On Monday, May 13, the girls soccer team claimed their first State Championship in school history, defeating Pius X High School 2-1 in a 5-4 shootout.
Pius X jumped out into a lead in the second half. But with 48 seconds left on the clock in the second half, junior defender Thea Martin tied the game as regulation ended with a score of 1-1.
“I was just trying to get it in their back line,” Martin said. “To try and get a good scoring opportunity for our team.”
After two overtime periods, the game eventually had to be settled in a shootout. After giving up four straight successful shots, junior goalkeeper Clara Fundus blocked back-to-back shots to claim the title for the Silver Hawks.
“My mindset stayed the same throughout the shootout,” Fundus said. “I just had to guess the right direction.”
To win the championship, the team emphasized team chemistry and relied on their senior captain midfielders Charley Kort and Maddie Schmeling.
“Our biggest step is to recreate a well-earned feeling of being a team,” head coach Thomas Nettleton said. “Replacing our two senior captains, Maddie Schmeling and Charley Kort is huge shoes to fill in terms of leadership. What’s exciting is seeing who will step into that role among our nine returning starters and even those who weren’t in the starting lineup this year.”
The State Championship is the first for Nettleton, who has been coaching the team for over a decade, and made his 11th appearance in the State Tournament this year.
“We talk to student athletes about being consistent and persistent, to live out that mantra. It has been an extremely good feeling to see that there is evidence on the other side of hard work,” Nettleton said. “In a lot of ways we as people define success in tangible things, like state championships or tournament appearances. I think my greatest accomplishment is being able to see how much joy there is in watching other people enjoy the moment.”
