FENNVILLE – The Saugatuck girls soccer team were in new territory as the Trailblazers took the field for the regional finals.
In the several years that the Trailblazers reached the regional round, they had never won their regional semifinal matchup.
That changed Tuesday, June 2, with a huge win over Michigan Lutheran in the Division 4 regional semifinals.
Saugatuck saw its unprecedented run ended with a 6-0 loss to Kalamazoo Christian on Thursday, June 4.
“We made it farther than anyone else, and I don’t think anyone expected that. I am going to remember how far we have come. The beginning of the season was so volatile, so up-and-down. They stuck with it and had a lot of grit and support each other so well,” Saugatuck coach Neal Phillips said. “That is what was so special about it.”
It ended a special spring season for Saugatuck across the board.
“It means way more than I can put into words. From the beginning of the season, thinking where we are now, accomplishing more than we ever have, I am just so proud of everyone,” Saugatuck senior Neave Rewa said. “That adds to the legacy of Saugatuck soccer.”
In addition to the soccer team’s first trip to the regional finals, the baseball team won districts for the first time in a decade and the track team finished fourth in the state behind Novella DeGraaf’s historic performance with three top-three finishes.
Those also coming on the heels of the girls basketball team winning its third consecutive district title – another program first.
“It has been so cool to watch that. We have a really special community at Saugatuck and everyone shows up for each other,” Rewa said. “And everyone is out there doing their best to represent our community.”
The game
Virginia Cernugel mad a great save on an early Kalamazoo Christian breakaway just a minute into the game.
But the Comets got on the board with a goal that bounced off of a few legs and trickled over the line with 26 minutes to go in the first half.
Kalamazoo Christian tapped in two more before the half and three more in the second half as the Comets continued to use their speed and size to get behind the Saugatuck defense.
Kalamazoo Christian advanced to the state semifinals and will face Harbor Springs at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, at Cedar Springs.
“Momentum was huge in this game. We were punching up a little bit and we needed to make the impact first and then we tried to adjust but against a good team like this, you have to score first,” Phillips said. “We have a lot of young players and I don’t see why we can’t get here again.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Saugatuck girls soccer ends unprecedented season in regional final loss to Kalamazoo Christian
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan D'Addona, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
