 (786 x 90 px).png)
MCP/OCP Sports Coverage is presented by: Baker Ford Ludington, Fresh Coast Foam, Mission Graphics, Quick-Way, Inc., Smith & Eddy Insurance and Michelle and Andrew Thomas.
RAVENNA — Ravenna scored once late in the first half and added the game-winner early in the second to defeat Shelby 2-1 in a West Michigan Conference girls varsity soccer match Monday.
Shelby (3-1-1, 2-1 WMC) struck first, continuing a season trend of fast starts. Annie Stark finished a cross from Fernanda Espinosa to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead.
“We started the game strong today, putting a solid amount of pressure on the Bulldogs and creating some quality chances,” Shelby coach Joseph Gorton said.
The match settled into a midfield battle after the opening goal, with limited opportunities on both sides. Gorton estimated each team generated five scoring chances.
Ravenna tied the game late in the first half when Marsman broke through on a well-played ball and finished to make it 1-1 at the break.
“We knew going in we needed to keep an eye on her, and I feel like we were successful for about 90 percent of the game,” Gorton said.
Marsman struck again early in the second half, getting free for what proved to be the deciding goal as Ravenna took a 2-1 lead.
Shelby struggled to generate consistent attacking chances after halftime and dealt with injuries that forced several players off the field.
“Tied at half, we were unable to generate a lot of quality looks, and we had a few players forced off the field with some injuries,” Gorton said.
Shelby returns to action Wednesday, hosting Manistee.
Thank you to the following businesses who make reporting of local sports, like this story, possible:
MCP/OCP Sports Coverage is presented by:
Baker Ford Ludington, 3045 W. US 10-31, Ludington, 888-856-9116, bakerfordludington.com
Fresh Coast Foam, 7440 W. 5 Mile Rd., Irons; 231-510-9513, www.freshcoastfoam.com
Mission Graphics, 113 S. Blaine St., Scottville, 231-845-7030, mymission.graphics
Quick-Way, Inc., 1004 Conrad Industrial Dr., Ludington, 231-845-6520, qkwa.net
Smith & Eddy Insurance, serving west Michigan since 1902, 231-757-4743, smith-eddy.com
Michelle and Andrew Thomas
___________________________________
Please consider making a one-time contribution to help support MCP.
Please Support Local News and Sports Coverage
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
To sign up, email editor@mediagroup31.com. In the subject line write: Subscription. Please supply your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number (indicate cell phone). We will not share your information with any outside sources. For more than one email address in a household, the cost is $15 per month per email address.
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
Payment must be made in advance prior to subscription activation.
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
.png)
