As the final weeks of fall sports come to a close, the State High Girls Soccer Team nears the end of their 2025 season with a total of 3 wins and 15 losses.
One of the most memorable games was State High’s victory over Carlisle on Oct. 3 with a score of 2-1. This game was the first win against a team in the Mid-Penn conference.
“We wanted it and we battled for it, and we got it. So it was a great game,” senior Maya Birkenholtz said.
As a meaningful addition to the already exciting circumstances, the Carlisle game was also youth soccer night, where members of youth soccer teams in State College came to watch.
Leila Crandall, a senior captain, reflected on the impactful opportunity to inspire the future generation of soccer players.
“[It] was just kind of a great night, not only for our team in and showing our progress that we’ve made over this season and that we were able able to build off of that momentum, but also that the, like, younger kids were able to, like, see that and see what they will eventually be a part of,” Crandall said.
In addition to exciting successes, physical and mental obstacles are unavoidable aspects of all sports, and State High Girls Soccer was not exempt this season.
A particularly challenging game this season was State High’s loss against Altoona on Sept. 11, with a score of 2-0. It was especially difficult to accept defeat because the team was determined to break Altoona’s winning streak over State High.
“That was just, like, a hard game in terms of how much we wanted it and how hard we played, but then to not just quite have that result yet,” Birkenholtz said.
Another challenge the team faced this year was the addition of a new head coach, Kent Dwyer, which made this season one of transition and adjustment.
One adaptation following the new coach was a stronger sense of responsibility and purpose to the girls on the team.
“We’ve rebuilt … our team motto and our team mindset … and we have had to set a new standard for what it means to be on our team and what it means to be a team player,” Crandall said.
This shift in mindset included a season mantra: “all in together.”
“That mantra kind of just means that no matter whether we’re winning a game, losing a game, or whether we’re playing great or having a rough time, we all know that no matter what, we’re all in this together and that we win and lose as a team,” Birkenholtz said.
The mantra highlights the team’s dedication to unity. And because many are team captains, seniors like Crandall played a crucial role in leading and executing this goal of connection.
“Being a team captain has definitely been very important to me, and it’s something that … as a freshman, you look forward to building [toward] every single year, like, representing what it means to be a leader on a team,” Crandall said.
The team now moves on to the District VI playoffs, where it aims to advance to the district championship game for the second consecutive season.
