Sacred Heart wins girls' soccer title

By Jennifer Smith - jsmith3@herald-leader.com

GEORGETOWN — Evenly matched was an understatement in the girls' championship game on Saturday.

Like two heavyweight fighters, top-ranked Notre Dame and No. 2 Sacred Heart fought well into the night and way past regulation at Toyota Stadium.

The two teams, who had combined to allow opponents to score just 15 goals this season, played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer before it went to penalty kicks.

Even in the PKs, it seemed like no team would score. The game went eight shooters deep before either team could find the goal.

It was Nikki Hafele, a senior midfielder, who scored the lone goal of penalty kicks to give the Valkyries their third straight state championship and their fourth in the past six seasons.

But it was 5-foot-6 Maddie Peabody who was the Most Valuable Player, blocking three Notre Dame shots in the penalty-kick phase to seal the win for SHA, which won its ninth straight game.

The Pandas had two other shooters go wide. After Hafele's goal, Peabody blocked the final shot of Ally Westling before being rushed by her teammates.

In the first half of regulation, both keepers had amazing saves, with Peabody blocking one shot and then managing to recover and corral the rebound just seconds later.

Notre Dame managed four shots on goal, all of which Peabody kept out of the net.

The Valkyries had five shots on frame against Olivia Voskuhl, but she didn't have the most impressive save in the first half. That honor went to Megan Berberich who beat Lucy Chauvin's shot to the goal and cleared it after Voskuhl had been drawn out.

In the second half, each team only had one shot on goal with perhaps the best look coming in the waning minutes of regulation.

Sacred Heart got a free kick from 25 yards out after a called trip, but Kelsey Malyszek's kick had way too much on it and went high and wide.

Sacred Heart 1, Notre Dame 0 (so)

Goalkeepers—SHA: Maddie Peabody; ND: Olivia Voskuhl.

Penalty kicks—NDA: Courtney Clark (wide right); Torrie Lange (blocked); Chandler Clark (blocked); Megan Berberich (wide left); Ally Westling (blocked). SHA: Jenna Price (off post); Lucy Chauvin (wide right); Kelsey Malyszek (wide left); Nikki Hafele (goal).

Records: Notre Dame 23-4-1, Sacred Heart 19-1-2.