BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
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BIRCH RUN — Madison Enderle honestly can’t remember who her first career goal came against in a Birch Run uniform.
Can you blame her?
There’s been so many of them.
Enderle, a senior center midfielder/forward for Birch Run and a fourth-year starter, had recorded 147 career goals and 74 assists as of May 21, landing herself in the top 10 all-time for career goals in Michigan.
“Oh gosh. I can’t remember. I scored a lot of goals as a freshman,” recalled Enderle, who will attend NAIA Madonna College due to its Broadcast Cinema Program and play soccer on a soccer scholarship there. “I just go out there and try to help us win.”
Enderle, who plays club ball for Nationals (formerly WAZA) and carries a fine 3.8 GPA, has rewritten both the Birch Run and Saginaw Area record books for scoring — with goals in a game, season and career highlighting her chart-topping resume. Her 221 total points as of late May is another record breaker for her region, along with her 53 goals as a junior.
Enderle, an three-time Division 3 All-State selection, is a pure goal-scorer, collecting goals against all sorts of competition. She is also a fine playmaker in her own right, something that she take pride in now that Birch Run has several capable players.
“When I was a freshman, it was my job to score goals. Now I can score, pass, set my teammates up…whatever needs to be done,” said Enderle, who garnered some Division I and Division II offers.
Duane Enderle, Madison’s father and Birch Run’s head coach, said the she is “one of the best scorers I’ve seen.”
The numbers support it.
“She gets it done,” said Duane Enderle. “She’s scored against Division I schools, Division II schools. You name it. Every team we play puts their best defender on her and tries to mark her.”
Enderle’s 10-goal outburst against Otisville-LakeVille this season and eight-goal total last season against the same school also rank in the state’s top five in the state for most goals in a contest.
Birch Run wasn’t near the soccer map before Enderle and the current cast came onto the scene. The Panthers carried a 14-2-2 record into the final week of the regular season and are one win away from netting the TVC East Division crown.
Birch Run has been steadily ranked the past four years, currently standing at No. 7 in Division 3.
Enderle and the Panthers drew a dose of bad luck when they found out that top-ranked Flint Powers Catholic will be their first-round D-3 pre-district opponent. Powers defeated Birch Run 3-0 in last year’s district finals.
“They didn’t kill us,” reminded Enderle, who has never enjoyed a district championship. “We’ll go out there and do our best and hopefully we can (spring) an upset. That’s all we can do.”
TOP 10 ALL-TIME LEADING GOAL SCORERS
228 – Libby Munoz, Leland (2013-16)
195 – Jordan Newman, Lake Fenton (2011-14)
168 – Jaleen Dingledine, Newaygo (2004-07)
167 – Danielle Eastman, Brooklyn Columbia Central (2012-15)
167 – Laura Heyboer, Hudsonville Unity Christian (2005-2008)
149 – Kyli Kennedy, Brooklyn Columbia Central (2003-06)
148 – Kristi Arrington, Novi (1997-00)
148 – Jennifer Swalec, St Clair Shores South Lake (1999-02)
147 – Anne Morrell, Plymouth Canton (1998-01)
147 – Madison Enderle, Birch Run (2014-17)***
145 – Katie Klunder, Grandville Calvin Christian (2009-12)
— *** Active player.