The girls varsity soccer team defeated Lower Dauphin 1-0 in a thrilling PIAA 3A state final at Eagle View Middle School on November 15.
Haven created many chances in the first 20 minutes of the game, with multiple shots by senior Annie Dignazio.
“The beginning we’re just trying to go out hard, set the tone, and then once we got comfortable, we saw we could push ourselves,” Dignazio said.
The Panthers also started the second half offensively, with motivation to play the most important second half of the season.
“Annie Dignazio kept saying 80 minutes, and it’s a lifetime,” senior Kaia Smith said. “We knew we were playing well, but just not breaking through. That gave us the persistence to continue.”
A cross from Dignazio found sophomore Ava Hurwitz for a tap-in header in the 48th minute sealed the win for the Panthers.
“I remember opening my eyes, and it was just in the goal,” Hurwitz said. “I just got so excited.”
After the goal, the Panthers played more defensively and tried to hold the Falcons’ offense.
“They [Lower Dauphin] have a strong girl on their team who can shoot from out wide,” Smith said. “My main goal was not to let her receive the ball when she was near me and not let them break down the line behind us.”
As the game progressed, the crowd grew louder and louder, increasing the number of chants and celebrations. The Panther Pack showed up in numbers for the game in Mechanicsburg, PA, even during the afternoon of a school day.
“When Ava Hurwitz scored the header, the crowd went wild,” junior Jason Zhang said. “Everyone in the Panther Pack was going crazy.”
Before the referee blew the final whistle, Haven’s players piled onto freshman goalkeeper Alice Rieger, jumping and screaming as state champions.
“They worked hard all year, so it was great to see them celebrate together,” head coach Gino Miraglia said. “Alice has been a brick back there all season long. It’s just fitting.”
This was Miraglia’s first state championship in the 18 years he has coached Haven’s girls soccer team.
“I’m speechless. I’ve been like that a long time,” Miraglia said. “We knew coming in that this group was special. We always set that goal every year, but this is the one year I really believed because they were just relentless.”
Back at the high school, during fourth block, students filled the auditorium, chorus, and orchestra rooms to watch live streams of the game.
“It was awesome, to see the entire school cheering on the soccer team,” junior Theo Jauregui said. “Everyone was locked in, watching every second of the game. I’m glad they won.”
On their way home, the team bus was escorted by emergency services. Police cars and fire trucks turned on their lights and honked their horns to let the community know that a championship team was passing by. Meanwhile, the team held in the back of the bus with disco lights and a speaker at maximum volume, singing songs like “We Are The Champions” and “Who Let The Dogs Out?”
This win concludes the 2024 varsity girls soccer season, fulfilling their goals decided at the beginning of the season.
