BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR
Twitter: @MiSoccerNetwork
GIRLS SOCCER: Ovid-Elsie outlasts Williamston in 10 rounds of PKs to win first district; Eaton Rapids wins first district in 20 years; Mason, Lakeview, Fremont, DeWitt earn titles
OVID, Mich. – The first-ever win over state powerhouse Williamston is in the record books and so is the school’s first-ever district crown.
The Marauders took down Williamston 1-0 in a shootout Saturday to earn their first Division 3 district title after losing in the district finals the last three years and several other times before 2020.
Ovid-Elsie posted an 8-7 edge on penalties in a shootout to help gain the goal to prevail.
The two teams played 80 minutes of regulation and through two scoreless 10-minute full overtime periods to set up the shootout at Ovid-Elsie. The shootout went 10 rounds before senior Genevieve Hills scored in the 10th round of PKs to net the clincher and send the Marauders to a midfield jubilee to celebrate the first district title.
Senior Ava Bates, who is headed to NCAA Division II Northern Michigan University for basketball, gained the shutout. The talented and highly-athletic senior missed three weeks with a minor injury but came back in late May and has regained her form in goal to aid the Marauders quest for the elusive district trophy.
Williamston finishes 6-7-5.
Ovid-Elsie improves to 14-3-3 on the campaign and will head south to Williamston Tuesday night to face Eaton Rapids at 7 p.m. in a Division 3 regional semifinals match. Fifth-ranked Grosse Ile (14-25) takes on Ann Arbor Greenhills (8-6-1) in the other semifinals game at 5 p.m.
EATON RAPIDS 4, OLIVET 0: The 20-year drought has ended, and Capital Area Athletic Conference-White Division champion Eaton Rapids captured its first district title in two decades Saturday afternoon.
The Greyhounds (14-6-0) went 7-0-0 in CAAC-White play but finished third in the CAAC-Bronze Tournament bracket, play in the regional semifinals Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Williamston High School against Mid-Michigan Athletic Conference champion Ovid-Elsie.
Kylie Grubaugh scored off an assists from Hannah Garrity in the early minutes and added goal from Mara Elorza late in the first half off a rebound header following a shot by Kennadie Crow to help the Greyhounds build a 2-0 advantage by the break.
Grubaugh and Kylie Alvarez added second-half tallies and Amira Tello notched Eaton Rapids’ ninth shutout of the season in the win. Garrity notched two assists and Sophie Monroe added a single helper in the victory.
The Greyhounds have no outscored the opposition 62-25 this season and have now won four straight contests entering regional play where they have outscored their foes 21-1 during the four-game win streak.
MASON 2, MARSHALL 0: In a battle of top-15 ranked teams, 11th-ranked Mason posted this shutout of No. 13-ranked Marshall in Division 2 districts finals battle that featured two ranked teams.
Mason is the Capital Area Athletic Conference-White Division and CAAC-Gold Tournament champions this season. Marshall recently captured its eighth straight Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title
Ironically, the last goal that Mason’s defense allowed came way back on April 20 in a 1-1 tie with Marshall. The Bulldogs have gone 8-0-3 since with 11 straight clean sheets.
Mya Carnevale and Brenna Budzynski scored unassisted goals to lead the Bulldogs (12-1-3), whose only loss came in the East Lansing Tournament finals to Kalamazoo Loy-Norrix – and that contest ended with a 1-0 setback in a shootout.
Audrey Walkington, an All-State Honorable Mention selection last season, notched the shutout between the pipes, while Ava Ruster anchored the defense for a team that now has a sterling 0.25 team goals-against-average.
Mason has outscored the opposition 44-4 this season and have only conceded one goal apiece to Marshall, Kalamazoo Loy-Norrix, Fowlerville and Haslett and all of those goals allowed took place between April 10-20.
ST. CLAIR SHORES LAKEVIEW 1, FRASER 0 (2OT, SO): Lakeview moved to 18-0-2 on the season and have now outscored its opposition 106-3 thanks to this shootout win in a Division 1 district finals at Sterling Heights Stevenson.
Autumn Wirick notched her team’s 18th shutout of the season in 20 games.
The Huskies will face Division 1 third-ranked Troy Tuesday in the regional semifinals at Rochester Stoney Creek.
FREMONT 2, MONTAGUE 1 (2OT): Less than three weeks after defeating Montague 9-4 in a West Michigan Conference game, Fremont found the pathway to a district trophy a little more congested this time.
The Panthers found a way to edge Montague in double-overtime Saturday in a Division 3 district finals clash at Manistee High School.
Junior Riley Chase booted home the eventual gamer-winner off a cross from junior Mia Clemence with 5:34 remaining in overtime to lift Fremont (15-4-1) to the victory.
Clemence gave the Packers a 1-0 advantage with 35:00 still to go in the first half when she finished off a cross from senior Maddie Mater.
Montague (12-7-1) tied the game with 13:25 to go in the first half when Zaniya Meza-Wilson volleyed home a cornerkick from Braylyn Bultema.
Neither team could scored in the second half or first 10-minute overtime period.
DEWITT 1, ST. JOHNS 0: Ava Jacobson scored the game’s lone goal in the first half and the DeWitt defense held true to form in lifting the Panthers to their second straight Division 2 district title.
Madison McDonald notched the clean sheet in goal, DeWitt’s ninth of the season, as the Panthers have now outscored their opposition 45-18 this season with nine shutouts.
DeWitt was second in the Capital Area Athletic Conference-Blue Division this season and also lost in the CAAC-Gold Tournament finals to Mason.
DeWitt (11-4-6) will face Flint Metro League champion Goodrich at Waterford Kettering Tuesday in the regional semifinals.
(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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