Heritage Hall tops Victory Christian in 3A final
The Oklahoma high school soccer state championships kicked off Friday at Taft Stadium. Here’s a recap of what happened in each match:
Class 3A girls: Heritage Hall 3, Victory Christian 1
Katerina Chrysant picked her spot on the far post and fired the shot.
The ball sailed through the air, firing quickly off her right foot. The sophomore forward at Heritage Hall picked her spot well, with the Tulsa Victory Christian goalkeeper not able to snag it for a stop.
Chrysant’s shot went untouched in the top right corner of the net, sending the Heritage Hall crowd into its first frenzy of many Friday afternoon at Taft Stadium. The Chargers would score twice more and beat Victory Christian in the Class 3A girls soccer championship match.
It’s the Chargers’ first girls soccer state title in school history.
“It’s vital to score on those opportunities,” Heritage Hall coach Robyn Brewster said. “They were defending really well. To get those opportunities and capitalize on top of them, clearly it’s a game changer.”
Chrysant’s first goal came with 10 minutes left in the first half, and three minutes later, she netted another shot.
A foul just outside the box allowed Chrysant to fire another free kick. This one went low and left, sneaking past the keeper.
Four minutes later, it was junior Posey Thomas scoring on a free kick of her own. She also went back post, scoring in the top left corner, giving the Chargers a 3-0 advantage at halftime.
“We’re just taking care of business,” Brewster said.
Then the Chargers, who finished undefeated on the season, were able to rely on their defense to capture the title.
Coming into the game, Heritage Hall didn’t allow a goal in the regular season and gave up only one in the playoffs.
In the first half, Victory Christian didn’t get a shot on net. With 20 minutes remaining, freshman Ellie Murray was able to pounce on a loose ball in front of the net and score. The goal came off a corner kick, and the Chargers were unable to clear.
Then Heritage Hall began pressuring again, forcing Victory Christian to defend more while the Chargers’ defense and sophomore goalkeeper Avery McKirahan locked down.
“Our back four are solid,” Brewster said. “They’re calm, cool and collected at all times. They just have a confidence about themselves that has just carried this team.”
The final frenzy came when the final buzzer sounded, and the Heritage Hall girls began celebrating near midfield.
The Chargers’ accomplishments resulted in history.
“These girls have put forth the effort all year long,” Brewster said. “It means the world to me, our fans, everybody.”