5A girls soccer state title match named Nevada Preps Game of the Year
There’s always excitement when the top Class 5A girls soccer teams face off. So it was fitting that Faith Lutheran and Liberty’s meeting in the state title game in November went to overtime.
The Crusaders surrendered a late game-tying goal in regulation, but weren’t dejected when play resumed. They got a goal from forward Julia Anfinson midway through the first overtime period to beat Liberty 3-2 at Coronado and win the state title.
Faith Lutheran’s perseverance Nov. 9 led to the championship match being named the Nevada Preps Game of the Year.
“It still feels unbelievable,” defender Addison Jarvis said. “Winning the game in such a dramatic way just made it even more unforgettable and it’s something I know will be a highlight for my teammates and I for years to come.”
The Crusaders exploded off the bench to celebrate after Anfinson scored and piled in front of the net.
“Everyone on the team feels very accomplished after working hard all season,” Anfinson said. “It feels like a really big reward.”
Tight battle
Faith Lutheran and Liberty drew both of their regular-season meetings, so there was no surprise that the state title game was tight.
“I remember being really nervous because I get nervous for big games, but I also remember having a sense of calm,” Anfinson said. “I did have a lot of faith in my team and I knew that we could win that game. It just depended on how hard we work together.”
Things went Faith Lutheran’s way early. Forward Elliott Lujan, a St. Mary’s (California) commit, scored in the 17th minute and forward Olivia Stark later converted a penalty kick in the 38th minute to put the Crusaders up 2-0.
“(The early lead) gave us confidence but we also knew that the game wasn’t over from that,” Jarvis said. “It was the state championship and neither team was going to give up that early, so we just stayed focused and kept doing what we could do.”
Liberty responded right before halftime when Boise State commit Natalie Collins scored to cut the Patriots’ deficit to 2-1 at the break.
Faith Lutheran defended well in the second half, but Tennessee commit Ayva Jordan evened the game in stoppage time on a header off a corner kick.
“It was like a feeling of defeat,” Anfinson said. “But regrouping before the overtime started, we had to think that we could do it. We scored two goals on them, we can score another one. It was important for us to go back onto the field with the confidence that we started the game with.”
‘An amazing feeling’
Anfinson made sure overtime didn’t last long. She took a pass from Lujan and scored a few minutes in to give Faith Lutheran the title.
“I remember the play being super composed and it almost felt like slow motion,” Anfinson said.
The win gave Faith Lutheran its fourth girls soccer state title and first since 2022. The Crusaders lost the championship game to Coronado in 2023, but came back to defeat the Cougars 4-1 in the state semifinals in November.
“That’s a feeling you play sports for,” said Stark, a UC Irvine commit. “Nothing can compare to that feeling. That was such a great team goal. We couldn’t have drawn it up better. It was a surreal feeling.”
Faith Lutheran won the title in its first year under coach Carl Cort, a former Premier League player. The Crusaders finished the year 17-1-5.
“(Cort) had a lot of advice to give us and our team did go through some ups and downs, but he never lost faith in us and he stuck with us and helped us on what we need to improve on,” Anfinson said. “He played a huge role in us winning that state championship.”
Faith Lutheran should have a good chance to repeat next year. Most of its core is coming back for the 2025 season.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Stark said. “We’ve worked really hard as a team for this moment. I feel like all of our hard work during the season put us in this position and hopefully we can do it again this year.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.