WATERFORD — A one-goal game had brought the St. Clair girls soccer team to this stage of the MHSAA tournament.
On Tuesday, June 2, the Saints found themselves in another one-score struggle. Except this one was ultimately their undoing.
St. Clair came up short against Waterford Kettering, 1-0, in a Division 2 regional semifinal at Mott High School.
The Saints finished the season at 16-3-2 overall.
“They were a lot like us,” St. Clair coach Cliff Freeland said of Kettering. “They played a lot like us — very aggressive, very physical and they wanted it. I just thought, you know, the ball didn’t bounce our way a couple of times. We had opportunities, and we got after it. All I ask is that (our players) leave it all on the field, and I thought they did that tonight.”
Roughly 11 minutes in, Kettering’s Savannah Sartorius briefly got behind St. Clair’s defense in the left corner of the 6-yard box. She received a long pass, took a few dribbles and then chipped a shot from just outside the goalpost. The ball dropped in the right end of the net with 29:21 left in the first half.
Despite the early goal, St. Clair keeper Zaira Sullivan made several impressive saves down the stretch to keep her team within striking distance.
“She’s been outstanding for three years,” Freeland said. “She’s started (in goal) the last three years and has kept us in a lot of games. I thought she was great.”
That same adjective could be applied to the Saints’ 2026 season, which, despite ending in heartbreak, saw the program capture its sixth district championship since 2018.
St. Clair also continued its ascent through the Macomb Area Conference, having won the MAC White outright with a 12-0-0 league record. In 2027, they’ll move up to the MAC Red.
“This (year) meant a lot because I didn’t know what I had (coming into the season),” Freeland said. “I knew what I was returning, didn’t know what was coming in. I had some great (underclassmen) come in. And my seniors, they’re a special group.”
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @BrendenWelper.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: St. Clair girls soccer drops MHSAA Division 2 regional semifinal
Reporting by Brenden Welper, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
