No repeat: Lakers' hopes of second state title dashed

There will be no repeat for Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Everest Collegiate as it fell to Saginaw Nouvel, 3-0, in a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 4 regional final on Saturday, June 11 at Flint Kearsley.

The loss ended the Lakers’ quest for a second straight Division 4 state championship.

“We weren’t deep enough and injuries finally caught up with us,” Our Lady Head Coach Rich Ludwig said.

“We didn’t convert on opportunities in the first half and we ran out of gas in the second and you have to give credit to Saginaw.

“We had a lot of banged-up people. Abbey Troy played phenomenal in the back and Farrah Nordman tried to give it a go.”

Our Lady (17-1-1) started the week on a positive note as it defeated rival Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 7-0, in a regional semi-final on Thursday, June 9, marking the Lakers’ third victory of the season over the Cardinals, which were also shutout wins.

Meghan Topolewski scored two goals while Ava Doetsch, Troy, Lindsey Straw, Jessica Parry and Anna Robb each scored a goal.

Last Saturday marked the final game for Our Lady’s group of seniors including Topolewski, Troy, Kristyn Kulick, Chantelle Ludwig, Nordman and Emily O’Brien, some of whom helped build Our Lady’s soccer program from scratch in 2008 and turned them into state champions last season.

“The senior class is very unique, they worked their butts off and they won every trophy possible, including four district titles,” Coach Ludwig said.

“They helped build the varsity team and it has flourished and it keeps getting better and better.”

As for the future, Coach Ludwig hopes that the incoming freshmen class will provide some much-needed depth.

“In high school, you have to have athletes, but I was proud of the way our girls played. We had 11 or 12 girls a game because of either conflicts or injuries.”