BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
NEW BOSTON, Mich. – The unbeaten season continued for New Boston Huron and with it the school’s first-ever Huron League championship in girls soccer is now in the books.
After going 6-0-1 in the first go-around of Huron League play, the Chiefs went 3-0-0 in the round-robin portion of the Huron League schedule against the other three schools that finished in the top four of the eight-school league. Huron recorded a 3-0 home victory over Grosse Ile Wednesday in the final game of the league season to clinch the title against the school that has won more Huron League titles than anyone in league history.
New Boston Huron moved to 13-0-2 overall and added to its best start in school history. The Division 2 11th-ranked Chiefs have recorded three straight shutouts and posted 12 clean sheets on the campaign. The win also halted Grosse Ile’s 15-game unbeaten streak.
“We only graduated two players from last year’s team, so I figured that we would be good this season,” admitted second-year New Boston Huron head coach Matt Lividini, an accomplished soccer player in his own right after finishing fifth in the Mr. Soccer voting for Riverview Gabriel Richard back in the fall of 1991. “Most of our girls in our program play club and they have a lot of experience, so I figured we could have a team that could challenge in our league this year.”
After trying Grosse Ile 3-3 back on April 10 in the team’s only league blemish and drawing with the Red Devils three times combined during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Huron scored twice in the first 14 minutes and added an insurance tally in the 74th minute to cap the scoring and prevail against one of its longtime nemesis.
“We’ve had some good games with them,” mentioned Lividini about battles with perennial powerhouse Grosse Ile. “We’ve tied them a few times lately. I’ve only been the head coach on varsity for two years and I was an assistant before that, but we haven’t beaten them too many times.
“I know we’ve never won the league, at least since I’ve been here,” continued Lividini.
New Boston Huron Director of Athletics Jake Shulaw confirmed that New Boston Huron is an original member of the Huron League and that this was indeed the first conference crown for the school’s girls soccer program.
The Chiefs came ready to play against Division 3 fifth-ranked Grosse Ile, scoring twice in the opening 13 minutes and adding a late insurance tally in the second half to halt the red-hot Red Devils, who had not lost a game since a season-opening 5-0 loss to Division 1 state power and fourth-ranked Saline back on April 2. Saline is 13-1-3 and was a Final Four participant in D-1 last season.
Grosse Ile carried its long unbeaten streak into the game and was playing like a confident side shooting for a conference championship. New Boston Huron had other plans.
Junior Gabriella Emelian set up fellow junior Rylie Cassette with a sitter which proved to be the game-winner just 8:15 into the match. Emelian’s shot was deflected and Cassette was there at close-range to knock home the rebound for her team-leading 23rd goal of the season.
The Chiefs, 9-0-1 against league competition, added to their lead in the 13th minute when sophomore Maggie Mentzer volleyed home a cornerkick from fellow sophomore Ava Banko for her eighth tally of the campaign.
It was Emelian that struck again with 7:30 left, this time redirecting a cornerkick from Banko to cap the scoring. Emelian is second in the scoring departments for the Chiefs with 15 goals on the season.
Sophomore Brooklyn Burke, a converted goalkeeper last season, turned aside 10 shots for her 12th clean sheet of the season for the Chiefs, who have posted impressive numbers all over the field with a 77-5 scoring edge. The 12th shutout of the season is a school record and it comes along with the sterling defensive effort of the New Boston Huron backline, anchored by juniors Addison Dolencic and Kelly Eaton and senior Lily Cholette.
The Chiefs’ team goal-against-average is a paltry 0.34, yet another school record if the defense continues to hold the opposition off the scoreboard.
“Our defense has been solid all season,” noted Lividini. “I know Broke is credited with another shutout and she’s played well back there. But we couldn’t have done it without our defense being so strong. That’s our 12th shutout as a team and we haven’t given up many goals all season. I think it’s only five (goals allowed).”
Grosse Ile (10-2-5, 7-1-2 Huron League) has outscored its opponents 58-15 this season and posted 11 clean sheets of its own but could not find the scoring touch this time around against the Chiefs. The Red Devils were red hot during the Division 3 postseason last year, knocking off several ranked teams enroute to the state finals where they dropped a 3-0 decision to top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian which captured its 11th state crown. The Red Devils were shut down by New Boston Huron, which only has five seniors on its roster compared to nine juniors, six sophomores and one freshman.
Senior holding midfielder Maggie Warden has also been solid for the Chiefs and one of several players that earned All-Huron League honors or All-District accolades last season. Cassette, Emelian, Mentzer, Dolencic and Warden gained the top honors for the Chiefs last season and should again this season. Freshman midfielder Miley Skamiera has also been impressive during her debut season as one of Michigan’s top ninth-grade talents on the high school circuit.
“And we’re still young,” reminded Lividini. “We only have five seniors on the team and only two start. Plus, we have large junior and sophomore classes and one really good ninth-grader. I expect we could be good again next year.”
New Boston Huron is not done yet, as the Chiefs have a non-conference game at home against Division 4 state-ranked Royal Oak Shrine Catholic May 20 before picking up a first-round bye in their Division 2 district.
“We still have one more game before districts begin, and we have a tough district with Riverview and Trenton in there,” added Lividini. “Last year Trenton won the district and reached (the regional finals). We would still have to win our (district semifinal) before we can even think about them (Trenton). But we’re hoping we have a shot at them. They are another really strong program in the downriver area.”
(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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