Last minute goal stamps Hudsonville ‘on the charts’, lifts Eagles soccer to first

BYRON CENTER, MI – With an ice pack on her back and her knees bandaged up, it would’ve been easy for Maislin Joldersma to throw in the towel.

But that's just not how the junior rolls, or her team for that matter. In fact, this year's Eagles put "we over me".

And there was no way Joldersma was quitting on her team.

With the second half timer dwindling down in Thursday's girls soccer regional final, Joldersma hopped up, subbed in and wrote Hudsonville history all with a blast off her left foot. Joldersma's clutch goal with just three minutes remaining was the defining, fervid moment in a 1-0 victory over Portage Central, dispatching the Eagles in euphoria – and hoisting Hudsonville to their first-ever Division 1 state semifinal.

Plus, plenty of hugs around the Eagles’ first-ever regional trophy.

And even more around Joldersma, too.

Hudsonville advances to Tuesday's state semifinal against Northville (18-0-4) from Grand Ledge High School.

"I wanted to go out there for my team so badly because, you know, you want to leave it all out on the field," Joldersma said of her injury. "I could definitely play through it and we were just pushing for it and had so many opportunities and were so close. We all knew that this was it and we didn't want to go to penalties, so we were just hungry for it.

"I had a good ball and we all just wanted it," Joldersma added.

Thursday's Hudsonville victory was a bit of reprisal – the Mustangs knocked the Eagles out of last year's state tournament in the exact same game. All that makes it that much sweeter for head coach Holly VanNoord, who had her team stirred up from kickoff.

"The fire from last year, and just knowing that we’ve been here before," VanNoord said. "I think the girls were more confident than ever going into this game and it showed on the field. We were prepared and ready, and the biggest thing was our relentlessness. That was our biggest thing, controlling what we can control and focusing on each other and doing it together."

And that was a tall task against the No. 7-ranked Mustangs – they’ve prided themselves on defense, toughness and togetherness all season long. Portage Central's backline and sophomore goalkeeper Allison Rearick lived up to the hype in the first half, but the Eagles went to a higher altitude as the game wore on, especially on the counterattack.

"We played on our heels in the second half and they found an extra gear," Portage Central coach Tim Halloran said. "They tired us out a little bit and they’re a very deep team. A lot of the same athletes that come on the field, you just don't know which one is which. And even with all that said, with three minutes left in the game and they hadn't really had a clear opportunity says a ton about our defense.

"We just weren't clicking the way we normally click offensively and that's a credit to them, they work very hard," Halloran continued. "It's not often we play against teams who work harder tha new do and they are the exception – there's a reason why they’re No. 2 in the state."

Hudsonville junior Kendall Aikens started slotting balls to senior Raeleight Woodwyk near the back post, further succumbing the Mustangs to their heels and sinking them back into their own zone. And with just over three minutes left, the Eagles finally cracked the code.

An Eagle ball sent in near the box was initially corralled by Mustangs’ Mia Hesley, but the junior forward slipped and fell down, allowing Joldersma to swoop in on the advantage. After a few nifty touches through traffic, Joldersma, now one-on-one with Rearick, waited patiently and slotted a left-footed shot near post for the decisive moment of the match.

She may be hurting tomorrow, but winning is the right remedy.

"I’m not surprised by Maislin, she's a phenomenal athlete and just a relentless worker," VanNoord said. "She has a natural competitive aspect and is going to do whatever it takes to be that person for the team – she's one of the most selfless players but you can see in big moments like that, she's up for the challenge. It was a super fun moment and it was well deserved."

For the six Hudsonville seniors, Thursday's triumph is that much more deserving, considering they’ve dealt with regional final agony in the past two seasons.

"This feels unbelievable," said Woodwyk, a Grand Valley State University commit. "We’ve worked so hard this season and just seeing it finally pay off feels really great. We’ve worked after practice, doing all the little things to help us prepare for this moment – I can't even describe it."

It perhaps means a little more for Woodwyk, too – she was injured during the Eagles’ postseason run last year. So when Joldersma's shot ripped the back of the net, she couldn't help but feel emotional.

"I started crying and I was just so relieved," she said. "I just remember seeing the excitement on everyone's faces and it's the joy in knowing that we finally did it which makes it that much more exciting for us."

On the other side, Halloran had nothing but praises for his six seniors. After losing more than 50 goals of production from a year ago, the Mustangs found their identity through their defense – and that's all accredited to players like Caroline Elliot, Allie Dietzel and Katie Schultz.

"They stepped up and took control," he said. "They bought into figuring out who they they were and that's with hard work. With Caroline, Aubrey Phenicie and Schultz, those girls just work their tail off. We have a great organization of players who support one another. They want to be successful and that starts with being together, win or lose."

That inseparableness has been the Eagles’ theme all season long – something that not only fueled their mantra, but their desire for success.

"We went into this wanting to put Hudsonville on the charts," VanNoord said. "We’ve never won a regional final and I think that added fuel to the fire of that hungry desire to win and do it together. This team all loves each other and our theme this year is we above me, which shows every day.

"It's about focusing on these special moments we have with each other," she added. "How we lead with actions and in between plays. I think that just propels us on the field and playing together, playing for fun."

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