The varsity girls soccer team defeated Bishop Shanahan 2-1 in their first District 1 3A playoff game on October 24 at George L. King Field.
The Panthers ended their regular season with a 14-3 record, gaining the first seed and the first-round bye advantage.
“I’m really happy for the girls,” head coach Gino Miraglia said. “They did a great job, and really worked hard.”
Junior midfielder Ruby Lane scored a long free kick to open the scoring in the 31st minute.
Freshman forward Maddie Fanning scored the second goal in the 62nd minute with a shot from inside the penalty area.
“I was really excited to come out here and play my first playoff game because I knew everyone would be here behind us and cheering us on,” Fanning said.
Making some changes to the starting lineup, Miraglia offered freshmen an opportunity to play some extra minutes on the turf.
“The freshmen stepped up,” Miraglia said. “We started six underclassmen today, and they played like upperclassmen.”
Bishop Shanahan scored their only goal in the 67th minute after multiple shots and rebounds from Haven’s defense.
“Our mindset is always to play Strath Haven soccer,” Miraglia said. “We can only control what we put on the field. We can’t control our opponents [or] referees.”
The Panthers will host Radnor in the final four of the PIAA District 1 Championship on Monday, October 28, at home at George L. King Field.
Also on October 24, Haven’s varsity volleyball team defeated Radnor 3-0 in their second playoff game. They will travel to Harriton High School to play Pope John Paul II at 7 pm on Thursday, October 31. This game will be the PIAA District 1 Championship game.
