COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Loveland girls' soccer team won its first state title Friday night.
Loveland, ranked No. 2 in the Division I state coaches' poll, defeated No. 7 Perrysburg 1-0 to win the OHSAA Division I girls soccer state championship on a frigid Friday night at MAPFRE Stadium.
Still flipping out about our Tigers winning state!!! See what I did there!? @JellSwift pic.twitter.com/5PJMXAYH5w
— Matthew Buis (@LHS_MrBuis) November 11, 2017
Just under halfway through the first half, Loveland (22-1-0) pressure forced Perrysburg (17-3-3) to turn it over deep in its own zone and Loveland's Brooke Harden capitalized with a strike from 27 yards out to put the Tigers up 1-0. Harden's goal ended as the lone goal of the game.
In the 70th minute, Perrysburg senior Kristina DeMarco had arguably the best scoring opportunity for the Yellow Jackets, but DeMarco's shot from just inside the 18-yard box was saved by Loveland keeper and captain Lauren Parker.
The victory for Loveland marks the first OHSAA girls soccer state championship in school history. The Tigers also reached the finals in 2015. This was Perrysburg's second trip to the state championship game, as they won the title in 2012.
The Tigers' title completed a Greater Cincinnati sweep of three state girls' soccer titles Friday including Loveland (Division I), Indian Hill (Division II) and Summit Country Day (Division III).
The Cincinnati area teams outscored their opponents 7-0 overall.
