ROYAL OAK — Allen Park Cabrini was the lone Catholic High School League squad to repeat as girls soccer champion in three league finals staged over seven hours May 17 at Shrine High School.
The Monarchs defeated Wixom St. Catherine of Siena Academy, 4-1, for the Ste. Anne Division crown for its second title in school’s history and its second appearance in the finals.
Bloomfield Hills Marian’s 3-0 shutout of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood for the Bishop Division championship was its 18th trophy dating back to 1984, when the sport was sanctioned in the CHSL.
Shrine enjoyed home-field advantage in holding off Ann Arbor Greenhills, 3-2, for the Cardinal Division, its first since 2019 and sixth in school annals.
Cabrini takes early lead
Junior forward Paityn Hawes scored eight minutes into the game to give Cabrini (10-2-1) an early lead. Senior midfielder Carly Roth iced the outcome with a pair of goals three minutes apart midway in the second half.
Senior forward Joanna Namel converted a corner kick for St. Catherine’s (8-3-2) goal, the only shot that got past the Monarchs’ senior goalie Faith Sterling. Namel’s goal was her 33rd of the season, a school record. Junior forward Madi Smith finished Cabrini’s scoring on a 25-yard ground ball.
Ten days earlier, the two teams had played to a 3-3 tie in a regular season contest.
In state tournament play, Cabrini will host Marine City Cardinal Mooney (5-10-2) in a district final May 28. Wixom St. Catherine will face either Dearborn Henry Ford Academy or Dearborn Advanced Tech Academy on May 28 in a district semifinal.
Marian defense the difference
Midway through the opening half, senior forward Bella Musachio masterfully dribbled the ball 40 yards, faked out a pair of defenders and the Cranbrook goalie to give Marian a 1-0 lead.
With 25 minutes to play in the second half, sophomore midfielder Nia Bordogna kicked the ball from 30 yards out over the opposing goalie’s head and, three minutes later, a near-similar free kick from 25 yards to wind up the Mustangs offense.
The defense made the difference, particularly the trio of center backs seniors Abigail Walton and Nadia Valka and junior Lily Robinson and freshman goaltender Olivia Bussa.
Marian (14-2-1, ranked No. 8), a nine-time Division 2 state champion (most recently 2021), will play either Cranbrook (3-8-2) or Walled Lake Western in a district semifinal May 28.
Shrine off to quick start
The game was a mere 72 seconds underway when Shrine sophomore Jo Malcolm booted in the ball lost in a scramble from a corner kick for a 1-0 lead.
It took nearly 21 minutes before the Knights struck again on another corner kick converted by senior Molly Salerno.
That sparked an eight-minute frenzy: at 19:04, a goal by Greenhill’s sophomore Cate Alumkal, followed at 14:24 by a goal from Shrine’s senior Isobel Malcom, and then, at 12:39, a second goal by Alumkal.
Royal Oak Shrine (12-3-2) is ranked No. 2 in Division 4. Coach Mark Soma — in his 25th year coaching the boys team and 22 years the girls — has led the Knights girls to state championships in 2019 and 2022.
The Knights will begin a 2025 title quest on their own field on May 28 against either Clawson or Southfield Christian.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
