The women’s soccer team will face Hamilton Southeastern on Oct. 29 at 3:30 p.m. in the IHSAA State Final at Kuntz Stadium after defeating Evansville Memorial and Columbus North in the IHSAA Semistate on Oct. 22.

The team defeated Evansville Memorial 3-2 on goals from sophomore Sam Kokoska and juniors Emma Schneider and Tori Doss. In the Semistate Final against Columbus North, the teams ended regulation in a 0-0 tie. After both seven minute overtimes, the game was still scoreless and headed to penalty kicks. Kokoska made the first penalty kick, followed by senior Maggie Morris and junior Christine Gordon. Carmel won the shootout 3-1 to qualify for the State.

Junior Molly Pittman said the team knows that the season is still not finished. “We have one more game to prove that we are the top ranked team in the state for a reason,” Pittman said.

Head Coach Frank Dixon said that in previous years, Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern met in the IHSAA Sectional. “The irony of this match-up is that before this year, when the IHSAA divided soccer into a two-class sport, both teams played in the same Sectional,” Dixon said via email. “One of the teams would have long ago turned in their uniforms.” By Bobby Browning