Teurlings girls, U-High boys take home Division IV state soccer titles

(Lafayette)

It was day one of four in Lafayette as the 2019 LHSAA State Soccer Championship began at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Soccer/Track and Field Complex with a pair of Division III finals.

Fans were treated to two very different title games Wednesday.

The top seeded Vandebilt Catholic Lady Terriers ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the hometown team, the Teurlings Catholic Lady Rebels. On natural grass field under misty conditions, Teurlings did not disappoint the partisan crowd, taking a 3-0 win.

Teurlings keeper Lauryn Starwood took home Most valuable Players honors with a hard-earned clean sheet in wet conditions. Vandebilt, seeking their fifth state title and third in four years, outshot Teurlings 12-6 but could not find the net against the stellar Starwood.

Julia Collette chipped in the opening goal at the 10 minute mark as Teurlings went into the locker room with the 1-0 lead.

Emily Sonnier doubled the Lady Rebels’ advantage off Julia Collette’s corner kick at the 51 minute mark and the final goal came 12 minutes later when Camryn Chretien assisted Kaitlyn Poirrier to out the icing on the cake.

The victory marks the third overall state title for the Lady Rebels and first since 2012.

The Division III Boys Soccer Final featured the No. 2 U-High Cubs and No. 4 Loyola College Prep Flyers. The game proved to be a candidate for the match of the championships.

Title game MVP Chris Bottcher scored a golden goal deep into the second overtime period to give U-High a thrilling 5-4 win.

Loyola held a 3-1 halftime lead but U-High roared back to take a 4-3 advantage that looked like it might stand up. Late in regulation, Loyola scored to force overtime.

The game was a defensive battle until the 35-minute mark when U-High took the lead on a penalty kick by Kramer Mittendorf. Undeterred, the Flyers responded with a flurry of goals. Carson Berry tied it at the 37-minute mark on an assist by Zach Tuttle and then a mere minute later Andrew Fleniken found the goal again to put Loyola on top. Josh McCoy scored the final goal of the late first half blitz for Loyola.

U-high wasted no time starting their rally after the break. John Gordon McKernan, the starting quarterback on the 2017 and 2018 Division II State Football title teams for the Cubs, scored a goal with an assist by Connor Kirkpatrick to make it 3-2. Connor Kirkpatrick’s 57th minute goal tied the match before he scored again at the 60-minute mark to give U-High a 4-3 lead.

In the added time period, Carson Berry for Loyola found the net and regulation ended in a 4-4 tie.

The triumph marks the first state boys soccer championship for U-High and head coach Chris Mitchell in his 19th year at the school.

Today, it will be the Lakeshore Titans looking for a sweep of the girls and boys championships.

In girls action, the second-seeded Titans (20-3-4) battle top seed and defending state champion St. Thomas More (17-3-3) at 5 pm. The Cougars defeated Lakeshore 2-0 in Lafayette back on Nov. 17.

In boys action, the Titans (23-3-3) take on top seed and defending state champion Holy Cross (25-3-4) at 7:30 pm. Holy Cross handed Lakeshore two of its three losses this season. The Tigers won 1-0 at Lakeshore on Dec. 8 and whipped the Titans 3-0 at home in Gentilly on Jan. 24. Lakeshore defeated St. Thomas More 1-0 in the Division II state championship game in 2017. Lakeshore reached the title match in 2016 as well.

LHSAA Girls Soccer Final Results/Schedule at UL-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Soccer/Track Complex
Division III
(2) Teurlings Catholic 3, (1) Vandebilt Catholic 0

Division II
(1) St. Thomas More (17-3-3) vs. (2) Lakeshore (20-3-4), 5 pm tonight

Division IV
(1) Loyola Prep (24-4-4) vs. (2) Episcopal of Acadiana (16-2-1), 5 pm Fri.

Division I
(8) Northshore (18-4-2) vs. (2) St. Scholastica (22-0-3), 7:30 pm Fri.

LHSAA Boys Soccer Final Results/Schedule

Division III
(2) University High 5, (4) Loyola Prep 4

Division II
(3) Lakeshore (23-3-3) vs. (1) Holy Cross (25-3-4), 7:30 pm tonight

Division IV
(2) Newman (15-4-4) vs. (3) Northlake Christian (14-4-2), 4:30 pm Sat.

Division I
(2) Jesuit (26-0-7) vs. (1) St. Paul’s (27-1-5), 7:30 pm Sat.