St. Thomas More continues girls soccer dynasty, downs Lakeshore for sixth straight state title

HAMMOND – In another battle of top seeds Friday at the LHSAA soccer championships, the game did not live up to the billing.

However, the top seed certainly lived up to theirs.

The defending Division II girls state champion, No. 1 St. Thomas More, overwhelmed No. 2 Lakeshore in a 4-0 victory at Strawberry Stadium.

The only No. 1 seed thus far to win the championship through three days and six finals, the Lady Cougars started hot early and continued onward.

In the seventh minute, captain Mary Ainsley Alack was able to send a cross to Jadyn Mallory to scored the first STM goal.

Alack proved hard for the Titans to handle all night. With 12 minutes left in the first half, she was tackled in the box and the referee made the correct call to play on despite the jerring from the fans.

Three minutes before the half, Mary Elise Quoyeser took a direct kick, and Titan keeper Charlotte Murray was able to stop it.

Just two minutes later, Alack’s point blank shot was deflected by Murray but Brooklyn Babineaux put the loose ball into the net with great composure.

St. Thomas More (30-0-2) was determined that score the third goal, often the decisive one in a mtach. Less than one minute into the second half, Kate Guillory made it 3-0.

Ten minutes later, Murray was able to deflect another shot but STM’s Gracey Lancios was able to bury the rebound to cap the scoring.

Lady Cougars sophomore Kate Guillory was named the match MVP.

St, Thomas More head coach Daniel Underwood has a dynasty in progress with the program capturing a sixth straight state title. With young talent like Guillory to rely upon, the Lady Cougars will be favored to keep the train rolling along next year.

“We were solid from start to finish,” Cougars head coach Daniel Underwood said. “It is nice to know we will have Kate for two more years.”

OVerall, STM has won 10 state titles in girls soccer, second only to Newman.

Lakeshore (18-9-5) won the last Division II title in 2017 before STM’s historic run.