COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Summit Country Day girls soccer team is a state champion for the fifth time in program history including the second straight season.
Summit Country Day defeated Ottawa-Glandorf 3-0 Friday night in the Division IV state final at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. Summit Country Day also won the 2023 Division II state championship.
"I love the maturation of this team after losing eight seniors," Summit Country Day coach Mike Fee said. "We had players take on bigger roles this season and they exceeded our expectations. Different players stepped up throughout the tournament run with four different players recording game winning goals."
Summit Country Day is just the third school (Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit - 11, Strongsville - 5) with at least five girls soccer state championships, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Summit Country Day's previous state titles came in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2023.
Friday also marked the second state championship for Greater Cincinnati girls soccer on Friday. Madeira defeated Chippewa 3-0 in the Division V state final Friday afternoon.
Ottawa-Glandorf (20-3-0), meeting Summit for the first time, finished a runner-up for the fourth consecutive season and fifth time overall in five state championship game appearances. It became the 12th different school--and first since Kirtland from 2017-20--to play in four consecutive girls soccer state tournaments.
Summit Country Day (22-1-1) led 1-0 at halftime Friday night. Abigayle Penote’s shot rattled the crossbar, then deflected off the back of an Ottawa-Glandorf player and into the net.
Carolyn Federle scored on an unassisted goal to give Summit a 2-0 lead. Alex Gardner scored on a header from Emma Gibson’s corner kick to put Summit ahead 3-0.
Summit out-shot Ottawa-Glandorf 22-6 for the game. Summit had seven corner kicks to Ottawa-Glandorf’s five.
Fee told the team this week to be grateful and appreciative for the opportunity to play in a state final.
“Playing at this late stage is never guaranteed,” Fee said. “It has to be earned on the field and we have worked hard for the opportunity. The vibe was different this season. Last year we were hunting the entire season with the focus of playing for a regional title. Accomplishing that and beating an incredibly talented Rocky River team in the finals was a bit of a surprise.”
Fee said earlier this week that the perspective was different for this year’s journey.
“This season we have been the hunted and have gotten the best from every team we have played,” Fee said. “Our mentality has had to be a little different. The girls have met every challenge with a difficult regular season schedule and tough opponents in the postseason.”
Fee, who completed his 24th season as the head coach, has a 335-106-44 coaching record.
This weekend marks the 40th annual girls state tournament. This year the OHSAA expanded from three to five divisions for both girls and boys soccer.
On Sunday, Indian Hill plays Twinsburg in the Division III boys soccer state final at 1 p.m.
On Nov. 11, Summit Country Day plays Minford at 4 p.m. in the Division V boys soccer state final.
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