C-M girls win state soccer championship
Canon-McMillan girls celebrate after receiving their trophy for winning the PIAA Quad-A soccer championship by defeating Central Bucks South, 1-0, in overtime.
Isabel Scheidenhelm (No. 8) laughs and Aideen O’Donoghue (second from left) applauds as Cheyenne Trest (No. 8) and Sabrina Bryan (No. 10) mug for the cameras after receiving their gold medals after Canon-McMillan defeated Central Bucks South, 1-0, in the PIAA Quad-A girls’ championship game.
An emotional Canon-McMillan coach David Derrico embraces Addie Roman and Aideen O’Donoghue after they helped the Lady Macs win the school’s first girls’ state soccer championship. Roman scored the golden goal in overtime as the Lady Macs defeated Central Bucks South, 1-0, for the title.
Addie Roman (left) gets congratulated by her teammates Sydney Snyder (No. 16) and Annabel Thomas (No. 17) after she scored the decisive goal to give Canon-McMillan its first state championship in girls’ soccer. The Lady Macs edged Central Bucks South, 1-0, in overtime.
Sabrina Bryan (No. 10) breaks away with Aideen O’Donoghue (No. 7) during PIAA girls soccer championship action.
Addie Roman, Sydney Snyder and Annabel Thomas relish victory as they take a bite of their gold medals after Canon-McMillan defeated Central Bucks South, 1-0, to win the PIAA Quad-A girls’ soccer title. Roman scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
Addie Roman (No. 11) beats Corinne McDonald (No. 15) to a header during PIAA Quad-A girls’ soccer championship action.
Cheyenne Trest (No. 3) leaps above the crowd to head the ball during PIAA Quad-A girls’ soccer championship action.
Tears streaked down Canon-McMillan coach David Derrico’s checks. Addie Roman caused them, not the gale-force winds that produced a 30-degree temperature drop and an early winter storm during the PIAA Quad-A girls’ championship soccer match Nov. 19 at HersheyPark Stadium.
Thanks to his sophomore sensation, Derrico and the Lady Macs of Canon-McMillan sobbed with joy after they defeated Central Bucks South, 1-0, in overtime to claim their first soccer title ever.
“I can’t express just how bad the conditions were,” Derrico said. “I told them we have to get a goal and get out of here because the weather is getting worse and worse.”
Despite the disagreeable playing conditions, the Lady Macs did not give up. They battled 80 minutes of regulation before Roman scored the game-winning goal with 4:25 remaining in the first, 20-minute overtime frame.
“That’s the way we played all season. That’s their character. They haven’t quit,” Derrico said of his girls.
All of Canon-McMillan is proudest of Roman and the two other underclassmen who generated the goal-producing play. Madison Whipple initiated the action with a throw-in to fellow junior Jaiden Williams, who dished off to an unmarked Roman at the top of the 18-yard box.
Roman aimed to the corner low and to the left of Sophia Boggs, who had 16 shutouts on the season and had to make only three saves before Roman’s shot.
“It was the perfect ball,” Roman said. “I knew it was going in as soon as I kicked it. It couldn’t have gone any better, though it did seem like it was going to the net in slow-motion.”
Boggs made a diving attempt at a save but the ball was out of her reach and carried into the back of the net, triggering a wild on-field celebration by the Big Macs.
C-M celebrated in part because Meagan Virgin was up to the task of stopping the Titans. The senior keeper made eight saves, two of which she tipped over the crossbar. Virgin, who played in the 2014 state final loss, was determined not to experience defeat, especially again in overtime. She never experienced a negative vibe in the contest.
“This game had a different feel to it,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking that we were going to lose again in overtime.”
Roman entertained the same thoughts. She noted that each time the Lady Macs were forced to go beyond the distance the past two seasons, they hadn’t lost. She also could only recall one other time when she played in such horrible conditions.
“I played in one game that was worse, but that hail,” she said. “It hurt your face when it hit you. It hurt to run in that stuff. It was so cold it felt like swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.”
Two years ago, the Lady Macs finished as state runners-up, falling 2-1, in overtime to Central Bucks West. They also lost the WPIAL crown in 2014. Last season, they fell short of both goals, suffering an upset in the early rounds of the district tournament. And, only two weeks ago, on Nov. 4, Derrico’s charges lost their bid for the District 7 crown, falling to nationally ranked Norwin, 3-1, in the WPIAL final.
After avenging that defeat to the Knights by the same score and topping Cumberland Valley, 4-1, in the state quarterfinals (Nov. 12) and semifinals (Nov. 15), respectively, to reach the PIAA finals, the Lady Macs weathered both the elements and Central Bucks South to cap their championship season at 22-1-1 overall. The Titans, District 1’s fourth-place finisher, ended the year at 21-6-1.
For the Lady Macs, there is no more satisfying feeling than knowing they accomplished what they set out to do.
“Going into the season, a state championship was our goal,” Roman said. “We didn’t talk about it very often. We took the one-game-at-a-time approach but we knew we wanted to be in Hershey and take home a gold trophy.”
The victory came at no better time for the Lady Macs as they were at the top of their game.
“Our last games had been very good ones and we were playing our best soccer,” Derrico said. “We had periods during the season when we played our best but they weren’t every game. We played outstanding games but the play wasn’t consistent. We’ve just gotten better.”
Though not at her physical best, Sabrina Bryan came through for the Lady Macs during the state playoffs. Despite suffering a leg injury, she scored twice in the quarterfinals against Norwin. She had a pair of goals and an assist against Cumberland Valley while Roman produced the other tallies.
Bryan led the Lady Macs with 33 goals and 31 assists this season. Aideen O’Donoghue supplied 29 goals and 21 assists. Midfielders and team leaders Isabel Scheidenhelm and Cheyenne Trest were also seniors who played a key role in C-M’s success during the past two seasons.
Other seniors on the championship club included: Casey Lober, Lexi Finney, Ashley Oddi and Madison Manz.
In addition to Roman, Whipple and Williams, other underclassmen on the squad included: Ashley Barzd, Madelena Joyce, Emily Clopp, Liz Ross, Jessica Ray, Theresa Webb, Sidney Powell, Riley O’Korn, Sydney Snyder, Annabel Thomas, Samantha Germeyer, Anna Lee Gavran, Jessica Cadez, Maura O’Donoghue, Kaitlyn Hanningan, Carly Sylvester, Emily Joshner, Rachel Kalkbrenner, Allison Paxton, Leah Godfrey, Kierstin Bennett, Sierra Wilson, Rebekah Thornbury, Angelina Hofrichter, Meadow Twaddle, Meghan Joos and Abby Hipkins.
Larry Shaw and Kristen Povirk assisted Derrico with the coaching duties.
O-R sports editor Chris Dugan contributed to this story.