Cristo Rey: 0

Southfield Aquinas: 0

Dearborn St. Alphonsus: 0

Wyandotte Mt. Carmel: 0

Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher: 0

Warren/Hamtramck Immaculate Conception: 0

Center Line St. Clement: 0

2024 DIVISIONAL WINNERS:

CHSL-Central Division: Birmingham Marian (4-0-1)

CHSL-AA Division: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (8-0-0)

CHSL-Intersectional Division: Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart (6-0-0)

(MSN will compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in results from high school varsity, club, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer, email all pertinent details to Communications Specialist / Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website.)