Columbus: The Walsh Jesuit girls soccer team picked up one for the thumb.
Both of them.
In beating Springboro 2-0 at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday in the Division I state final, the Warriors won a title for the fifth consecutive season and their 10th overall.
To put the milestone in perspective, Walsh (22-1) became the first soccer team regardless of gender to reach double digits in state titles.
Cleveland St. Ignatius, which plays in a state final Sunday, has seven on the boys’ side. The closest to Walsh on the girls’ side are Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy, Clayton Northmont, Columbus DeSales and Strongsville, who each have four.
“The program is amazing,” midfielder and Wake Forest commit Sofia Rossi said. “It’s for soccer, but there’s so much more to it. It’s a family.”
With the win, Rossi, and fellow seniors Catherine Rolnicki, Gaby Young, Marisa Bradley, Abby Major, Jordan DiTommaso and Pamela Lewis joined the 12th-graders from last year’s team to become the only classes in Ohio to pocket four consecutive championships.
These seniors lost just one varsity match their entire high school career (1-0 to Mentor Lake Catholic on Oct. 5).
“Not many other teams can say that they did that,” Rossi said. “It’s really amazing, especially to be able to do it with these girls.
“It’s nice [to win four]. We came in here today and obviously there was pressure, but we tried to have an open mind and play our last game and have fun.”
Unlike in the past three titles in which Rossi scored the game-winner, the Warriors looked to their youth to go ahead against the Panthers (19-2-3).
It came exactly five minutes into the second half when sophomore Maddie Shinaberry sent in a perfect service to junior Aubrey Bechter, who put it past Auburn commit Morgan Ramby to give Walsh a 1-0 lead.
It was a goal that seemed inevitable.
Shots on goal were close in the first half, with Walsh taking a 5-2 advantage, but the Warriors’ attempts were a little bit stronger.
It gave the feeling that a Walsh goal wasn’t an if, but more of a when in the second half.
“We were working so hard and waiting on that chance to get on the back post,” Bechter said. “We just had to keep going. We had so much time. It’s the state championship game, so it felt amazing.”
Rossi, who has scored five goals in her four state finals appearances, gave Walsh a two-goal cushion a little over five minutes later, and the Warriors coasted to the crown.
Of course, Walsh wouldn’t be where it is today without another strong performance from the back line of Lina Feltovich, Halle Rogers, Major and Shinaberry and keeper Kiera Sarka.
The Warriors posted their 18th shutout of the season and ended a spectacular postseason in which they outscored the opposition 28-1.
During the seven-game stretch, Walsh had six shutouts.
The Warriors gave up only five goals and never more than one in any game this season.
“It’s amazing,” Walsh coach Dino McIntyre said. “That’s who won the tournament for us. All year long they were just solid.”