BY DAN STICKRADT
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
PH: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
FLINT, Mich. – In the early potion of the 2024 season, Josh Back said his team was built for championships.
The Goodrich girls soccer coach’s dreams have been realized – so far.
For what is believed to be the first time in school history, the Martians have captured both a league and district championship in the same season and are very much alive in the Division 2 postseason.
Unranked Goodrich (15-5-0) will face honorable mention DeWitt (11-4-6) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Waterford Kettering High School in the regional semifinals for the right to advance to the regional finals – which would be the furthest any Goodrich girls soccer team has advanced.
The Martians put the finishing touches on the school’s third straight district championship Friday night with a 4-1 victory over Swartz Creek. Anna Perry scored twice with Maggie Francis and Baylor Lauinger adding single goals for Goodrich in the district finals at Flint Carman-Ainsworth High School.
“Our goal all along is to win the league and district this season,” said Back to MSN back in mid-April. “We had a great run last year and we want to go even further this year.”
Goodrich is 15-5-0 overall this season, one of the top records in school history. The Martians have outscored the opposition 56-17 with 13 shutouts while only being shut out three times – all by Division 1 programs much larger than Goodrich.
On the All-Flint Metro League teams, the Martians were well represented with three players on the first team, three players on the second team, one player on the third team and two more on the honorable mention list.
Coach Back was voted unanimously as the FML Coach of the Year.
Senior center back Clare Kowalczyk, who has signed with NCAA Division II Michigan Tech University, is a repeat offender on the All-FML First Team and was All-State Second Team last season when she led Goodrich to a third-place finish in the league and to a rare district championship.
The Martians were knocked out in the Division 2 regional semifinals last season by St. Clair (4-1).
Junior goalkeeper Izzy Barlett and junior forward joined Kowalczyk on the All-League First Team, while juniors Lucy Rafferty (M) and Addyson West (F/M) and freshman Baylor Lauinger (M) were named to the All-FML Second Team.
Sophomore Kaylee Eickoff (CB) was the sole Goodrich honoree on the FML Third Team, while sophomore Maggie Francis (M/F) and freshman Cate Abraham (M) earned All-FML Honorable Mention.
Other key players on the roster include seniors McKenna Stockwell (D) and McKenzie Cabala (D), juniors Ella Place (F) and Kamryn Louinger (M), sophomores Lily May (M), Jenna Stockwell (D/M) and Noa Berry (D) and freshman Olivia Millerd (M/D).
Inside the Flint Metro League, Goodrich was a perfect 11-0-0 to win the league for the first time since joining the conference from the Genesee Area Conference more than a decade ago. The Martians outscored their 11 conference foes 45-1 this spring with the lone goal conceded coming in a 2-1 victory over Lake Fenton back on April 10 in just Goodrich’s second league game of the season.
Four of the five losses came against D-1 programs with the sole exception being D-3 state-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, while the Martians were actually 2-4-0 against D-1 teams in the regular season. Goodrich has yet to lose to a Division 2 school entering the regional semifinals.
Goodrich outscored its three postseason opponents so far 8-1 with two clean sheets – defeating Flint Kearsley (1-0), Ortonville Brandon (3-0) and Swartz Creek (4-1) to earn the date with DeWitt, which has consistently been a top 15 or honorable mention entry into the Division 2 state rankings for the past two decades.
“This has the potential to be the best team we’ve had here at Goodrich,” said Back earlier this season. Back has guided Goodrich to district crowns in 2022, 2023 and 2024 while the previous district title came 18 years ago back in 2006.
“We brought back most of our starting lineup and have depth back as well. We also have a very talented freshmen class and those ninth-graders have made an impact.”
The 2023 Martians captured just the school’s second-ever district championship. This is the first time the school has earned back-to-back-to-back district trophies," add Back.
(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer of teams or players with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com, or call 248-884-1051. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com.)
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