COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Tri-State teams were victorious Friday, as the Mount Notre Dame and Waynesville girls soccer teams won their first state championships Friday.
The Mount Notre Dame Cougars defeated Walsh Jesuit 4-1 at Lower.com Field to win the 2021 Division I girls state championship final. While MND is no stranger to athletics success, this season marked the Cougars' first ever state championship game. Before the game, head coach Kiersten Roof said their success comes from the revamped program's shift in team culture.
"You're putting the team first and the program first — and you are going to fight together, be there for each other, encourage each other, pick each other up, and you're going to do everything together, because it's the only way we're ever going to get anything through,” Roof said. “And that seems to have made a difference for us.”
Team captain Emma Frey said making it to the championship has been the goal from the start of the season
“We've kind of just had Nov. 12 in the back of our mind.” Frey said. “So just kind of been that thing we come into every practice every day to keep going.”
According to MND Athletics' Twitter, Frey gave the team a 2-0 lead before Walsh was able to score one goal. The Cougars responded with two unanswered goals, making MND the 2021 Division I girls soccer champions.
Your 2021 Division 1 State Champions!! pic.twitter.com/2M18qBcbu1
— MND Athletics (@AthleticsMnd) November 12, 2021
Though the team had not made it to the state championship game before, the program does have an esteemed alumna who kept up with their success. Olympian and United States Women’s National Team star Rose Lavelle played for the Cougars when she attended MND, retweeting the athletic department with her congratulations after Friday's win.
Lavelle tweeted, "Yay cougars!!!!! 🥳💙"
Yay cougars!!!!!🥳💙 https://t.co/ocJSdf46tO
— Rose Lavelle (@roselavelle) November 12, 2021
Waynesville, the No. 6 seed in Division III play, defeated Ottawa-Glandorf to win the first girls soccer state championship in school history.
The Lady Spartans reacted to the win on Twitter, saying, "So this happened."
So this happened pic.twitter.com/GsOMfNFytv
— The 'Ville Girls Soccer (@girls_spartans) November 13, 2021
Both Mount Notre Dame and Waynesville are part of Ohio High School Athletic Association's Southwest District. Wyoming also made the Division II state championship game, but lost to Chagrin Falls.
