BY DAN STICKRADT
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
PH: (248) 884-1051
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DREAM TEAM REVEAL SHOW: www. youtube.com/watch?v=qeQd8OUqFlM
GIRLS SOCCER: All-State Dream Team, Offensive, Defensive Players of the Year are a talented bunch: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/girls-soccer-all-state-dream-team-offensive-defensive-players-of-the-year-are-a-talented-bunch
GIRLS SOCCER: Hudsonville Unity Christian ties MHSAA record with 12th state title at Grosse Ile’s expense:
GIRLS SOCCER: Unity Christian blanks Freeland to advance to 16th state championship match:
GIRLS SOCCER: OTTAWA KENT CONFERENCE BLUE DIVISION TEAM CAPSULES: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/ottawa-kent-conference-blue-division-girls-soccer-team-capsules-2024
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – If there’s one thing that Ava Lutke has proven over the last three years, it’s that she is a winner.
Lutke, who recently finished her junior school year at Hudsonville Unity Christian High School, has already captured three Ottawa Kent Conference-Blue Division league titles, to go along with three Division 3 district and regional crowns and been to the Final Four three times. Oh, and that’s right, her Unity Christian side finished as the D-3 state runner-up in 2022 and won back-to-back crowns in 2023 and 2024.
But she’s proven a lot more than being a winner on the pitch.
“She means a lot to our program,” admitted Randy Heethuis, who has been Unity Christian’s coach since 1990 and has coached legions of players to All-League, All-District, All-Region, All-Area and All-State honors and even several dozen to the college ranks. “Ava’s numbers were down a little bit but we moved her into more of an attacking midfielder role instead of playing mostly forward and while her goals are down, she still led our offense and became more of a facilitator. But she still scores and is a great (playmaker). A lot of what we do offensively starts with Ava.”
Former player and 2008 Unity Christian graduate Laura Heyboer earned All-State First Team and All-State Dream Team honors all four years – one of just a few players in Michigan history to do so. Heyboer also won Miss Soccer and Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2007 and 2008 – the only Michigan player to win both of those awards twice.
Lutke has a chance to be All-State First Team all four years as well and has followed a similar pathway to success as one of the very best players to don the Unity Christian jersey.
Lutke also proved that Unity Christian doesn’t rebuild, but the Crusaders simply reload.
The 2023 Unity Christian team was a senior-laden squad and seven of the eight All-State players were seniors with Lutke being a sophomore at the time. This was the school’s 11th state crown and it was an explosive roster that finished with 16 shutouts and a 113-8 scoring edge. Unity Christian also had 12 seniors on that roster on a team that finished 21-1-2.
This years’ team outscored its opposition 110-11 with 15 shutouts in 24 games. There were only eight returning letterwinners and four returning starters including Lutke. But Lutke and the Crusaders still finished an impressive 22-1-1 over 24 games and tied the MHSAA state record with their 12th state title in the last quarter century. Madison Heights Bishop Foley also has 12 state titles to its rich history.
“It’s been unbelievable what we’ve been able to do, getting here three years in a row and winning now back-to-back (state championships) is absolutely amazing. I love it,” said Lutke, who attended Allendale Christian School in middle school and that institution feeds into Unity Christian.
“We had a lot of new players this year, but we were still able to get back here and win it,” added Lutke, who has no regrets playing high school soccer and leading her high school to high levels of success. “It means a lot. I love Unity – and it feels great just to be able to represent Unity Christian.”
So far, Lutke is a three-time All-OKC-Blue Division, All-District, All-Region, All-Area and All-State athlete for Unity Christian. Lutke, who also stars for her Michigan Rangers FC club team at the Elite 64 level of the club soccer pyramid, is also a three-time All-State First Team honoree and made the 11-player All-State Dream Team as both a sophomore and junior.
The No. 1-rated player in Division 3 in 2024, Lutke was a finalist for Miss Soccer 2024 and will be the clear-cut frontrunner in 2025 for the prestigious honor given to the top high school soccer player by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association each June. The award dates back to 1983.
“It has (crossed my mind) a little bit. I definitely want it, but as long as I got my team and we’re winning (state championships), that’s all that matters,” said Lutke. “I know my (teammates) have my back and it’s great to win (titles and awards).”
Kendall Aikens over at Division 1 Hudsonville High School earned the award in 2024 after helping her team put up a 64-7-10 overall record over four seasons and also earning All-State Dream Team honors as a junior and senior. Aikens and Lutke are teammates with the Michigan Rangers and close friends.
Lutke has a chance to pass that all up to cement her legacy in not only Unity Christian’s rich history, but that of MHSAA lore and in the MIHSSCA history as well. If she earns All-State Dream Team honors as a senior, Lutke will join a very small cast of boys soccer and girls soccer players from Michigan to earn All-State Dream Team accolades three or four times in their careers. She is already on a very short list of players to make All-State First Team three times.
Unity Christian’s numbers have been unreal the last three years with Lutke on the pitch. Unity Christian has competed in 72 games from 2022-2024 and posted a 64-4-4 overall record, including 29-0-1 in the OKAC-Blue Division. The only tie this season came in the OKC-Blue Tournament finals against eventual Division 2 state champion Spring Lake (1-1).
The Crusaders have outscored the opposition 326-36 during this three-year span with 42 shutouts in 72 games. Unity Christian has also played some tougher Division 2 and Division 1 competition over the years with their only losses coming against Hudsonville (3-2 in 2024), Richland-Gull Lake (1-0 in 2023) and bookend games against Hudsonville (2-1, 2022 season opener) and Williamston (3-2, 2022 state finals). And none of those programs are slouches.
Lutke has produced on the pitch, totaling 21 goals and 19 assists this season for D-3 state champion Unity Christian and has 76 goals and 55 assists so far at the prep level. She’s also the leading goal scorer for her Michigan Rangers FC club team which has a multitude of current players that have signed or pledged to play for NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II schools across the country.
Although Lutke does not play club soccer in the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) or the Girls Academy circles, she is still considered a top 100 prospect in the Class of 2025 and recently made an oral commitment to play college soccer at NCAA Division I Michigan State University of the Big Ten Conference.
Lutke has played in three straight state finals matches at Michigan State’s DeMartin Stadium, where she will suit up come August of 2025 and compete for the Spartans on the same pitch at the collegiate level. But not before she hopes to lead Unity Christian on the pitch one last time next spring and lead the Crusaders to more state glory in 2025.
“It means a lot. It’s unreal to play here during high school and to know I’ll be here for four years in college. It feels great,” beamed Lutke.
“It’s been a great three years,” she added. “It hasn’t really set in yet, but I think we can go out there next year and try to win it again.”
MIHSSCA DREAM TEAM REVEAL SHOW 2024: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/girls-soccer-all-state-dream-team-offensive-defensive-players-of-the-year-are-a-talented-bunch
GIRLS SOCCER: All-State Dream Team, Offensive, Defensive Players of the Year are a talented bunch: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/girls-soccer-all-state-dream-team-offensive-defensive-players-of-the-year-are-a-talented-bunch
DREAM TEAM SAMPLE:
AVA LUTKE, Hudsonville Unity Christian jr. M/F: Already considered a top-100 prospect nationally, the Michigan Rangers standout has accomplished more in three years at the high school level than most do in an entire career. The three-time Division 3 All-State First Team honoree was also All-State Dream Team in both 2023 and 2024 and the top-rated player in Division 3. This year, she spent more of her time as an attacking midfielder as compared to a striker the last two seasons, but the versatile standout also excels up top in her natural position at forward. The NCAA Division I Michigan State-commit had 21 goals and 19 assists this season and has 76 goals and 55 assists so far at the prep level and should be the front-runner for Miss Soccer in 2025 after being a candidate already this season. Team-wise, Unity Christian has won three Ottawa Kent Conference-Blue Division league titles, three straight district and regional crowns and played in three D-3 state titles games, losing to Williamston in 2022 and winning in 2023 and 2024. The Crusaders outscored the opposition 110-11 this season with 15 shutouts and posted a 22-1-1 record this season. Overall, Unity’s three-year totals with Lutke in the lineup includes a combined 64-4-4 record, 42 shutouts and a 326-36 scoring edge. She is a three-time All-League, All-District, All-Area, All-Region and All-State player and amongst the all-time greats for Unity Christian, which tied the state record this season with its 12th state title.
(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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