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CONFERENCE PREVIEWS: WOLVERINE CONFERENCE TEAM CAPSULES

Updated: May 3, 2023




WOLVERINE CONFERENCE:

Below are the team capsules for the Wolverine Conference. Rounds of Emails were sent to the athletics departments and coaching staffs of every girls soccer program in the state where coaches emails were available in March. To submit information for missing schools, submit additional information, or to make corrections, please email Web and Content Editor Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or text to (248) 884-1051.


Teams – Edwardsburg, Niles, Otsego, Paw Paw, Plainwell, Sturgis, Three Rivers, Vicksburg


SCHOOL: Edwardsburg

HEAD COACH: Sean Jesse

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 7-6-2, 4-3-2 Wolverine (fifth)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Lost to Stevensville-Lakeshore (6-1) in D-2 pre-district

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Madison Ahern, sr. M; Jenna Stowasser, sr. D/F

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS:

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: Edwardsburg hopes to have enough talent to leapfrog into the upper echelon of the Wolverine. The school’s boys team cracked the rankings last fall in D-2.


SCHOOL: Niles

HEAD COACH: Jaycee Myer

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 2-17-0, 0-9-0 Wolverine (10th)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Lost to Vicksburg (7-0) in D-2 pre-district

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Matigan Rittenbach, sr. G; Tori Yates, sr. D; Ariana Vasquez, soph. F; Mary Saylor, sr. M; Elayna Balderas, soph. M/F; Arley Wagner, sr. D

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS:

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: After finishing in the cellar of the WC last spring, Niles hopes to show enough improvement to climb a few spots in the standings.


SCHOOL: Otsego

HEAD COACH: Levi Butcher

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 14-5-1, 7-2-0 Wolverine (second)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Def. Lake Odessa Lakewood (7-0); def. Portland (2-0, OT, district finals); def. Brooklyn Columbia Central (8-0); lost to Hudsonville Unity Christian (5-0) in D-3 regional finals

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Avery Davis, jr. G (All-State Honorable Mention); Olivia Timmons, soph. F

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS:

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: Otsego posted one of of its best seasons to date last year, finishing second in the Wolverine Conference, winning its district, and advancing all the way to the Elite Eight (regional finals). A bulk of the lineup graduated and the Bulldogs have plenty of question marks to answer this spring.


SCHOOL: Paw Paw

HEAD COACH: Jose Patino

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 9-6-1, 6-2-1 Wolverine (third)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Lost to St. Joseph (3-0) in D-2 pre-district.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Anya Butler, jr. D; Katelyn Gasper, sr. M

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS:

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: After a third-place finish in the Wolverine Conference, which slips back from 10 schools to eighth schools this season, Paw Paw is hoping to challenge Plainwell in the conference race.


SCHOOL: Plainwell

HEAD COACH: Gerry Snyder

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 16-2-0, 9-0-0 Wolverine (first)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Def. Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg (3-1); lost to Zeeland West (4-2) in D-2 district finals

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: 2011

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: 1987, 1988, 1990, 2012

RETURNING STARTERS: Kailah Newcomb, jr. M (All-State Third Team; 18 goals); Kayla Baar, jr. F (All-League First Team); Gabby Zugel, sr. D (All-State Third Team); Catelyn Engel, sr. M; Eliza Harris, sr. G (All-League First Team); Nicole Faupel, sr. F; Berlynn Conley, sr. D; Alexandra Thornton, jr. F; Renae Jaeger, sr. D; Brooklyn Timpe, jr. M

OTHER KEY RETURNEES: Ellery Troff, sr. F; Emily Stoeffler, jr. M

KEY NEWCOMERS: Laken Whittington, sr., M (spent last season with Midwest United ECNL; All-State in 2021; signed with NCAA Division I Belmont University); Evelyn Award, jr. M; Sadie Boven, soph. M; Alyna Eldred, fr. F; Cayden Enckel, jr. D; Lily Henderschott, fr. D; Anna Schierbeek., fr. D/M; Emma Taylor, fr. M; Alyssa Weldon, fr. D/M

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: By a wide margin Plainwell is the most successful girls soccer program in the 35-year history of the Wolverine Conference. Plainwell has reached the state finals in Division 2 or Class B a combined five times since 1987 and won a state championship in 2011. In total there have been 10 Final Four appearances, five state finals appearances and four state runner-up showings to go along with the one state title. Plainwell is also gunning for its eighth straight league title. The Trojans were upset in the district finals last season but bring back a solid and deep core as they will go after a league and district trophy this season.


SCHOOL: Sturgis

HEAD COACH: Jesus Hernandez

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 3-14-0, 2-8-0 Wolverine (ninth)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Lost to Mattawan (8-0) in D-2 pre-districts

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Camille Brants, sr.; Fernanda Garcia-Luna, sr.; Jacqueline Gordillo, sr.; Kristen Hesse, sr.; Graciela Ramirez, sr.

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS:

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: Sturgis suffered through a rebuilding campaign in 2022. Registering more than three wins this season is an attainable goal.


SCHOOL: Three Rivers

HEAD COACH: Travis Schubnell

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 9-12-0, 3-6-0 Wolverine (eighth)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Def. Coloma (3-0); def. Watervliet (5-0); lost to South Haven (4-0) in the D-3 district finals

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Tori Thorbjornsen, sr. F; Paige McDonald, soph. M; Summer Morrill, sr. M/D (Cleary University); Olivia Hall, jr. F

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS: Amaria Currier, fr. G

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: Three Rivers is projected to be one of the most improved teams not only in the Wolverine, but in Division 3, as well. The program was already listed as honorable mention in the D-3 polls this season and hopes to slide into the top third of this league, which shrinks from 10 to eighth schools this school year.


SCHOOL: Vicksburg

HEAD COACH: Lahou Boulnemour

2022 OVERALL RECORD / LEAGUE RECORD / LEAGUE FINISH: 7-11-3, 6-3-0 Wolverine (fourth)

2022 STATE TOURNAMENT RESULTS: Def. Niles (7-0); lost to Mattawan (5-0) in D-2 district semifinals

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS: None

STATE RUNNER-UP SEASONS: None

RETURNING STARTERS: Ella Rohrstaff, soph. M (All-League First Team); Hannah DeVries, soph. D; Rylee Crabtree, sr. M; Malorie Heflin, sr. D; Peyton Hoopingarner, jr. M

OTHER KEY RETURNEES:

KEY NEWCOMERS: Emelyn Germay, fr.; Eleanor Lincoln, fr.; Solana Sutheraland, fr.; Kelsei Tuinier, fr.

OUTLOOK / NOTABLES / COACHES COMMENTS: Vicksburg is a program that could be on the rise with a solid core of returnees and the fact they finished fourth out of 10 schools last year in the Wolverine.


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