November 4, 2025 // Diocese

Knights Claim Soccer Crown

Eric Peat

After Title Game Loss Last Year, Marian Girls Break Through in Shutout Victory

Milana Micola remembers the feeling after last year’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Lawrenceburg in the IHSAA Girls Soccer 2A State Championship.

The junior wasn’t about to let her Marian High School teammates experience it again.

Micola scored a pair of first-half goals to help the top-ranked Knights cruise to a 3-0 victory against sixth-ranked Park Tudor in this year’s 2A state title game at IU Indianapolis’ Carroll Stadium on Saturday, November 1. The victory marked Marian High School’s second state championship in program history and first in Class 2A, after the Knights’ Class A state title in 2012.

“I’m just so happy,” Micola told Today’s Catholic following the game. “I honestly cannot believe we just won this; it feels like a dream. I’m just so grateful to have all my teammates with me here right now.”

For Marian head coach Henry Vu, who has guided the Knights to a state championship appearance in three of his five years at the helm, it was the breakthrough he’s been waiting for.

“It’s exhilarating for our program, our school, to achieve such a tremendous accomplishment,” Vu said after the game. “The girls worked really hard over the summer – the workouts, the weightroom – and really put their time into it. All the girls kept showing up, even though things were optional in the summer. They were just excited to be together. They kept pushing and growing as a group, and they were hungry to keep growing.”

Indeed, this Marian squad experienced some growing pains during a three-game losing streak in mid-September, when it was outscored by a combined 8-1 in losses to perennial powers Homestead, Penn, and Chesterton. However, the Knights showed their mettle in a sectional semifinal victory against rival Saint Joseph – a match that was scoreless after two extra periods.

“That match was huge, definitely a turning point,” recalled senior captain Theresa Reynolds. “It was grueling; we had to fight through every minute, all the way through two overtimes and the [penalty kick]. After winning that, we felt like we had this fire in our backs, and we were like, if we can do this, we can go all the way.”

Marian (15-4-2) did just that, winning each of its next four tournament matches by multiple goals to capture sectional, regional, and semistate titles. The Knights carried a seven-game winning streak into the state championship game against Park Tudor (15-6-3), a program that had claimed three Class A state titles in the past six years. The Panthers knocked out defending champion Lawrenceburg in the semistate round and looked to do the same to Marian by shutting down junior Kendall Bradley, the Knights’ leading scorer on the season with 19 goals.

Fortunately, the Knights “can score in multiple ways,” according to Vu. Enter Micola, who found the back of the net in the 10th minute and again in the 37th minute to help Marian grab control of the title game.

“On the first goal, my sister [sophomore Olivia Micola] gave me a ball in the back . … I guess I took a pretty good touch and just put it on the frame,” Micola said. “The second one was just a free kick, and I just hit it pretty well to the top left corner.”

Vu described Micola’s goals much more emphatically from his vantage point, calling them “outstanding” and “awestriking.”

“You see it in practice, so we knew if she got an opportunity, she has a great shot,” Vu said of Micola. “They were unstoppable goals; even the best goalies wouldn’t have had it with the power and accuracy she had.”

Freshman Aubrey Bradley added a goal in the second half, and the Knights’ suffocating defense did the rest. Goalkeeper Dreama Root finished the game with seven saves, helping Marian notch its 14th shutout of the year. Equally impressive, the Knights’ defense only allowed 12 goals throughout the course of the entire season.

Vu’s message to his team after the victory was simple: “You earned it.” And with as many freshmen (three) starting for the Knights this season as seniors, this program might have more championship opportunities in the years to come.

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“Our connection on and off the field is what brings us success – our relationships and the fact that we bring faith into everything we do.”

—Theresa Reynolds

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“I’m so proud of them,” Vu said. “You’re able to call yourself a state champion. It’s exhilarating and hopefully rewarding that all the time they’ve invested is able to come to fruition. We’re blessed to have such great girls and great families representing our program.”

Not to mention clergy, as Father Andrew Barnes of St. Pius X in Granger has been an active chaplain with the team. In addition to celebrating Mass the week of the state championship, Father Barnes also gave players, coaches, and their families a blessing on Friday right before boarding the bus for Indianapolis.

“Father Andy’s been terrific working with us, and he shows up to a few games when he can to support us,” said Vu. “His message to live for Christ was inspiring to us and centers us to work together and be the best messengers of Christ.”

As Reynolds explained, a shared Catholic faith is what unites this team and sets it apart.

“Our connection on and off the field is what brings us success – our relationships and the fact that we bring faith into everything we do,” Reynolds said. “We pray a Rosary at our grotto before every game. That’s such a beautiful time to slow down, calm our hearts, ask Mary for her intercession, and just ask her to look out for us – our bodies and our minds. All of us having that common time together really brings us together. It’s really beautiful to see so many girls connected with our faith.”