The Columbus Academy girls soccer team’s pursuit of its first state title came up short Nov. 7 at Historic Crew Stadium.
Perennial power Cincinnati Summit Country Day scored twice in the first 3:17 of the second half and added two more goals for a 4-0 win in the Division IV championship game.
Academy (18-4-2) was playing in its third state tournament and first title game, while the Silver Knights (22-0-2) captured their third consecutive championship and sixth overall in eight state appearances.
“They were super strong,” second-year Academy coach Grant Stegner said. “We did all we could to be prepared. We were ready. We had a pregame plan. We weren’t quite at their level today, but that’s a really strong team.”
The Vikings relied on a defense led by senior goalie Taylor Gillett to reach the state final – they did not allow a goal in their previous eight games, including six postseason contests – but Summit Country Day could be held in check only for so long.
After the Knights applied persistent pressure in the first half, Carolyn Federle scored just 16 seconds into the second half for the only goal Summit Country Day would need.
Aubrey Blakely scored off an assist from Mia Stevens to make it 2-0, and Stevens scored the final two goals with 25:58 and 5:22 to play.
Academy’s offense was held without a shot in limited time in the Summit Country Day defensive end. Evi Wallace was in goal for the Knights.
Summit Country Day’s offense kept Gillett busy with 23 shots, including 10 on goal. Gillett finished with six saves.
“It was a great season,” Gillett said. “I was so proud of them. We all played amazingly. We went further than we expected.”
On a roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores, Stegner is looking forward to the future.
“One thing we talk about is our culture,” he said. “The older players teach the other players what it’s like to be on the team. We have some young athletes who have already made a huge impact.”
Gillett credited Stegner for the team’s success.
“We completely changed our program,” she said. “He brought us all the way here. I don’t even know how many hours he works. He works endless hours. He sleeps, drinks soccer. He’s just an amazing coach and we wouldn’t be here without him.”
This story has been updated to add a photo gallery.
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Academy falls to Summit Country Day in OHSAA girls soccer state final
Reporting by Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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