The Panther’s Halloween night ended with a 3-0 loss to Pope John Paul II in the PIAA District 1 Championship game at Harriton High School.
Ranked first in the state, PJP II came into the game undefeated, while Haven had a 19-4 record during the regular season and into playoffs.
“This is the best team that I have ever coached in my life,” head coach Mary Kirchner said. “We have six seniors, and they just led the team into a championship game.”
Senior captain Mali Rao believes Kirchner is great at getting the team into the right mentality and attitude for gameday.
“Having a coach like Mary who could bring that competitive spirit out of us was super important to getting us all super united,” Rao said. “Her motto coming into the season was, ‘Attitude is everything,’ because she’s a teacher, so she understands how important is that we are able to keep a positive headspace.”
PJP II started the game well, winning the first set 25-9. In the second set, the Panthers were able to put up a better fight, ending the set 25-19 for PJP II. The third set sealed the deal for PJP II as they defeated the Panthers 25-16.
Rao acknowledges the fight PJP II put up last night.
“I think we did come out hard last night, but it ended up being like two great teams that were facing off,” Rao said. “As hard as we played, and as great as I think everyone performed, it wasn’t enough to shut them down. We knew that they were going to be a strong team and that’s exactly what happened.”
Kirchner believes the team’s chemistry and emotion are the strongest points of the team.
“They’re supporting each other. They’re pushing each other to be better in every practice and every game,” Kirchner said. “The emotion of it is part of it, too. They are just really into it, they love the sport, and it shows every day.”
Rao credits the team’s bond to their success this season.
“This is a very special team, and I think that we got to where we ended up because of the uniqueness of our bond,” Rao said. “I think it’s really easy to overlook how important it is to really be united as a team. I think what put us ahead a lot during the season was being that much more connected and united.”
In training, the Panthers have been improving their game a lot.
“It started in the summer at one of our camps, and they just kept getting better and better. Each season we’ve been creeping closer and closer to it. Hopefully, next year will be the year that we can take the trophy home,” Kirchner said.
This loss means the varsity football team and the girls varsity soccer team are the only Strath Haven teams standing in the playoffs. The football team will host Penncrest at George L. King Field on Friday, November 1 at 7 p.m. for their first playoff game. The soccer team will play their first state tournament game on Tuesday, November 5. Opponent, time, and location are to be determined.
