Soccer roundup: SL scores tight win; GH comes up short
Soccer roundup: SL scores tight win; GH comes up short
Grand Haven’s varsity boys soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to Reeths-Puffer, while Spring Lake used a late goal to edge Mona Shores in its season opener to beat the Sailors on Tuesday, 2-1.
SL soccer opens season with win over Mona Shores
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Spring Lake's varsity boys soccer team opened its 2012 season with a thrilling 2-1 win over Mona Shores at Spring Lake Middle School. The Lakers won the game on a penalty kick in the final minute of play. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
Muskegon Mona Shores
(0-1-0)
1
8/21/20126:45 p.m.
Spring Lake
(1-0-0)
2
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
[pic]Spring Lake defeats Muskegon Mona Shores 2-1 on late penalty kick in Tuesday's boys soccer game
Anthony Learman | alearman1@, August 21, 2012 9:14 p.m.
Spring Lake's Adam Clauss buried a penalty kick with 1:27 remaining in the second half to give the Lakers a season-opening win.
"We had a cross in the box, and their guy held down our guy," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said.
Riley Kammeraad scored the opening goal in the first half for Spring Lake, with an assist from Austin Garbis. Joe Czakja made seven saves.
Jake Carlson scored for Muskegon Mona Shores with eight minutes left in the game. Josh Wolfiss made six saves.
Adam Clauss ready to take on challenge of leading Spring Lake boys soccer team back to state finals
Scott Brandenburg | sbranden@, August 22, 2012 11:59 p.m.
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Adam Clauss, who earned first-team all-state honors while leading Spring Lake to the Division 2 state finals, hopes to get his team back to the finals this season. - (Contributed photo)
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Adam Crauss
Adam Clauss loves a good challenge.
That's one of the biggest reasons why the Spring Lake senior loves sports.
Clauss' latest trial came playing for the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors U-18 team this past summer. It was his first year playing for the Crew, and this particular squad boasted tons of talent and had won a national title as a U-17 team the year before.
"They had two guys going to Michigan, two to Michigan State, one to Oakland, a couple to Detroit..," Clauss said of his Crew teammates. "Since it was my first year with the Crew and they were such a good team I felt it was a challenge to do well enough to earn their respect and just be able to contribute."
Clauss' hard work and talented play-making ability earned him a spot in the top 12 on the team and in the regular rotation, starting in a majority of them. He helped the Crew to finish runner-up at the national tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina in late July, losing to a team from Florida in the title match.
Clauss can now focus on his next challenge: Leading Spring Lake back to the state finals for another shot at a state title.
As a junior Clauss was the catalyst behind the Lakers' run to their first state title game, where they lost to Auburn Hills Avondale 2-1.
The Lakers and their standout midfielder know getting back to the title game is an extremely difficult thing to do, especially in soccer.
Clauss though is, of course, ready for the challenge.
"We're hoping to get to the state finals and win it but we have a lot of work to do," Clauss said. "We definitely have the team to do it.
"Everybody on this year's team is hungry to get back and win it this time."
Spring Lake has good reason for optimism this fall.
Clauss and five other seniors have been playing on the varsity team since they were sophomores.
The Lakers are strong throughout the field, with junior Nic Ellingboe and seniors Ben Keller and Erik Lukkari leading the defense, senior Riley Kammeraad a force up top and Clauss controlling the midfield.
Clauss has been one of the leaders of this group the entire way. He contributed to the varsity team as a freshman and has been a team captain ever since his sophomore season, something never before done under 12th-year coach Jeremy Thelen.
Spring Lake should be tested in the Lakes 8 by Fruitport and Orchard View. Top challengers in Division 2 will be Forest Hills Northern, Unity Christian, Dewitt and defending state champ Auburn Hills Avondale.
In his career the 5-8 senior, who primarily plays center midfield, Clauss has been honorable mention all-state as a freshman, third-team all-state as a sophomore and first-team all-state as a junior.
"Adam's a good leader," Thelen said. "He works his butt off. With his work ethic I'm hoping he becomes the first two-time first-team all-stater I've coached here at Spring Lake."
Clauss has been playing soccer since he was five, and he's competed with and as one of the best every step of the way.
He played with the Tri-Cities Strikers for seven years and for Georgetown Premier U-18 for a year before joining the Grand Rapids Crew. He's also participated in Olympic Development Program camps.
Clauss is athletic and versatile enough to play anywhere for Spring Lake, but his skill set makes him a perfect fit into Spring Lake's possession game as a midfielder.
"He's a smooth player," said Thelen of his 3-year captain. "His first touch is amazing. His vision on the field allows him to see what's going on before it happens. He knows where next pass should be going, and he trusts in his teammates around him. He's a creator."
Another quality which makes Clauss special is his ability to adapt to the team's personnel.
Over the last two seasons Clauss has been paired with different midfielders and adjusted his game to go along with those players.
Thelen's anxious to see how Clauss will do in his senior season with another opportunity to make plays.
To Clauss, it doesn't matter who gets the goals as long as they get more of them as a team than the opponent.
"It's great to score goals, but I almost enjoy passing and getting an assist just as much," said Clauss, who sports a 3.52 grade-point-average. "It's a team game and it feels really good when you have a good build up which results in a goal."
Clauss also possesses good quickness and foot speed. His ability to move quickly while he's dribbling the ball sets him apart.
Both of his parents, Tim and Becky Clauss, were good athletes in high school at Mount Pleasant and Manistee, respectively.
Clauss is no different. He started at shortstop on the baseball team, earning first-team All-Area honors, and started as point guard on Spring Lake's basketball team. He also has an older sister, Emily, who played four years of soccer on the Spring Lake varsity.
Next year Clauss will be playing for Division 1 Detroit-Mercy on an athletic scholarship.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play Division 1 soccer," said the easy-going captain, who's usually the primary penalty-kick shooter and free kick taker. "It was one of the challenges I set for myself. I enjoyed my trip there, I have a couple buddies of mine going there and I liked the coach.
"I just work as hard as I can to help team. That's what I'll try to do at Detroit just like I try to do that here. It felt really good to represent (Spring Lake) in the state finals and do something for the school."
Adam Clauss up close
Height: 5-8
Weight: 160
Position: Center midfielder
Favorite athlete: Robinho (Brazilian soccer star)
Favorite class: Biology
Favorite food: Beef Jerky
Favorite TV show: Family Guy
Favorite musician: Nas
Hobbies: Playing club soccer, basketball, sports
Future plans: Play soccer at Detroit-Mercy on an athletic scholarship while studying in the pre-dental field.
Ellingboe ends 'crazy game' in SL's favor
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:51 AM
AUG 28
2012
MUSKEGON
Spring Lake pulled out a hectic back-and-fourth 4-3 victory over Reeths-Puffer on Monday in non-conference boys soccer action.
Both teams scored goals in the opening two minutes of the game, and the contest was tied at 3-3 going into the closing minutes.
The Lakers scored the game-winner when defender Nic Ellingboe dribbled the length of the field and buried a shot in the back of the net.
Kaleb Winter scored twice for the Lakers, and Adam Clauss buried a penalty kick.
“It was a crazy game, just all over the place,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team is now 2-0 on the season.
Reeths-Puffer scored in the opening minute of play, then Clauss scored on a penalty kick after teammate K.J. Sanchez was tripped in the penalty box.
The Lakers tied it at 2-2 when Winter, who had just returned from a family vacation in California, scored on a rebound.
Winter then scored on a breakaway, assisted by Ellingboe, early in the second half for a 3-2 lead.
The Rockets tied the game on a penalty kick.
Shots were 19-all.
The Lakers host Holland Christian on Wednesday.
Spring Lake
(2-0-0)
4
8/27/20126:45 p.m.
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
(4-1-0)
3
Reeths-Puffer High School, Muskegon, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team fends off Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in rematch of district finals
Scott Brandenburg | sbranden@, August 27, 2012 8:25 p.m.
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Reeths-Puffer's Bradley Macomber watches as his penalty kick hits the back of the net to tie Monday's match with visiting Spring lake at 3-all. The Lakers went on to win 4-3. - (Scott Brandenburg | sbranden@)
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Reeths-Puffer senior forward Austin Blaski blasts a free kick towards the Spring Lake win in the Lakers' 4-3 win Monday. - (Scott Brandenburg | sbranden@)
MUSKEGON -When Spring Lake and Reeths-Puffer last met on the soccer field the Lakers edged the Rockets in a shootout in the district finals on their way to the Division 2 state finals.
Not much has changed this season.
Both teams showed off talent to match up with anyone in the state in another evenly matched contest with each other.
Once again it was the Lakers who escaped with the win, this time avoiding overtime in a 4-3 non-conference road win.
"It's always tough to play Reeths-Puffer," said Spring Lake senior Kaleb Winter, who scored two goals to help his team improve to 2-0. "We stepped up our ball control in the second half and finished better."
The Rockets (4-1) came out intent on making a statement against the Lakers, taking a pair of 1-goal leads in the first half.
Midfielder Bradley Macomber struck first just 4:38 into the game to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Adam Clauss pulled Spring Lake even with a penalty-kick goal 21 seconds later, but less than three minutes later senior Rockets forward Austin Blaski used his speed to break behind the experienced Lakers defense to give Puffer a 2-1 lead.
Spring Lake managed to tie the score again within three minutes on Winter's first goal.
From there the Rockets were dangerous the rest of the first half.
"Even though we return a lot of players we're still learning how to play with each other and looking for the best lineup," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen. "Reeths-Puffer always pushes hard so it's always a tough game with them."
The Lakers made more adjustments after halftime, which seemed to spark them right away.
Winter's second goal gave Spring Lake its first lead of the game just 18 seconds into the second half.
Macomber added a penalty-kick goal 13 minutes into the half on a handball in the box, but the second half had a different feel to it.
One adjustment the Lakers made which paid off was moving junior Nic Ellingboe back to sweeper and Ben Keller up to stopper.
The move paid off in unexpected ways as Ellingboe scored the game-winning goal with 13:25 to play in the game.
"We knew we were going to be solid on defense this season and so far we've been pleasantly surprise with our offense," said Reeths-Puffer coach Keith Knapp. "Spring Lake's a good team and they made some good adjustments after halftime. By the time we adjusted it was too late."
Both Rocket keeper Thomas Swiatek and Laker keeper Joseph Czajka made good saves to keep their respective teams within striking distance.
Both teams fired 19 shots.
"I wouldn't say we're disappointed with how we played in the first half, just glad that we finished more plays than they did," said Winter.
Spring Lake soccer remains unbeaten with win over Holland Christian
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:31 AM
AUG 30
2012
SPRING LAKE
After misfiring on several good scoring chances early in Tuesday’s game against Holland Christian, the Spring Lake varsity boys soccer team started to make the most out of its opportunities later in the game.
The result was an impressive 4-1 win over the Lakers, who are now 3-0 on the season.
“We had a lot of chances, but we couldn’t finish in the first half,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen.
Spring Lake finally capitalized just before halftime when Riley Kammeraad hit a shot that trickled past the Maroons’ keeper for the goal. Kaleb Winter got the assist on the play.
“It was 1-0 at halftime, and I told them at halftime, ‘C’mon boys, we’ve got to step up. We’re dominating play,” Thelen said.
His message was well received.
The Lakers made it 2-0 just 2 minutes into the second half when Adam Clauss scored on a header off a long throw-in from Austin Gabris.
Ben Keller scored with 20 minutes remaining in the game for a 3-0 lead, then Tyler Cole made it 4-0 with is first varsity goal later in the half.
The Maroons scored their lone goal off a corner kick with 8 minutes remaining in the game.
The Lakers play at home against Fremont on Tuesday.
Junior Varsity: Spring Lake suffered a 3-0 loss to Holland Christian.
Steinlage receives Big Ten honor
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:04 AM
SEP 04
2012
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EAST LANSING
Grand Haven native Annie Steinlage was named the Big Ten women’s soccer Defensive Player of the Week.
Steinlage, a junior at Michigan State University, earned the honor after scoring a goal and adding an assist in the Spartans’ 2-1 win over Akron.
Defensively, Steinlage led a unit that allowed just one shot on goal.
Steinlage was an all-state player at Spring Lake before moving on to MSU. She was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and was a member of the state’s Dream Team during her tenure at Spring Lake.
As a senior, Steinlage scored 29 goals and added 14 assists.
At Michigan State, Steinlage tied for second on the team in assists with four during her freshman season. She started all 19 games in her inaugural season at MSU.
This fall, she has a team-high two goals and two assists in five games. Her two goals have come on just seven shots.
Fremont
(2-2-0)
1
9/4/20126:45 p.m.
Spring Lake
(4-0-0)
8
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring lake boys soccer defeats Fremont 8-1
Nick Sarles | nsarles@, September 04, 2012 9:24 p.m.
Austin Gabris, Tyle Cole and Riley Kammeraad led Spring lake with two goals each. Teammates Kaleb Winter, and K.J. Sanchez also had one goal.
"It was a sloppy game." Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said.
"The concentration wasn't very high on both levels. It wasn't a clean and crisp game. I credit Freemont with a lot of work though.
Adam Cluass led Spring Lake's defense, with two saves.
Spring Lake soccer battles Grand Haven
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Spring Lake's varsity boys soccer team won a highly anticipated matchup against rival Grand Haven on Thursday, 6-0. The game matched two teams that played in the state finals last fall. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
SL soccer avenges loss to Bucs in a big way
MATT DEYOUNG
10:43 AM
SEP 07
2012
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GRAND HAVEN
Spring Lake senior Riley Kammeraad entered Thursday’s showdown against rival Grand Haven with a pair of losses weighing heavily on his mind.
Kammeraad’s Lakers lost just twice last fall — to Grand Haven early in the season, then to Auburn Hills Avondale in the Division 2 state finals.
The Lakers avenged their first loss in impressive fashion on Thursday, beating the Buccaneers, 6-0. In the process, they sent a message that they’re certainly capable of making it back to the state finals, where they can attempt to avenge their second loss.
“This feels so good because we haven’t beaten them every year I’ve been here, and it feels great to come out and win,” said Kammeraad, who accounted for half of the Lakers’ goals as he recorded a hat trick. “Last year we lost two games, to them and in the state finals. It feels good to beat them, and it feels really good to win 6-0.”
The game drew large, passionate crowds from both schools, and the Lakers’ Noah Ellingboe gave the visiting fans reason to celebrate just 10 minutes into the game when he took possession of a rebound and hit a blistering shot that went off the fingertips of Bucs’ goalie Corey VanderLaan and into the net.
Just 30 seconds later, the Lakers’ pressure forced a Bucs’ turnover, setting up Kammeraad for a wide-open shot that he buried into the net for a 2-0 advantage.
The Buccaneers looked to get a little momentum on their side late in the half when Christian Dault flicked a ball backward into the net following a Grand Haven free kick, but the goal was waved off because of an offsides penalty.
The Bucs had another goal disallowed by an offsides call early in the second half, then a few minutes later, Kammeraad scored his second goal to put the visiting Lakers firmly in control.
Adam Clauss scored off a volley to make it 4-0, then Ben Keller buried a shot for a 5-0 lead. Kammeraad then put an exclamation point on the win with his third goal late in the contest.
“We had a couple decisions to make with Riley, because he hasn’t been finishing very well for us lately,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team is now 5-0 and ranked No. 2 in the first Div. 2 poll of the year. “We started him at outside left (midfield) today, kind of took some pressure off him, then moved him up front and he did his job.”
“I knew I could beat them up top because of my speed, and I just took advantage of it,” Kammeraad added.
Sophomore goalie Joe Czajka made several nice saves for the Lakers to preserve the shutout. Defender Kyle Zietlow, also a sophomore, was outstanding from his sweeper position.
Clauss also played a fantastic game as he helped the Lakers control the middle of the field.
Thelen acknowledged that a win over his alma matter is always sweet, but was more concerned about what this win meant for his squad going forward.
“More than beating Grand Haven, the big story is, I have stressed to the guys time in and time out, if you play good soccer, the score will take care of itself,” said Thelen, who cautioned his players not to let Thursday’s win go to their heads.
“We still have to come out day in and day out and play our game. We could turn around and not play this well next week, and Fruitport could knock us down. I knew we could play at this level.”
For Grand Haven, the loss was a disappointing result for a young team trying to put together the pieces after losing a majority of its players from last year’s state finalist squad.
“I don’t want to keep saying we’re a young team, because eventually, you need to grow up,” coach Aaron Dean said. “Clearly, this loss is not the end of our season. This doesn’t affect our conference, and it doesn’t affect our end-of-season goals.
“There are certain things we’ll look at from this game and try to improve on.”
Junior Varsity: Grand Haven (3-1-1) scored a pair of second-half goals to beat Spring Lake, 2-0. Trevar DeVries and Connor Davison scored for the Bucs, while Logan Snider had an assist. The Bucs’ defenders, including Joe Wisniewski, Adam Greer, Snider and Jesse Adamovich limited the Lakers to one shot in each half, helping goalies Riley Taylor and Garrison Mast combine for the
shutout.
Spring Lake
(5-0-0)
6
9/6/20127:15 p.m.
Grand Haven
(4-3-1)
0
Grand Haven High School, Grand Haven, MI
Spring Lake defeats Grand Haven 6-0 in boys soccer action on Thursday
Jon Rzepecki | jrzepcki@, September 06, 2012 10:37 p.m.
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Spring Lake's Ben Keller, (from left), Adam Ross, Adam Clauss, and Torden Peek Jensen form a human barrier as Grand Haven's Kevin Lacroix attempts to score after a penalty - (Nikole Hanna )
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Spring Lake's Kaleb Winter, (8), leaps in front of an attempted pass by Grand Haven's Nick Scarpino - (Nikole Hanna )
Riley Kammeraad scored a hat-trick to lead Spring Lake. Kammeraad's first goal came within 45 seconds of Nic Ellingboe's goal at the 10-minute mark.
"We wanted to put out our best product," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said.
Lakers teammates K.J. Sanchez and Austin Gabris each had two assists and Adam Clauss scored once and assisted on one goal. Ben Keller scored Spring Lake's final goal.
"Our style is very fast paced and we're a very good team," Thelen said.
Gallery: Spring Lake defeats Grand Haven 6-0 on 9/6/2012 (15 photos) RSS
Description: Spring Lake defeats Grand Haven 6-0 on Thursday, September 6, 2012, in Grand Haven, Michigan.
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Spring Lake boys soccer team has no problem with Muskegon Orchard View in matchup of highly-ranked teams, wins 7-0
Scott Brandenburg | sbranden@, September 11, 2012 9:40 p.m.
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Spring Lake keeper Joe Czajka gets low to stop the ball while playing against Orchard View on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. - (Libby March | MLive)
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Orchard View's Carlos Nunez and Spring Lake's Nic Ellingboe battle for the ball on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. -(Libby March | MLive)
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Orchard View's John Leonard launches back to make a kick against Spring Lake on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. -(Libby March | MLive)
Tuesday night the eyes of the soccer world in West Michigan turned to Spring Lake, where two highly-ranked teams met in a Lakes 8 battle.
Games between ranked opponents like the one between the host Lakers, ranked No. 3 in Division 2, and Orchard View, ranked No. 2 in Division 3, are becoming more and more commonplace in the Muskegon area as programs continue to improve.
Last year West Michigan made a statement when three teams - Spring Lake, Grand Haven and Western Michigan Christian, all made the state finals in their respective Divisions.
This season three local teams are ranked in the top three once again, including the Lakers, Cardinals and Warriors, and looking to continue that momentum.
Spring Lake in particular looks to be gaining steam after its 7-0 over OV Friday, one game after it handled Division 1 rival Grand Haven 6-0.
"My goal when I became head coach was to get the program where we would consistently be in the top 10 every year," said Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen, who is in his 12th season. "With this team I think we've reached that level."
The Lakers beat Fremont 8-1 the game before the win over the Bucs, making it an impressive 3-game stretch.
Thelen was obviously pleased with his team's performance, but warned his players not every game in the near future will turn out to be 6-0 and 7-0 games.
Still Spring Lake, which was ranked No. 2 last week, appears to be making a statement about its chances of advancing well into the postseason.
"We're doing what we can to make people take notice," said Spring Lake senior Austin Gabris, who scored two goals against the Cardinals. "We feel like we have a pretty good team and we want to be able to at least duplicate what we did last year. We've been together for a long time and we feel pretty confident in what we can do."
Expect more of the same from Spring Lake and other local programs in the near future.
Many of the coaches in the area are young but well-established already.
The Tri-Cities Strikers, Muskegon Lakers and the Sailors Club of Mona Shores have combined to form a premier team recently which should only strengthen the young players in those areas.
"Everyone's getting better," said Kyle Skodack, a 2005 OV graduate. "Players in this area are improving every year. There's a tough game to play every week."
Spring Lake (6-0) led Orchard View (5-2) by just a 1-0 count through 38 minutes.
The Lakers though again showed how they can change the game in a hurry. Junior Nic Ellingboe scored on an assist from Adam Clauss with 1:12 left in the half to change the complexion of the game.
Spring Lake then exploded for five second-half goals to turn the game into a runaway.
"(The Lakers) just bring so much intensity the entire game," said Skodack. "It's very hard to match that. We didn't do a good job of it."
Skodack said the game will serve as a wakeup call for the Cardinals, who have their own high hopes when it comes to the postseason.
OV has some talented players on its team, including forwards John Leonard and Carlos Nunez, but the Spring Lake pressure caused the Cardinals to mishandle many of their first touches.
Cameron Stafford, Jake Jett and Brandon Rowell were all dangerous in the opening minutes of the second half for the Cardinals, but the Lakers countered quickly with Gabris' goal 2:35 into the half to make it 3-0.
Forward Riley Kammeraad had the game-winning goal eight minutes into the game. Luke Gray, Clauss and Sanchez also scored for the hosts.
Spring Lake outshot the Cardinals 17-2. Lakers keeper Joseph Czajka continued his solid play with two saves, while Dylan Tyler made 10 saves for OV.
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Paige Kennedy (17), Morgan Gagnon (13),
and Rachel Schulte (12) all found their way
onto the scoresheet on Tuesday.
SL soccer still awaiting a challenge
NATE THOMPSON
10:17 AM
SEP 12
2012
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SPRING LAKE
Spring Lake varsity soccer coach Jeremy Thelen is facing a dilemma.
He doesn’t want his squad to become overconfident at this early stage in the season, but when the Lakers are turning games that are supposed to be competitive into blowouts, how can he not praise their excellence?
It happened last week against Grand Haven, a contest that ended in a 6-0 final, and a showdown against visiting Orchard View on Tuesday – the No. 2-ranked team in Division 3 – was more of the same, as Spring Lake fired in five second-half goals against the bewildered Cardinals and romped to a 7-0 victory at Spring Lake Middle School.
Spring Lake, which is ranked No. 3 in Division 2 in the Michigan High School Coaches Association rankings, remains unbeaten at 6-0 overall. The Cardinals fall to 5-2.
“Right now, it’s hard to say who is going to give us a challenge,” Thelen admitted following the victory. “I thought Grand Haven would be competitive, and granted, they have a much different team than a year ago. And tonight, with Orchard View ranked No. 2, I thought they’d play us tough, but we poured it on.”
Orchard View had its chances in the first half to assert itself, but it was the Lakers who made it count.
After Lakers’ standout forward Riley Kammeraad opened the scoring with a blistering shot nearly 8 minutes into the contest, the Cardinals failed to convert on a pair of chances for the equalizer, including a header off a corner kick that was pushed inches wide right by senior John Leonard.
Nearly two minutes later, Spring Lake goalie Joseph Czajka made a poor read on a high-bouncing shot, as he grabbed nothing but air in his attempt to snatch the ball on the hop. A Spring Lake player was able to track down the ball and clear it out of danger, however, just inches away from the goal line.
Nic Ellingboe gave Spring Lake a 2-0 lead with just 1:05 remaining in the first half, as he controlled a ball sent in by teammate Adam Clauss in a crowd of players, and somehow found an open seam to fire at the net and past OV goalie Dylan Tyler.
The tight first half was simply a mirage, as the Lakers passed, created and executed tremendously in the second 40 minutes of play.
“I think we have the capability to play faster,” Thelen said. “We did look quick after playing on that turf over in Grand Haven, and the thing with this group, they make such good decisions. And we are 13-14 (players) deep.”
With 22 minutes remaining in the second half, the Lakers’ lead had skyrocketed to 6-0, thanks to two goals from senior forward Austin Gabris, one from senior midfielder Clauss, and another from junior Luke Gray.
Gabris’ first score was a gorgeous one-touch effort.
“Adam Roberge sent me a great ball across and it got over the defender,” Gabris said. “I just took my time and hit a volley, and put it away.
“Really, anybody on this team can score,” he added. “We’re all good at passing it around and sharing the ball. Of course you have a Riley Kammeraad on the team who is capable of scoring in any game, but we’ve got a lot of other guys who can score, too.”
Gabris’ second goal was aided by the hard work of Kammeraad, who pressured an OV player and freed the ball, allowing Gabris to pounce, fire and celebrate.
“Riley just has that constant work ethic,” Thelen said. “He pushes himself so hard.”
Gabris also had an assist, as his free kick into a crowd in front of the OV goal was cleaned up by Clauss and buried into the back of the net with 22:45 showing on the clock.
Spring Lake was so technically dominant with is offensive execution, it wasn’t a shock that all of its starters were on the bench with 17 minutes remaining.
The Lakers’ most feel-good goal might have been their last. Senior KJ Sanchez, who was visibly frustrated after missing high on a handful of previous shots on goal, was finally rewarded for his persistence with 5:33 to play.
After Tyler’s diving save attempt left an open goal and the ball scooting free, Sanchez tracked it down and calmly deposited the ball on a sharp-angled blast.
Spring Lake held a 17-2 advantage in shots on goal, with Czajka going the distance in goal for the Lakers. His best save came 10 minutes into the second half, as he charged off his line and made a nice break-up before the Cardinals’ player could rear back and fire.
Of course, the last thing Thelen wants to talk about is a perfect season, and while Gabris said the Lakers are taking it “one game at a time,” he later added perfection “is a great goal to have.”
So is returning to the Division 2 state championship game.
“Definitely state finals is a chance for us,” Gabris said. “We just have to keep improving every game.”
“Our whole season is not going to be 6-0, 7-0,” Thelen said. “We’ve got tougher challenges ahead of us. I’ve seen our guys play better. Tonight, we had some bad touches in the middle and we didn’t challenge the ball enough. In order for us to get to that state championship level, we have to challenge, we have to do everything perfect. I want to hold those guys to those standards.”
Spring Lake soccer blows out rival Orchard View
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In a battle of state-ranked teams, undefeated Spring Lake scored a convincing 7-0 victory over Orchard View on Tuesday at Spring Lake Middle School.
LAKERS REMAIN PERFECT
Spring Lake continued its undefeated start to the season with a 3-0 victory over Ludington on Thursday.
Riley Kammeraad and K.J. Sanchez scored first-half goals for the Lakers, who are now 7-0 overall and 3-0 in Lakes Eight action. Tyler Cole also scored in the second half.
Spring Lake
(7-0-0)
3
9/13/20126:45 p.m.
Ludington
(4-6-0)
0
Ludington High School, Ludington, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team shut out Ludington 3-0 and remains undefeated
Julie Norwood | jnorwood@, September 13, 2012 10:58 p.m.
Spring Lake boys soccer team continued its undefeated run this season by shutting out Ludington. Riley Kammeraad scored off of Ben Keller’s assist in the first half followed by a goal by K. J. Sanchez. Tyler Cole scored in the second half with Austin Gabris assisting.
The win improves Spring Lake’s record to 3-0 in the Lakes 8 conference and 7-0 overall.
“We went to the state finals last year and returned eight starters, so we have some chemistry,” Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. “They already know each other style and know that they have each other’s back.”
Spring Lake will face Forest Hills Northern Saturday.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
(0-8-1)
0
9/15/20121:45 p.m.
Spring Lake
(8-0-0)
8
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team rolls over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 8-0 in the first half on Saturday
Anthony Learman | alearman1@, September 15, 2012 9:45 p.m.
Spring Lake's Riley Kammeraad scored a hat trick and K.J. Sanchez added two goals and two assists as the Lakers rolled.
Joe Czajka got the shutout for Spring Lake (8-0), who won by mercy rule at halftime.
Lakers' soccer jumps to No. 1 in state rankings
TRIBUNE STAFF
11:25 AM
SEP 17
2012
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SPRING LAKE
Spring Lake’s varsity boys soccer team jumped to No. 1 in the latest Division 2 state rankings following Saturday’s surprisingly easy 8-0 win over Forest Hills Northern.
The Lakers scored their eighth goal with eight minutes remaining in the first half, and the game was halted at halftime because of the mercy rule.
Riley Kammeraad scored three times and K.J. Sanchez added a pair of goals for the Lakers, who are now 9-0 on the year.
Adam Clauss, Austin Gabris and Tanner Debien also scored for Spring Lake, which is home against North Muskegon tonight.
“We jumped on them early, scoring twice in the first five minutes,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen. “It was good to get a good Saturday game in, jump on them, send a little bit of a message to the Grand Rapids area.”
The Lakers play at Tri-County on Tuesday, then host Comstock Park on Thursday.
Junior Varsity: Spring Lake beat Forest Hills Northern, 3-1. Josh Roberge scored once and played well for the Lakers.
Adam Clauss leads Spring Lake boys soccer team past North Muskegon Monday
Jonathan Van Zytveld | jvanzytv@, September 17, 2012 10:01 p.m.
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Spring Lake's Adam Clauss (left) goes for a header in a game against Cedar Springs last October - (File | Muskegon Chronicle)
Adam Clauss led Spring Lake with two goals, both of which were assisted by Austin Gabris.
North Muskegon's Jesse Dunn had six saves.
"It was a crazy game," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. "We were watching the weather all day, but we knew that we really just wanted to play our best soccer no matter what. We were trying to attack and push as much as possible. The team went out there and did its job; the score takes care of itself when you do that."
Only the first half was played due to weather. The game was marked as final and will not be rescheduled.
Spring Lake improved to 9-0, and North Muskegon fell to 3-8.
Prep sports roundup: SL soccer strikes early, lightning late
TRIBUNE STAFF
01:30 PM
SEP 18
2012
SPRING LAKE
Spring Lake’s varsity boys soccer team scored a 2-0 victory over North Muskegon on Monday in a game that was halted at halftime due to lightning.
Adam Clauss scored both goals for the unbeaten Lakers, while Austin Gabris had both assists.
“It began lightning at halftime, and it never really rained, but it was lightning consistently,” said Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen. “We both had conference games the next day, so we both agreed to move on.”
The Lakers travel to Lakes Eight Conference foe Tri-County today.
Junior Varsity: The Lakers defeated Grand Haven’s freshmen team, 4-1.
Soccer roundup: SL's Kammeraad notches 6 goals in blowout victory
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:34 AM
SEP 19
2012
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HOWARD CITY
Riley Kammeraad scored a hat trick — twice — as Spring Lake’s varsity boys soccer team mercied Tri-County, 11-0.
Kammeraad’s six goals, and three more by K.J. Sanchez, helped the No. 1-ranked Lakers improve to 10-0 on the season and 4-0 in Lakes Eight Conference play.
Kaleb Winter and Nic Ellingboe also scored for the Lakers, who will host Comstock Park on Thursday.
Soccer Roundup: Five more goals for Kammeraad
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:14 AM
SEP 21
2012
Spring Lake senior Riley Kaameraad continued his torrid goal-scoring run, knocking in five goals as the Lakers defeated Comstock Park on Thursday, 8-0.
The five-goal game comes on the heels of Kammeraad’s six goals against Tri-County earlier this week. Kammeraad now has 23 goals through 12 games.
Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen said that the highest goal total in his nearly 10-year tenure as Spring Lake’s coach is 31 by Jon Ritchie in 2005.
K.J. Sanchez scored twice and Austin Gabris also scored for Spring Lake, which recorded its eighth goal two minutes before halftime, evoking the mercy rule.
Spring Lake, ranked No. 1 in Division 2 by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association, will host Western Michigan Christian on Monday, Grant on Tuesday, and will play at Fruitport on Thursday.
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Kilbry's goal finishes off Eagles
Author: Wendy Reid
Posted: Monday, September 24, 2012 at 10:34 AM
1
ELGIN, Ill. - The No. 11 Olivet Nazarene University women’s soccer team hadn’t played in a week and hadn’t practice with the whole team due to injuries and sickness, but came ready to play against Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival No. 14 Judson University on Saturday, Sept. 22. The game was promoted as the NAIA Game of the Week, and it proved to be worthy.
Despite ten shots being taken between the two teams, with seven saves, the game remained scoreless through the first half. Olivet had four corner kick opportunities, but couldn’t finish them off.
Junior defender Rachel Kilbry (Spring Lake, Mich.) changed that at the 71:40 minute mark by netting an unassisted corner kick to put the Tigers on top 1-0. The goal was Kilbry’s first of the season.
“The girls played with composure against a good Judson team,” said head coach Bill Bahr. “Rachel played great and came up big with the game winning goal off of one of our many corner kicks. She was also key in our shutout performance on defense.”
The Tigers (5-2) outshot the Eagles 15-7 on the day. Senior goalkeeper Wendy Espejel (Ontario, Cal.) finished the day with four saves, while Judson’s keeper had eight.
Olivet returns to the field at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26 traveling to Roosevelt University (Ill.) for another CCAC match-up.
Spring Lake soccer edges WMC
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Spring Lake's varsity boys soccer team hosted Western Michigan Christian in a highly competitive contest at Spring Lake Middle School on Monday. The Lakers raced to a 4-1 halftime lead, then held on for a 4-3 victory. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
(7-4-1)
3
9/24/20126:45 p.m.
Spring Lake
(12-0-0)
4
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team gets close victory over Western Michigan Christian, 4-3
Joe Liefbroer | jliefbro@, September 24, 2012 10:30 p.m.
Spring Lake scored all four of its goals in the first half and held on to pick up the one-goal victory over visiting Western Michigan Christian.
Spring Lake got two goals from Riley Kammeraad and a goal apiece from Austin Gabris and K.J. Sanchez.
Western Michigan Christian received goals from Chase Schuiteman, Will Deur, and Josh Binnendyk. Binnendyk scored with five minutes remaining in the game to pull WMC within one.
"We took a big step tonight," said WMC head coach David Hulings. "Every year we need a game that we can grow up and this one did a lot to do that. We saw how we can play and now we have to keep it going."
"Spring Lake is a dynamic team," Hulings added. "We knew they would have the power to score but we thought we could play with them and make it a game. It was a fun game for everyone to watch."
SL soccer wins battle of defending state finalists
MATT DEYOUNG
10:42 AM
SEP 25
2012
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SPRING LAKE
The No. 1-ranked Spring Lake varsity boys soccer team is used to knocking teams out early.
On Monday, visiting Western Michigan Christian took the Lakers’ best shots, but instead of falling to the mat, the Warriors fought back, scoring twice in the second half and coming up just short in a 4-3 Spring Lake victory.
The game featured a pair of teams that played in the state finals a year ago.
“In the first half, we jumped out and scored two quick goals, then they got one back,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team is now 13-0 on the season.
“Then we scored two more right before halftime, and most teams, you hit them in the face like that, it takes the fight out of them.
“But WMC is not a team that’s going to roll over.”
Instead, the Warriors battled back from the 4-1 halftime deficit. They made it 4-2 with 14:56 remaining when freshman Will Deur gained possession of the ball deep in the Lakers’ territory and smartly chipped the ball over Lakers’ goalie Joe Czajka for a goal.
That lit a fire under the Warriors, who began attacking with renewed vengeance, and with 4:39 remaining, Alex Rop’s long throw-in found Josh Binnendyk. The towering defender rose up out of a crowd and knocked a header past Czajka, making it 4-3.
The Warriors’ third goal seemed to snap the Lakers out of their slumber, and they held on the rest of the way for a 4-3 win.
TOP-RANKED SPRING LAKE HOLDS OFF WESTERN MICHIGAN CHRISTIAN IN BOYS SOCCER ACTION [VIDEO]
By Ron Rop
Local Sports Journal
SPRING LAKE – The top-ranked Spring Lake Laker boys’ soccer team has delivered plenty of “punches” on the field this season.
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Western Michigan Christian midfielder Bailey Heykoop kicks the ball up the field during Monday night’s game against Spring Lake. Photo by John Mulder.
Rarely is there a counter punch.
But on Monday night, the Lakers raced to a three-goal lead then held on in the second half for a 4-3 victory over the Western Michigan Christian Warriors.
The Lakers came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in Division 2. In the Super Six, which includes a ranking for all classes, the Lakers came in ranked No. 2. The Warriors are ranked No. 7 in Division 4.
“We’ve had teams lay down when we get up on them,” Laker coach Jeremy Thelen said. “We knew WMC was not going to go away.”
In the opening half, Spring Lake (12-0) made the most of its chances and it started in the early minutes when high-scoring Riley Kammeraad got loose in the offensive end. He eluded the goalkeeper and using his speed, tracked down the ball and scored to make it 1-0 just 2:30 into the match.
Senior Austin Gabris made it 2-0 with a blast from 18 yards out that sailed into the net in the upper left corner. Ben Keller assisted and the Lakers were off and running.
Three minutes after the Spring Lake goal, WMC (7-4-1) got on the board when senior Josh Binnendyk raced out from his post in the Warrior defense and sent a crossing pass to the goalmouth. Chaise Schuiteman redirected the ball back inside the far post.
Before the half would end, Spring Lake would get two more goals.
Kammeraad fired a low shot that went under WMC goalkeeper Jacob Berens and into the net. With 48 seconds left in the half, K.J. Sanchez scored after a strong run up the left wing. His shot made it 4-1 at the half.
“The last 10 minutes of the first half, we gave up those two goals and that killed us, especially the one with 48 seconds left,” WMC coach David Hulings said.
The Lakers kept up the pressure in the early going of the second half, but could not score.
Binnendyk got loose for a shot with 25:27 remaining that hit the right post and ricocheted out of bounds.
The Warriors were able to notch their second goal with 14:55 to play. The ball was lofted in front of the Laker net where Alex Rop settled it and freshman Will Deur kicked it. Deur’s looping shot sailed over the head of goalkeeper Joseph Czajka and into the net.
Ten minutes later, Rop set up another goal with a long throw-in from the left sideline. His throw was headed into the net by Binnendyk with 4:39 remaining.
That would be the last goal of the night and Spring Lake escaped with its undefeated record intact.
Spring Lake played without two of their starters, sweeper Nic Ellingboe and Adam Clauss, the Lakers’ best all-around player.
“I think we got comfortable and we used some subs,” Thelen said. “It’s not a conference game. We did not take WMC lightly. The name of that program is very well respected.”
Hulings and his Warriors walked off the field knowing they had played their best against a quality team.
“We came out here to leave it all on the field,” Hulings said. “We came here feeling this would be the best team we play all year.”
Spring Lake outshot WMC 18-8.
Spring Lake soccer battles rival Fruitport
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Rivals Spring Lake and Fruitport met in a hotly-contested soccer showdown at Fruitport on Thursday, with the visiting Lakers coming away with a hard-earned 1-0 victory. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
Spring Lake
(14-0-0)
1
9/27/20126:45 p.m.
Fruitport
(8-5-2)
0
Fruitport High School, Fruitport, MI
Lone goal helps Spring Lake boys soccer team hold off Fruitport in Lakes 8 battle
Steve Ungrey | Steven_Ungrey@, September 27, 2012 11:02 p.m.
Spring Lake, which is the No. 1 rated boys soccer program in Division 2, had its hands full with Fruitport in a Lakes 8 Conference battle.
The scoreless tie changed when Adam Clauss booted home a penalty kick with 22 minutes to go in regulation, enabling the Lakers to sneak away with a win.
"I know we're in the same conference, but this is truly our rival. We're the closest to each other in terms of distance," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. "Every time we have gone there the last few times, it always seems like we end up winning 1-0."
Joe Czajka had four saves for Spring Lake, while Loghan Stong turned back 14 shots for Fruitport.
Clauss' penalty kick the difference in fierce battle with Fruitport
MATT DEYOUNG
10:28 AM
SEP 28
2012
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FRUITPORT
Adam Clauss remembers the last time he lined up for a penalty kick against Fruitport’s Loghan Stong.
So does Stong, who saved that try a year ago when the two rivals met at Spring Lake.
So when Clauss had a chance to give his team a victory over the Trojans with another penalty kick at Fruitport on Thursday, he made sure he found the back of the net.
“After Riley (Kammeraad) did a great job to get fouled, I’ve got to put that one in,” said Clauss, whose PK goal was the only score in the Lakers’ 1-0 win over their fierce rivals. “Stong is a great goalie. He saved one of mine last year, so this was a little redemption.”
Stong was greatly disappointed to have let Clauss’ shot into the net this time around, but gave credit where credit was due.
“I went the right way, but he hit a phenomenal shot,” Fruitport’s outstanding goalie said. “I knew which way he was going, but I couldn’t get there.”
Clauss was playing in his first game back after sitting out for two weeks with a concussion. He said sitting on the bench for those two weeks wasexcruciating.
“I was so excited all day to play this game,” said Clauss, a senior midfielder for the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Lakers. “That two weeks felt like a year.”
With the win, Spring Lake wraps up the regular-season Lakes Eight Conference title for the fourth consecutive year. They’ll enter next week’s league tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Trojans finish 4-2 in league games, having also lost to Orchard View. Fruitport received the third seed in the league tourney.
As is typically the case, the meeting of these two rivals brought out the best in both teams. The Lakers displayed the speed, precision passing and physical play that has made them one of the top teams in the state this fall. The Trojans’ fantastic effort put them at nearly the same level, even though they suffered a tremendous loss early in the game.
Senior Taylor McLaughlin went down with an ankle injury midway through the first half and didn’t return.
“Taylor has been playing amazing for us, and he stepped it up three more notches today,” said Trojans’ coach Greg Kobylak. “He played the best 20 minutes I’ve seen him play. I wish we could have had him for a full 80 minutes.”
Prep soccer roundup: Kammeraad, Lakers improve to 15-0
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:55 AM
OCT 02
2012
SPRING LAKE
Riley Kammeraad kept up his torrid goal-scoring pace for the Spring Lake varsity boys soccer team, scoring four goals in an 8-0 win over Kenowa Hills on Monday.
Kammeraad now has 30 goals on the season and is closing in on the Lakers’ single-season scoring record.
K.J. Sanchez had two goals and now has 16 on the year. Adam Clauss also scored twice for the Lakers, who are 15-0 on the season and ranked No. 1 in Division 2.
Clauss also had three assists, while Torden Peek Jensen and Kyle Zietlow each had assists.
The Lakers open Lakes Eight Conference tournament play on Thursday against Ludington. The winner of that game takes on the winner of Wednesday’s Fruitport vs. Orchard View semifinal in the league championship game next week Tuesday.
GAGNON, ST. MARY’S ENJOYING SUCCESS
Freshman forward Morgan Gagnon has helped lead the St. Mary’s (Ind.) College women’s soccer team to its best start after 10 games since the 2004 season.
With its 3-2 overtime win against Rochester College on Sept. 30, the Belles’ record stands a 7-2-1. The Belles are also 4-2 in the MIAA standings and trail Calvin and Alma by a game in the league.
Gagnon, a Spring Lake graduate, has made the most of her five appearances this season with six shots, a goal and an assist.
Soccer Roundup: Kammeraad's hat trick sparks SL
TRIBUNE STAFF
10:34 AM
OCT 05
2012
With starting goalie Joe Czajka on the bench with an eye infection and his team staring at an early 1-0 deficit, Spring Lake varsity boys soccer coach Jeremy Thelen admitted he was a bit uneasy.
But then Riley Kammeraad came to the rescue.
The Lakers’ senior scored a hat trick — giving him 33 goals on the year — helping Spring Lake dispatch of Ludington, 8-1, in the semifinal round of the Lakes Eight Conference tournament on Thursday evening.
The victory advances the Lakers into Tuesday’s league tournament title game against Fruitport.
Kammeraad’s 33 goals are believed to be a school record on the boys’ side, breaking the mark of 31 set by Jon Ritchie back in 2005.
Annie Steinlage scored 37 goals her senior season of 2010.
The Lakers host the Trojans in Tuesday’s league title game, with the varsity contest beginning at 6:45 p.m. Spring Lake beat Fruitport earlier this year, 1-0, to wrap up the regular-season league title and earn the No. 1 seed in the league tourney. Fruitport, the third seed, upset second-seeded Orchard View on Wednesday.
Kammeraad elevates his game for SL
MATT DEYOUNG
03:30 PM
OCT 09
2012
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SPRING LAKE
Riley Kaameraad isn't surprised by his Spring Lake varsity soccer team’s undefeated record or its No. 1 state ranking.
The success, he said, comes as the result of hard work, a wealth of talent, and fantastic team chemistry.
What has surprised Kaameraad is his role in the Lakers' outstanding season.
The senior forward — a role player at outside midfielder during his junior year — has scored a school-record 33 goals through 16 games this fall.
Lakers' coach Jeremy Thelen attributes the startling improvement to Kammeraad's maturing both physically and mentally.
"He's got a lot more confidence," Thelen said on Monday, a day before Kammeraad and the Lakers were to face rival Fruitport in the Lakes Eight Conference tournament title game. "He wanted to be up top (as a forward). Just that mental ability to go up there, to go after it has been big. Plus, he's matured physically. He's bigger and stronger than he was last year.
"He's a beast."
Kammeraad certainly looks the part of a beast on the soccer pitch. He appears taller than his 6-foot-1 frame, and his long strides give him deceptive speed. As he streaks down the field with his jet-black cleats churning up the turf, he's an imposing figure for opposing defenders to behold.
He's certainly caused nightmares for the opposition this fall. Kameraad got things started with a hat trick in an early-season statement win over rival Grand Haven.
"I think the Grand Haven game surprised other people more than it surprised us," said Kammeraad, whose Lakers trounced the Buccaneers, 6-0. "We were feeling really good before the game, and we knew we were going to come together as a team and do really well. We had a good idea we could beat them, we just didn't know how much.
"That game really got me going. It was my first hat trick."
From there, Kammeraad has been pouring in goals at a staggering pace. He notched six goals in a win over Tri-County on Sept. 18, then scored five against Comstock Park two days later.
Kammeraad buried four goals against Kenowa Hills and added hat tricks against Forest Hills Northern and Ludington.
He's scored a goal in 13 of the 15 games he's played (he missed the Reeths-Puffer game because of a red card). One of those two scoreless games was against Fruitport. In that contest, he drew the foul that led to Adam Clauss' game-winning penalty kick.
And don’t think Kammeraad is selfish, or one-dimensional. He also has 11 assists on the season.
"I didn't expect this," said Kammeraad, whose 33 goals are two more than the previous record of 31 by Jon Ritchie in 2005. "I think Coach having faith in me to keep me up top has been big.
SL soccer tops Fruitport for outright Lakes Eight Conference title
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Spring Lake's varsity soccer team defeated Fruitport, 4-2, to capture the Lakers' fourth consecutive outright championship in the Lakes Eight Conference.
Fruitport
(10-7-2)
2
10/9/2012 7 p.m.
Spring Lake
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4
Adam Clauss leads Spring Lake boys soccer team past Fruitport on Tuesday
Jonathan Van Zytveld | jvanzytv@, October 09, 2012 9:55 p.m.
Adam Clauss led Spring Lake with two goals. Austin Gabris scored one goal and had an assist. Nic Ellingboe scored a goal, and Caleb Winter and Riley Kammeraad each had an assist. Joe Czajka had five saves.
Fruitport's Zach Gilson and Colin Sparks scored one goal each and Cody Pekel had an assist. Loghan Stong had 14 saves.
"Fruitport scored two minutes in, so we had to dig ourselves out of a hole," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. "We scored the next two and let one in before halftime. I told the guys to open their hearts to competition, and they responded in the second half."
The win marked the fourth consecutive conference title for Spring Lake, who improved to 17-0.
SL soccer wraps up a fantastic four-peat in Lakes 8
NATE THOMPSON
10:38 AM
OCT 10
2012
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SPRING LAKE
Although he holds no affection for Ohio State University, Spring Lake varsity soccer coach Jeremy Thelen used a motivational tool stolen from Buckeyes’ football coach Urban Meyer with his team tied with rival Fruitport at halftime of the Lakes Eight Conference Tournament title game on Tuesday at Spring Lake Middle School.
“I know this is cheesy, but I watched the Michigan State-Ohio State game a couple weekends ago and Urban Meyer does this Superman thing,” Thelen said, as he demonstrated the act of the Man of Steel pulling his coat open to reveal the big red and yellow ‘S’.
“(Meyer’s) big thing is you need to open your heart to competition, and I keep telling the kids, you want a test. You’ve got to dig yourselves out of holes. And at 2-2 at the half, this is a test.”
Spring Lake embraced the competition from their neighboring rivals and passed the test, claiming a 4-2 victory and ensuring the program of its fourth-straight outright championship in the Lakes Eight.
The No. 1-ranked Lakers keep their unbeaten season alive at 17-0, while Fruitport drops to 10-7-2.
For seniors such as four-year varsity player Adam Clauss, the win is more of the same. Clauss has never lost a conference game during his career at Spring Lake.
“These kinds of games are good for us, because we know that not every game in the tournament is going to be a blowout and we’ve got to bring it every game,” said Clauss, who had two goals and an assist in the victory. “I guess you could call it a wake-up call.”
Fruitport certainly got the Lakers’ attention early in the first half, as the Trojans’ Zach Gilson showcased tremendous footwork by dribbling through three Lakers’ defenders and then making an equally stellar move on goalie Joseph Czajka that left Gilson an open net for a 1-0 Fruitport lead just two minutes into the contest.
Spring Lake tried a different strategy in the first half by employing a 3-4-3 formation, adding an extra forward for a chance at more offensive opportunities with no sweeper to lend a hand on defense.
“We’ll have that in our back pocket for the tournament,” Clauss said. “We had a lot of people in different places tonight and we had some key injuries like K.J. Sanchez (the team’s second-leading scorer who rolled his ankle in practice on Monday). “But Fruitport’s a good team. We tried to go with a more offensive look and they took advantage of it.”
Clauss, who played up more from his normal midfield position, quickly got into the goal-scoring conversation, as he scored the game’s next two goals to give the hosts the lead.
His first, at nearly six minutes into the game, was set up by a nice pass forward to the right corner of the field from Austin Gabris. Clauss then beat a Fruitport defender to the front of the goalie box and punched in a shot inside the right post just past the reach of Trojans’ goalie Loghan Stong.
Nearly two minutes later, Clauss struck again as the Trojans failed to clear a volleying header. Lakers’ forward Riley Kammeraad directed the ball over to Clauss, who quickly controlled and fired on goal before a pair of Trojans within arms reach could react.
“My teammates set me up nicely and I just did my job,” said Clauss, a returning all-stater who has committed to play at the University of Detroit next season.
Fruitport’s highlight reel was boosted with 10:38 remaining in the half, as the Trojans broke down the Lakers’ defense again, thanks to a brilliant crossing pass from Cody Pekel. It was on the money to teammate Collin Sparks, whose header goal tied the contest at 2-2. The goal caused Fruitport coach Greg Kobylak to jump up and pump his fists in the air.
“That’s been our M.O.,” Kobylak said. “We’re always going to come and compete. But we have goals to come in and win, even if our opponent is undefeated and ranked No. 1.
“We felt great at the half,” he added. “We found a way to put a couple balls in the back of the net.”
LAKERS TIE FINALE
No. 1-ranked Spring Lake saw its hopes of a perfect season dashed in a game at No. 9 Holland on Thursday.
The host Dutch scored three consecutive goals and held on for a 3-3 tie against the visiting Lakers.
“Holland is probably the best team we’ve played this year,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team is now 19-0-1. “It was their senior night, so they played with some passion.”
Still, the Lakers raced to a 2-0 lead on goals by Kaleb Winter and Riley Kammeraad just 6 minutes into the game.
Holland responded, tying the game at 2-2 before halftime and taking a 3-2 lead early in the second half.
Muskegon
(3-14-1)
0
10/16/20126 p.m.
Spring Lake
(18-0-1)
8
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team defeats Muskegon 8-0 in Division 2 district play on Tuesday
Lauren Bogema | lbogema@, October 16, 2012 9 p.m.
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Spring Lake's Riley Kammeraad is kicked by a Grand Rapids Christian player during the Division 2 boys soccer regional 10/29/2011 - (Katie Greene)
Spring Lake’s Riley Kammeraad scored four goals and added an assist, and Joe Czajka and Conner Kippe combined for three saves and the shutout.
Kammeraad has scored 38 goals on the season, a school record. The previous record was 31, set by Jon Ritchie in 2005.
"Riley is a great combination of speed and strength," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. "He’s about 6’3” with a long stride, and he can’t be muscled off the ball."
Three other Lakers had multi-point nights. K.J. Sanchez scored twice and Austin Gabris and Adam Clauss each had two assists.
"We moved the ball really well today," Thelen said. "We scored in the first minute and a half, and we moved the ball quickly the entire game. It’s always nice to score quickly. We wanted to play our game and put the ball away. The longer it's 0-0, the more the other team can gain momentum."
Adam Roberge and A.J. Broughton also scored for the Lakers, and the game ended in the 68th minute of play.
For Muskegon, Adrian Briseno made 16 saves.
"Adrian played well," Big Reds coach Jeff Holmes said. "Spring Lake is a phenomenal team, and Adrian faced a lot of headers and a lot of shots in general. They were on everything, so he made a lot of big diving saves. It could have easily ended in the first half if he didn't make so many saves.
"It was my first year coaching, and I had a great group of guys. We played with a lot of heart this season, and we will continue to grow and become competitive in the years to come."
Spring Lake improves to 18-0-1 and advances to the semifinals to face Muskegon Reeths-Puffer on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 6:45 p.m.
"Reeths-Puffer has been giving us fits lately," Thelen said. "We beat them in a shootout in the district finals last year, and we also won 4-3 earlier this year. But both were back-and-forth games, so Reeths-Puffer is not a team we can walk by. We have to be sharp for that game.
"We were state runners-up last year, and we’re returning eight players from that team. We have some confidence, and we know where we’re going. We’ve been preparing for this all season."
KAMMERAAD SETS GOALS RECORD FOR SL
Riley Kammeraad scored four goals, giving him 38 on the season, as the Spring Lake varsity boys soccer team won its Division 2 district tournament opener with an 8-0 victory over visiting Muskegon on Tuesday.
K.J. Sanchez, who had missed the previous few games with an ankle injury, returned to score two goals, while Adam Roberge and A.J. Broughton added single goals for the No. 1-ranked Lakers (19-0-1).
Lakers overcome Rockets on a rainy evening in SL
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Spring Lake overcame a downpour for much of the game to beat Reeths-Puffer, 4-0, in Division 2 district tournament semifinal play on Thursday at Spring Lake Middle School. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
No. 1 SL wins soggy showdown with Reeths-Puffer
MATT DEYOUNG
11:06 AM
OCT 19
2012
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SPRING LAKE
SPRING LAKE — Mother Nature can be a great equalizer on the soccer field — especially when she opens the heavens and dumps rain so hard it would have Noah running for his ark.
The No. 1-ranked Spring Lake boys soccer team overcame the less-than-favorable conditions, and a tremendous opponent in Reeths-Puffer, to score a 4-0 win on Thursday, advancing to Saturday’s Division 2 district championship game against rival Fruitport.
The Lakers will play that game without the services of their head coach, Jeremy Thelen, who was red carded late in Thursday’s game for arguing with a referee after one of his players was hurt.
K.J. Sanchez scored a pair of early goals for the Lakers (20-0-1), propelling them to a win over the Rockets (13-6-1).
“We played them our second or third game of the season, and it was close,” Sanchez said of the Lakers’ 4-3 win on Aug. 27. “The early goals helped us a lot. Our effort was unbelievable. It’s been cold and rainy all day, but it couldn’t get any better than this.”
Getting off to a fast start was vitally important to the Lakers, according to Thelen, whose team beat Reeths-Puffer in a shootout in last year’s district tournament.
“Our conversation before the game was that the most important goal is the first one,” Thelen said. “Last year, when we played them in districts, they scored first, and it was a dogfight the whole game. Earlier in the season, they scored first, and we had a dogfight the whole game. We had to make sure we jumped on them first.”
The Rockets were obviously paying special attention to Lakers’ forward Riley Kammeraad, who has scored 39 goals this fall. That opened up some space for Sanchez, who missed a few games late in the season with an ankle injury. The Lakers’ senior took advantage.
Five minutes into the game, Sanchez took a pass from Adam Clauss and directed a hard shot on goal. The wet ball slipped through the grasp of Rockets’ goalie Troy Gilmpore and into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes later, Sanchez scored again, this time after a scramble following a Lakers’ penalty kick.
With 16:57 remaining in the first half, Spring Lake’s Austin Gabris slid a fantastic pass to a wide open Kaleb Winter, and the Lakers’ senior made no mistake, burying a shot in the side netting for a 3-0 lead.
That lead stood up until the closing minutes, when Clauss was tripped in the Rockets’ penalty box. The Lakers’ team captain calmly stepped in and buried the PK for a 4-0 advantage.
Rockets’ coach Keith Knapp said the Lakers’ early goal was a back-breaker for his team.
“The wind and weather were so much of a factor, and we were hoping that with the wind at our back we might have a bit of an advantage in the first half, and be able to carry that into the second half,” Knapp said. “When that first one went through, it was kind of like getting kicked in the gut.
“They’re just a great team. You have to be perfect to beat them. They have so many weapons.
“They have so many players, not just their starters but guys on the bench, their touch, they move, their passing is perfect, and they come at you from so many different angles.
“But I’m proud of my boys. They played well.”
As the rain came down harder and harder in the second half and it became clear the Lakers would hold on for the win, tempers flared at times on the field. At one point, a Reeths-Puffer player slid into a Lakers’ player already on the ground. The play occurred right in front of Spring Lake’s bench, and Thelen took exception to what he felt as a dirty play as his player writhed on the ground in pain.
The referee first showed him a yellow card, then a red, which meant Thelen had to leave the facility and won’t be able to coach in Saturday’s showdown against Fruitport.
“It was a player safety issue,” Thelen said after the game.
The Lakers’ quick goal helped take the pressure of Spring Lake’s defense, and that unit played fantastic. Nic Ellingboe has moved back into the sweeper position, where he played during last year’s state finals run, adding some senior leadership to an already strong unit. Sophomore goalie Joe Czajka played perhaps his best game of the season as he came off his line to make several big stops throughout the game.
“I’m very proud of the zero on the other end,” Thelen said. “Czajka played awesome. This is the best I’ve seen him.”
Sanchez said the Lakers are pumped up for another showdown against the Trojans. Spring Lake beat Fruitport during the regular season, 1-0, then edged the Trojans in the Lakes Eight Conference tournament title game, 4-2.
“Fruitport always comes out and plays us tough,” Sanchez said. “They’re going to be a very difficult team to beat. It’s going to be a very physically demanding game. We played them in the conference finals, and now in the district finals. We’ll see how it goes.
“I think we’ll come out on top. We just need a few hard practices and to keep playing as a team.”
Spring Lake
(19-0-1)
4
10/18/20126:45 p.m.
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
(13-6-1)
0
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team wins 4-0 over Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in second round of District play Thursday
Andrew Terpstra | aterpstr@, October 18, 2012 10:44 p.m.
K.J. Sanchez led Spring Lake, scoring twice on the night. Adam Clauss added one goal and one assist and Caleb Winter had one goal in contribution.
Austin Gabris had one assist for Spring Lake and goalkeeper Joe Czajka made five saves to earn the shutout.
"We jumped on them early, and we scored three goals in the first 10 minutes," Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said. "Getting off to a good start was important for us tonight."
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer goalkeeper Troy Gilmpore made eight saves to help his team defensively.
"Spring Lake handled the ball extremely well, they have so many different players that are so talented," Reeths-Puffer coach Keith Knapp said. "I'm very proud of the way we played as a team. Throughout the season we had a lot of injuries, so different players would step up and fill roles."
Spring Lake will face, conference rival, Fruitport on Saturday for the final game of the tournament.
SL soccer trounces Fruitport to claim a district title
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They say it's difficult to beat a team three times in one season. Tell that to the Spring Lake varsity soccer team, which defeated rival Fruitport for a third time on Saturday to claim a Division 2 district championship trophy. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
SL soccer trounces Fruitport to claim a district title
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Fruitport
(13-8-2)
0
10/20/2012noon
Spring Lake
(20-0-1)
6
Spring Lake High School, Spring Lake, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team defeats Fruitport 6-0 and moves into regionals still undefeated
Julie Norwood | jnorwood@, October 20, 2012 10:45 p.m.
Spring Lake’s K.J Sancez and Adam Clauss each scored two goals en route to their division win. Caleb Winter and Josh Roberge each added a goal.
“Sanchez has been on a tear for us lately,” Spring Lake Jeremy Thelen said. “Fruitport is a local rival and a conference team, so it’s scary to play a team three times.”
Spring Lake remains undefeated on the season as they go into the state tournament. Coach Thelen is taking nothing for granted, though.
“As you get farther in the tournament, you play tougher and tougher opponents,” he said. “We’ve got some things we need to straighten out.”
Spring Lake will face Grand Rapids Christian 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Forest Hills Northern High School.
Fall Boys - National - Poll 6 - October 9, 2012
|Rank |School |Prev. |W-L-T |
|1 |St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) |1 |11-0-0 |
|2 |DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) |3 |8-0-1 |
|3 |Brentwood (Brentwood, N.Y.) |4 |9-0-0 |
|4 |Liberty (Oletangy, Ohio) |6 |13-0-0 |
|5 |Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) |5 |17-1-1 |
|6 |Naperville Central (Naperville, Ill.) |2 |15-1-0 |
|7 |North St. Paul (St. Paul, Minn.) |RV |15-0-0 |
|8 |Daniel Hand (Madison, Conn.) |NR |8-0-1 |
|9 |Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) |9 |18-0-0 |
|10 |Pittsford Mendon (Pittsford, N.Y.) |11 |14-0-0 |
|11 |St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) |10 |18-0-2 |
|12 |Delbarton School (Morristown, N.J.) |RV |12-0-0 |
|13 |Morton (Cicero, Ill.) |RV |20-1-0 |
|14 |Jesuit (Beaverton, Ore.) |15 |8-1-0 |
|15 |Marquette University High (Milwaukee, Wis.) |12 |16-1-2 |
|16 |Ludlow (Ludlow, Mass.) |8 |6-0-2 |
|17 |St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |17 |11-0-3 |
|18 |Clarence (Clarence, N.Y.) |RV |11-0-0 |
|19 |Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.) |NR |14-0-0 |
|20 |Salesianum School (Wilmington, Del.) |19 |6-1-0 |
|21 |Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis, Mo.) |RV |13-2-1 |
|22 |Adams City (Commerce City, Colo.) |24 |8-0-2 |
|23 |Concord-Carlisle (Concord, Mass.) |22 |7-0-2 |
|24 |East Kentwood (Kentwood, Mich.) |23 |13-1-4 |
|25 |Ramapo (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) |18 |8-0-0 |
Records are as submitted by the regional rankers and reflect the current 2012 record through Oct. 7
Also receiving votes: Spring Lake (Spring Lake, Mich.), Gonzaga College Prep (Washington, D.C.), Francis Lewis (Queens, N.Y.), Carmel (Carmel, Ind.), Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.), Granite Bay (Granite Bay, Calif.), Norwalk (Norwalk, Conn.), Scotch Plains Fanwood (Scotch Plains, N.J.), Revere (Richfield, Ohio), St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.), Lee's Summit North (Lee's Summit, Mo.), Charleston Catholic (Charleston, W.Va.), Champlin Park (Champlin Park, Minn.), Green Hope (Cary, N.C.), Bedford (Bedford, N.H.), Tech (Henderson, Nev.), West Chester Rustin (West Chester, Pa.), Martin Luther King Jr. (New York, N.Y.), Guerin Catholic (Noblesville, Ind.),
SL soccer makes it a perfect trifecta against Trojans
MATT DEYOUNG
01:31 PM
OCT 22
2012
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SPRING LAKE
They say it’s never easy to beat the same team three times in the same season.
For Spring Lake’s No. 1-ranked varsity boys soccer team, it turns out the third time was the easiest of them all.
The Lakers poured in four first-half goals and cruised to a surprisingly lopsided 6-0 victory over their fiercest rival, the Fruitport Trojans, on Saturday in their Division 2 district championship game.
Spring Lake had beaten Fruitport by scores of 1-0 and 4-2 earlier this fall.
“I don’t know if we can pinpoint what went wrong,” said Trojans’ coach Greg Kobylak, who guided his team to a 13-8-2 record this fall. “Obviously, they’re a good team, and anyone’s got to be at their absolute best to even have a close game with them, and we weren’t at our best today.”
With the win, the Lakers advance to Tuesday’s Division 2 regional tournament at Forest Hills Northern. No. 1-ranked Spring Lake (21-0-1) will face off against Grand Rapids Christian (13-8-2) at 5 p.m.
The other half of the bracket features No. 2-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian versus No. 3-ranked Forest Hills Eastern. Those two teams will meet Wednesday at 6:45, with the winners facing off on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Spring Lake took all the drama out of Saturday’s rematch with Fruitport by scoring early and often. K.J. Sanchez, who scored twice in Thursday’s district semifinal win over Reeths-Puffer, scored two more goals in the early going on Saturday.
Then teammate Adam Clauss got into the act. Clauss scored one of the most spectacular goals of his four-year varsity career when he unleashed a wicked shot off a volley that slammed into the upper corner of the net, giving Trojans’ goalie Loghan Stong no chance to make the save.
“I think there was something about our last game here as seniors, and everyone just came together,” said Clauss, who also scored on a penalty kick later in the first half. “We knew we wanted to go out with a bang. It was great.
“On that volley, you just see the ball there and it’s like, ‘Why not just go for it.’ I was surprised it went in. The ball was pretty high. I didn’t know if I could get my leg that high, just went for it.”
Kaleb Winter scored on a well-struck shot in the second half to make it 5-0, then in the closing minutes, Josh Roberge hit a corner kick with just enough spin to glance off Stong’s grasp and into the net.
Michigan Prep Soccer:
Spring Lake 7, Grand Rapids Christian 1: The opponents are getting tougher, but it doesn’t seem to phase the Lakers. Spring Lake returns to the regional championship after thumping the Eagles. The Lakers came alive late in this one and hung six goals on the Eagles in the second half alone. This sets up an epic matchup between Spring Lake and Unity Christian.
TOP-RANKED SPRING LAKE FLEXES ITS MUSCLE IN 7-1 REGIONAL SOCCER VICTORY
Local Sports Journal
The No. 1 Spring Lake Lakers didn’t let a 1-1 halftime standoff get them down on Tuesday night.
Instead, they came out flying in the second half, scored six goals and cruised into the Division 2 regional final game with a 7-1 victory over Grand Rapids Christian. The game, played at Forest Hills Northern, was delayed 35 minutes due to lightning.
“We dominated the chances and hit the goal post a few times,” Spring Lake coach Jeremy Thelen said.
In the opening half, Austin Gabris scored 7 minutes into the game, but GR Christian scored 7 minutes later to tie the game.
“At the half, we said ‘we just have to keep it going and things will fall for us,’” Thelen said.
The second-half onslaught began 5 minutes into the half on a goal by Riley Kammeraad. Later, it was Nick Elingboe, whose header goal off a corner kick made it 3-1.
Spring Lake (21-0-1) went up 4-1 when Gabris scored his second of the night. After a bouncing ball was pushed out from the goal, Gabris stepped up and fired a shot from 18 yards out that found the back of the net.
In the game’s final 15 minutes, the Lakers struck four more times on goals by Caleb Winter on a backdoor header, Ben Keller and Adam Clauss on a free kick with 2 minutes left.
Spring Lake had a 12-3 advantage in shots on goal.
“We hit the post, their goalie made some saves on us and we missed on a few,” Thelen said.
Grand Rapids Christian
(13-9-2)
1
10/23/20125 p.m.
Spring Lake
(21-0-1)
7
Forest Hills Northern High School, Grand Rapids, MI
Spring Lake boys soccer team explodes in second half to reach Division 2 regional finals
Dean Holzwarth / grsports@, October 23, 2012 10:21 p.m.
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Spring Lake's Nic Ellingboe heads in a goal during the team's game against Grand Rapids Christian on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. Spring Lake won the game 7 - 1. - (Matthew Busch | )
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A plethora of scoring chances failed to find the back of the net for the Spring Lake boys soccer team throughout the first half of Tuesday's Division 2 regional semifinal game against Grand Rapids Christian.
The same opportunities arose in the second half, and the Lakers converted.
Spring Lake exploded for six second-half goals en route to a 7-1 victory over the Eagles at Forest Hills Northern High School.
The top-ranked Lakers (21-0-1) will play third-ranked Unity Christian in Thursday's regional finals. The Crusaders blanked Forest Hills Eastern 3-0 in the other semifinal.
“We thought we came out and did fairly well at the beginning of the game, but we just couldn't put away our opportunities,” said Spring Lake senior Austin Gabris, who scored a goal in each half. “The second half, we knew we just had to do the same and capitalize on some of those. That was our main point (at halftime).”
After a 45-minute delay due to lightning to start the game, the first half was played in a steady downpour.
The Lakers had seven shots on goal in the first half, but managed only one goal on a header by Gabris less than 10 minutes in.
Grand Rapids Christian (13-9-3) countered, and knotted the score when David Urena scored on a deflection in front of the net.
The rain eventually stopped in the second half, and it allowed the Lakers to show off their potent offense.
Riley Kammeraad and Nic Ellingbow notched back-to-back goals in the first 15 minutes to put the Lakers ahead 3-1.
Spring Lake tallied four more goals in the final 18 minutes of regulation.
“The rain was a difference, but once it slowed down, we settled our game down and attacked at them,” Lakers coach Jeremy Thelen said. “We can score goals, but it's shoring up the back end that is going to be one of our big things.”
Spring Lake displayed its balanced scoring punch as six players scored at least one goal in Tuesday's win.
“We can do that with any player,” Gabris said. “Our offense is everyone, and not just one person. I enjoyed playing in the rain for awhile, but once it stopped, it sure was a relief.”
Grand Rapids Christian coach Tim Ter Haar said his team felt fortunate to contain Spring Lake's high-scoring offense in the first half.
“We got fairly lucky with keeping them out because they had some great chances, and the conditions made it more difficult for a highly-skilled team to be efficient,” he said. “The first couple goals in the second half took the will out of us a little bit; we kept working. They are a great team, and they proved it tonight.”
The Lakers, who lost in last year's state title game, are eager to meet the state's perennial powerhouse in the finals.
“You always hear about Unity, but we've tried to keep them in the back seat and focus on each game as it comes,” Gabris said. “We have to come out strong against them.”
Description: Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1 on Tuesday, October 23, 2012.
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
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Spring Lake Varsity Soccer defeats Grand Rapids Christian 7 - 1
from Matthew Busch | mbusch1@
Lakers' soccer advances past Grand Rapids Christian
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Spring Lake's varsity boys soccer team overcame miserable rainy conditions and a sluggish first half to pull away from Grand Rapids Christian, 7-1, in Tuesday's Division 2 soccer regional semifinal game at Forest Hills Northern High School. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
SL soccer storms into regional finals
MATT DEYOUNG
10:38 AM
OCT 24
2012
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GRAND RAPIDS
A 45-minute delay because of lightning, a driving rain that persisted throughout the first half, and an offense that misfired on chance after chance left Spring Lake’s top-ranked boys soccer team deadlocked with Grand Rapids Christian, 1-1, at halftime of Tuesday’s Division 2 regional semifinal.
Then things began to click.
Spring Lake exploded for six second-half goals on their way to a dominating 7-1 victory over the Eagles.
With the win, Spring Lake advances to Thursday’s regional title game against No. 3-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian, a 3-0 winner over No. 2 Forest Hills Eastern in Tuesday’s second semifinal.
“We showed a lot of resiliency,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team is now 21-0-1. “You come out, you start to warm up for the game, then have to sit in the locker room. Then you have to fight through the rain for the first several minutes. They were just very resilient.”
Resilient, and extremely talented.
The Lakers took a 2-1 lead 5 minutes into the second half when Riley Kammeraad scored his 40th goal of the season, knocking home a loose ball that GRC goalie Curtis VanWienen failed to clear because he had a Lakers’ forward — K.J. Sanchez — right in his face.
The score remained 2-1 until the 25:26 mark of the second half, when defender Nic Ellingboe came forward and headed in a corner kick from Austin Gabris.
Gabris then drilled home a shot off an Adam Clauss corner kick to make it 4-1 with 17:15 remaining. Gabris also had the Lakers’ first goal, which came on a header off a failed clearing attempt by the Eagles early in the first half.
“We just focused a little bit more, kept our intensity and took it to the next level,” said Gabris, who teamed up with Clauss and Kaleb Winter to help the Lakers control the middle of the field for most of the night.
“We knew we had the opportunities in the first half. We just didn’t capitalize. In the second half, we knew what we had to do. We didn’t want to go home yet. I don’t know if we were worried. We just knew we couldn’t give them opportunities and we had to take advantage of ours.”
SL soccer's dream season derailed
MATT DEYOUNG
12:32 AM
OCT 27
2012
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GRAND RAPIDS
Spring Lake’s magical run toward a soccer state championship came to a crashing halt at the hands of an inspired Hudsonville Unity Christian team on Friday night, 2-1.
The game was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday, but was moved back to Friday after a Unity Christian player’s sister committed suicide, according to Crusaders’ coach Randy Heethuis.
“It’s been a rough 24 hours,” said Heethuis, whose team, ranked No. 3 in the state, advances to Wednesday’s state semifinals against Dexter. “The effort spoke for itself. These kids went out and laid their hearts on the line. I couldn’t be prouder of a group of guys.”
Unity Christian jumped on Spring Lake from the get-go, displaying a style of play that was quicker and more physical than the Lakers were used to seeing.
“They moved the ball well and played with a lot of pace, more than we’ve seen this year,” said Lakers’ senior Ben Keller. “That first 10 minutes, they really got onto us.”
The Lakers eventually settled down and began to play their style of soccer, with crisp passes through the midfield and long balls sent to forwards Riley Kammeraad and K.J. Sanchez.
The Lakers were rewarded for their efforts with a free kick from 35 yards out 20 minutes into the game. Senior Adam Clauss served a perfect ball in to classmate Austin Gabris, who streaked in and drilled a header past Unity Christian goalie Nick Woldyk for a 1-0 lead.
That advantage lasted for about 10 minutes, when at the 9:09 mark of the first half, Unity took advantage of a lapse on defense by the Lakers to knot the score at 1-1. Spring Lake failed to clear the ball, setting up a hard shot that bounced off goalie Joe Czajka. Unity’s Jake VandeKieft was there to bang home the rebound.
In the second half, the teams traded chances until Unity was able to score the game-winner with 18:05 remaining. Again, Spring Lake couldn’t clear the ball, and it eventually ended up on the foot of Stephan Hooker, who chipped a shot over Czajka for a 2-1 lead.
Spring Lake, which entered the game without a loss on its record and ranked No. 1 in the state, poured it on over the final several minutes of the game. Their comeback effort as made more difficult due to the fact that they lost one dangerous attacker, Kaleb Winter, to an injury in the first half. Another, leading scorer Riley Kammeraad, was shown a yellow card with 8 minutes remaining and was forced to watch the end of the game from the sidelines, his head buried in his hands.
Still, the Lakers came within inches of scoring the equalizer in the final seconds.
Clauss hit a long shot from about 50 yards out that bounced in Unity’s penalty box. The ball had plenty of topspin, sending it over the head of Woldyk and glancing off the crossbar. Time expired a moment later, sending an emotional Unity team into a wild celebration with its fans who poured out onto the field.
“This was a hard-fought game that could have gone either way,” said Lakers’ coach Jeremy Thelen, whose team ends its season at 21-1-1. “They went hard to the ball. That’s what you know Unity’s going to do. We’re going to fight to the end, never give up. We just kept fighting.”
Unlike last year’s Lakers’ team which reached the state finals with a huge contingency of juniors, this year’s squad is senior-oriented. The Lakers will graduate 11 players off this squad, including eight starters. Several of those seniors are third or fourth year varsity players.
“I’m appreciative of all the seniors and everything they’ve given us this year,” Thelen said. “This is a hard way to go out.”
“I love everyone on this team,” added Keller. “They’ve all been great this whole run. After this, there’s really nothing to say except to give a couple hugs.”
Spring Lake soccer falls to Unity Christian
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Spring Lake soccer falls to Unity Christian
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The Spring Lake varsity boys soccer team saw its dreams of a Division 2 state championship dashed in a 2-1 regional championship game loss to Hudsonville Unity Christian on Friday night. The game was played at Forest Hills Northern High School. (Tribune photos/Matt DeYoung)
College Showcase: Steinlage repeats as All-Big 10 selection
NATE THOMPSON
10:26 AM
NOV 13
2012
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EAST LANSING
Although she didn’t experience the team success she desired, it was another positive season individually for Spring Lake graduate Annie Steinlage on the soccer field for Michigan State University.
Steinlage, a sophomore, was recently named a Big 10 All-Conference First Team selection for the second-straight season.
“Annie Steinlage’s first team award was well-deserved,” said Spartans’ head coach Tom Saxton. “She is one of the best central defenders in college soccer.”
Aside from her talents on defense, Steinlage also had a breakout season offensively, recording three goals and five assists.
Maybe Steinlage’s most memorable performance came on Sept. 2 against Akron. Her defense helped limit the Zips to just one shot on goal, while Steinlage recorded both an assist and the game-winning goal in the 2-1 final.
MSU finished just 8-9-2 this season, including a disappointing 2-8-1 in the Big 10.
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