DSHA Ends Muskego's Streak with Sixth State Soccer Title

A New Dynasty Emerges in Wisconsin Girls Soccer

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a dynasty as a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time. In the world of high school girls soccer, the Muskego Warriors have been the very definition of a dynasty, winning the last four WIAA Division 1 state titles. However, this year has marked a shift in power, with the Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) claiming the crown and ending Muskego’s reign.

On June 20 at Uihlein Soccer Park, DSHA secured a 3-1 victory over Muskego to claim their sixth WIAA gold ball in program history. The win was fueled by goals from Reese Roethe, Mary Stith, and Sarah McElherne, who each found the back of the net at crucial moments in the game. The Dashers finished the season with a record of 19-2-2, while Muskego ended their run with a 14-3-3 record.

This victory marked the second state title this season for the Greater Metro Conference, as Brookfield Central defeated Wauwatosa East in the Division 2 final earlier in the day.

A Resilient Team Overcomes Adversity

DSHA head coach Steve Lawrence praised his team's resilience throughout the season. “We've been in tough situations. We play tough schedules and I think we've been down in situations, we've had leads that we've given away,” he said. “We've just been in every moment, and it was great to see the girls use experience and kinda come back and get a goal right back and then finish the game off.”

The first half of the match was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to break through. A saved penalty attempt from Muskego senior keeper Savannah Mittelstaedt at the 32:20 mark kept the scoreline even, and almost three minutes later, Roethe hit the woodwork with a shot past Mittelstaedt. The halftime score remained 0-0, but the second half would prove to be a turning point.

Breaking the Stalemate

Lawrence acknowledged the challenge posed by Mittelstaedt. “Savannah's a great keeper. We knew it was going to be hard to score goals against her,” he said. “We felt the last 15 minutes of the first half, we started controlling the game a little bit and settling down into the game. I thought we were a little panicky in the first 10 to 15 [minutes] and some of that's due to Muskego's pressure, but we felt good coming into halftime, knowing we were trading chances and if we kept doing what we were doing, chances were going to come and we got those shots.”

Roethe finally broke the deadlock at the 47:15 mark, curling a beautiful shot around Mittelstaedt to give DSHA a 1-0 lead. The freshman, who will soon join the DePaul Blue Demons, made eight saves during the game, many of which were critical in maintaining the lead. “I had my mindset on scoring,” Roethe said. “I feel like I really wanted to score, so I kinda just put my head down, dribbled, saw an opportunity to score and took it.”

A Back-and-Forth Second Half

Muskego responded quickly, with junior midfielder Taylor Collins scoring a rocket that scraped the bottom of the crossbar past DSHA goalkeeper Caitlin Caprez. The goal tied the match at 1-1 and set the stage for one of the most exciting sequences of the game.

Just 14 seconds after the kickoff, senior forward Stith gave DSHA an immediate 2-1 advantage off an assist from Reese Roethe’s older sister, Avery. Stith’s ninth goal of the season came at a crucial moment, as she described her mindset during the game. “Obviously, when you're up 1-0 and they come and score, you kinda get into a mindset of, 'OK, what are we gonna do next? How are we gonna get it back?'” she said. “I was thinking that immediately, so my goal was just to get the ball to the back of the net. I saw the run and I just went for it, and I think that's kind of what this whole season has been for me is just going for it.”

A Decisive Finish

McElherne redeemed her earlier penalty miss with a crucial goal in the final eight-plus minutes, placing a right-footed shot past Mittelstaedt to give DSHA a two-goal lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. “Amazing. I almost couldn’t believe it,” Roethe said. “We all kinda stood there just looking at each other. I think the moments on the field too, when we scored, were really the moments we're like, 'Wow, this is where the work paid off.'"

For Muskego, the loss marks the end of a historic run, but the program has still achieved remarkable success. The Warriors became the first school since Brookfield Central to win four straight Division 1 state titles (2002-05) last year and made their sixth appearance at state since 2019 this year. The title match defeat marked the first loss for the Warriors at a state tournament since a 3-0 defeat to Sheboygan North in the 2018 D1 semifinal round.

Gratitude and Reflection

Muskego coach Lance Matthews expressed his gratitude for the support the team received. “The gratitude is off the charts for our community, our people, our parents, these girls,” he said. “The support is immense. Everywhere we look, there are people that have our back, that work for us, that work with us, that fight tooth and nail to get us where we want to go and they set us up for success. We put in the work and they support us along the way and the girls get great moments like [today's] state championship."