EAST LANSING — It was quite a ride for the soccer team at Warren Regina this spring.
“I did not think we’d ever make it this far,” senior Jenna Moeller said. “But we worked so hard for this, and I’m so proud of everyone. No one thought we would make it this far, so it’s a surprise, but we earned it.”
After finishing the regular season only scoring 10 goals and sporting a 2-5-6 record, the Saddlelites turned it around in the post-season, winning five tournament games and advancing all the way to the MHSAA Division 3 state championship.
But it was at that point where the dream season ended, as Regina fell to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 2-0, June 13 at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Soccer Complex.
Regina (7-7-6) played a tough slate against Catholic League Central Division foes and several opponents from the largest division of the Macomb Area Conference. But Moeller said that only prepared the team for the tougher tests to come.
“We just started picking it up when we got into districts,” Moeller said. “We started off losing or tying all of our games, so it was interesting not knowing how we were going to do, but then we really worked hard in our practices and everyone took accountability.”
Head coach Stefano Moraccini said he noticed a difference when Regina closed out the regular season with a 2-1 victory over St. Clair Shores Lakeview.
“The girls just started clicking from that point on and it was like they kicked it into another gear, playing better and better and better soccer. They got hot at the exact right time, going in to the playoffs,” he said. “A lot of that is attributed to the schedule that we play; we play a very difficult schedule, but it’s those times that prepare us for these moments.”
The Saddlelites were just the third team in history to enter the tournament with a record below .500 and advance to the state finals. (Clarkston Everest Collegiate and Grosse Pointe North were the first two, in 2023.)
Although Regina outshot the Cougars, 13-10, Catholic Central (13-8-2) was able to bang in a pair of goals, one in each half. Ironically, Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s two tallies were similar to the ones that Moeller scored in a 2-0 semifinal victory over Almont on June 10 that enabled the Saddlelites to advance to the championship — both came on scrambles in front of the net on a first-half restart and a second-half corner kick.
The Saddlelites put on the pressure during a six-minute stretch during the second half where they had five corner kicks and a free kick that sent the ball into the goal box, but could not capitalize on the opportunities.
“It’s frustrating. When you get all those corner kicks, you’ve got to put at least one in or at least get one on frame, but we just weren’t able to do it,” Moraccini said. “We just couldn’t get behind them. They couldn’t get behind us either. When the opportunities came, the free kicks, the corner kicks, we were off just a little bit. It is what it is, it’s just one of those days.”
Moraccini had a specific message for his team once the game ended.
“I just said, ‘(Keep your) heads up. It is very difficult to get to this game. You guys made it here; you’re the first ones in our school history to ever make it over here to the finals, you should be proud of yourselves,'” he said. “You learn from your mistakes and you make sure that they don’t happen again, whether it’s on the soccer field, or in everyday life.”
Moeller and Lydia Gerdes were the only seniors on Regina’s roster.
“It’s a very young team, so there’s going to be more people coming in, and they’re going to take over a team that’s going to be very good,” Gerdes said. “I’m just very proud of every girl on this team and I’m glad we made it this far. I can’t wait for them to come back next year.”
“I’m proud of the girls and super happy for the way they played this year; they battled every game,” Moraccini said. “It’s time for somebody else to step up. We lose two seniors this year, we’ve got a real young team, so next year looks good for us. I’m sad, I feel terrible for the girls, but we made it here and we want to come back next year.”
It was the first state soccer title for Grand Rapids Catholic Central. The Cougars’ head coach, Genevieve (Young) Sandner, played on the Madison Heights Bishop Foley team which won Class B state titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997. Young even scored the winning goal on one occasion.
“I do know what it feels like — it’s awesome for them,” she said. “I just told them that they’ve just got to soak in this moment. They’ve got to be proud of how far they’ve come on this journey. To try and calm those nerves a little bit, I tell them it’s just another game.”
