Springport Soccer Turns Around Season With Winning Streak

Springport High School soccer player Chelsea Hemminger (10) scored a goal in her final high school soccer match for the Spartans.  Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV Sports

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

The Springport High School varsity soccer team was 0-4 to start the 2021 season.

Worst of all, they were outscored 32-3 in those first four games.

But the Spartans turned it around with six consecutive wins heading into the Michigan High School Division 3 district final on Thursday against Comstock.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, the winning ways did not continue in an 8-5 loss to the Colts on the road.

Springport finished the year with a 6-5 record and hope for better things to come in 2022.

“We just came together and changed our defense with a lot of pressure up top,” SHS Coach Jeff Saunders said following the district final loss. 

Springport outshot the Colts 19-18 in the contest and appeared to have the upper hand in the first part of the game.

Maddux Overweg scored the opening goal eight minutes into the first half for Springport. But Comstock scored the next three goals of the half.

Overweg scored again with 16:10 remaining in the first half, but the Spartans could not stop Kayla Berg of Comstock.

She scored her third goal of the game at the 10:14 mark giving Comstock a 4-2 halftime lead.

“I just wanted scoring opportunities … the goals will eventually go in,” Saunders said. 

Comstock scored the first goal of the season half for a 5-2 lead before the Spartans fought back. 

Goals by Ryann Overweg and Chelsea Hemminger pulled Springport within one goal with 23 minutes remaining in the contest.

But Berg struck again at the 18:39 mark of the second half giving Comstock a 6-4 lead.

Ryann Overweg scored again at the 14:28 mark of the second half for Springport. The Spartans appeared to have tied the game at 6-all on a goal at the 12-minute mark, but it was called off due to an offsides penalty.

Berg scored the final two goals of the game for Comstock with a penalty kick at the 4-minute mark and a goal with less than three seconds remaining in the game.

She finished with six goals on the night for Comstock.

Springport goalie Keleigh LaRocque stopped 10 shots in net for the Spartans.

Springport expects to be back to its winning ways next season with only two seniors on the 14-player roster for 2021.