EAST LANSING — The MHSAA girls soccer record book officially belongs to Hudsonville Unity Christian.
With a commanding 7-0 victory over New Boston Huron on Friday at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Soccer Complex, the Crusaders captured their record 13th state championship, surpassing Madison Heights Bishop Foley for the most titles in Michigan high school girls soccer history.
“It’s the consistency I’m probably most proud of for these kids,” said veteran Unity Christian head coach Randy Heethuis, who completed his 36th season. “They know if they take care of the little things, the big things will follow. That’s something we’ve preached for over 20 years. We get kids who buy into the program and want to end their season here, on this stage.”
Not only did Unity Christian (22-0-2) claim its third straight title, it did so by completing an undefeated season, becoming the 19th team in MHSAA history to accomplish that feat. Friday’s win was also their first championship in Division 2 after all previous 12 titles came in Division 3. The Crusaders also tied Bishop Foley with their 17th appearance in an MHSAA Final.
First Half Pressure Finally Breaks Through
Unity Christian applied relentless pressure early, registering 19 shots in the first half alone, though only four were on target. Their breakthrough came just minutes before halftime, when senior Ava Lutke delivered a corner kick that found the head of junior Tessa Ponstein for her 15th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
“We had the corner, Ava played a perfect ball to me, and I just knew to get my head on it and put it where I wanted it to go,” Ponstein said. “It felt great.”
Second Half Onslaught Secures the Title
Ponstein wasn’t done. Ten minutes into the second half, she assisted junior Addison Pell on a free kick, whose header trickled past the defense to make it 2-0.
Midway through the half, a second yellow card to New Boston Huron left the Chiefs down a player — and Unity Christian capitalized. Over the next 20 minutes, the Crusaders erupted for five more goals.
Lutke netted her 29th of the year on a header off a setup from junior Tessa Nagelkirk, making it 3-0. Ponstein then selflessly set up sophomore Kyla Kobrzycki for a goal less than two minutes later.
“She’s been working hard, and I felt like she had a better angle than I did,” Ponstein said. “She earned it.”
Freshman Olivia Walters made it 5-0, putting in her own rebound after hitting the crossbar. Sophomore Myla Obande and freshman Lauren Prins capped the scoring spree in the closing minutes.
Defense Shines in Historic Fashion
While the seven goals drew headlines, the defensive effort was equally historic. Unity’s back line of juniors Avery Dekker, Ava Steen, and sophomore Karli Rose made life easy for keepers Payton Barendsen and Kennidee Crump, who earned the shutout without facing a single shot on goal.
The shutout marked Unity Christian’s 18th consecutive postseason clean sheet, as the Crusaders outscored playoff opponents by a combined 22-0.
“That’s something we’re extremely proud of,” Heethuis said. “Offense gets the accolades, but going 18 tournament games without conceding a goal? That doesn’t happen by accident.”
Chiefs Celebrate Historic Season Despite Loss
New Boston Huron (21-2-1) had its best season in program history, reaching the Finals for the first time. Both of their losses came to undefeated state finalists: Unity Christian and Division 1 runner-up Saline. Junior goalkeeper Brooklyn Burke made nine saves to keep the scoreline from growing larger.
“I’ve been waiting for our girls’ side to reach this level,” Huron coach Matt Lividini said. “We’ve always had the talent, and this year everything came together. Obviously, today didn’t go our way, but I’m beyond proud of what these girls accomplished.”
Heethuis Extends Legendary Legacy
With Friday’s win, Randy Heethuis upped his career win total to 664 victories, extending his lead as Michigan’s all-time winningest girls soccer coach by 135 games. This title also marks the third time Unity Christian has won three consecutive state championships (2005-10 six straight, 2014-16 three straight, and now 2023-25).
Unity Christian’s dominance in 2025 was clear:
22-0-2 overall record 36 shots in the championship match 18 straight playoff shutouts First Division 2 title 13th championship overall (new MHSAA record)
“We don’t care what division we’re in,” Heethuis said. “We just want to play soccer, and on any given day, I think this team proved we can compete with anybody.”