Rockford rolls over Troy in MHSAA girls soccer D-1 title game

EAST LANSING – Friday, June 12, will be a date forever ingrained in the memory of Sydney DeKuiper.

The Rockford High School senior had a heart-wrenching dilemma that she had to work through: Stand up as the maid of honor in her sister Sammie’s wedding or compete with her team in the program’s first MHSAA girls soccer Division 1 state title game.

With her family’s support – and, most importantly, Sammie’s – she chose the latter.

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“Luckily my family is the best and they support me so much and we’ve always been a sports family,” DeKuiper said. “It wasn’t exactly a hard decision; it just hurt my heart.”

The risk was worth the reward. DeKuiper as she and Rockford defeated Troy, 2-0, to capture the program’s first state title.

DeKuiper, who assisted on the final goal (scored by junior forward Amelia Chapin), said afterward there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

“It's a true sisterhood, and I would die on this field for them if I could,” she said. “It’s my last time on the field with them and so I left everything out on the field for them.”