FENTON – Fort Zumwalt South juniors Audrey Smith and Ashley Miller refer to themselves as a “duo.”
Outside of soccer, they are best friends. Between the lines, the have a chemistry rarely seen between two players.
“I know her every move and she knows my every move. And if we’re not “on,” we’ll talk to each other and we’ll get “on,” Smith said.
On the biggest stage in high school soccer, Smith and Miller were most definitely, on.
Smith scored the game-winning goal on an assist from Miller, and senior Mia Brown led a stifling defensive effort as Fort Zumwalt South captured its third consecutive Class 3 state title with a 2-1 victory over Smithville on Saturday at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton.
Smith and Miller were two of only three freshmen on the 2021 championship roster for Fort Zumwalt South. The duo quickly discovered how the other liked to receive the ball in space, and their chemistry flourished.
“We learned exactly how to play together and it just grew,” Miller said.
The game-winning goal displayed almost telepathic abilities between them.
In the 25th minute, Miller began dribbling near the top of the box where Smith was bracketed by two defenders.
“I got out of her way, because I know she can dice people up, and she knew exactly where I was going,” Smith said. “She found me. I took a touch, looked up and the keeper was more towards the near post, so I just hit it far post.”
The short, delicate pass by Miller and the smooth finish by Smith gave Zumwalt South an early 2-0 lead.
But Smithville (23-4), which 10 times scored at least seven goals in a game, had its own crafty players ready to put their stamp on the game.
A long blast by senior Abigail Crum required a leaping save by Zumwalt South goalkeeper Ally Moore, who popped it over the crossbar. Moments later, a serpentine dribbling display in the midfield by senior Jessica Baker released junior Kaia Urra towards the goal.
Urra’s strike in the 33rd minute sliced the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
“After their second goal, we were able to make a few adjustments,” Smithville coach Jon Reed said. “Unfortunately, we gave up the two early ones, and against a team of that quality, it’s hard to come back from two (goals) down.”
In the second half, the Smith-Miller chemistry accelerated, and only the stellar play of Smithville senior goalkeeper Katelyn Burkhart contained it.
Miller dribbled to the top of the box and delivered a pass to a cutting Smith, who flicked a sneaky, quick shot with the side of her foot that Burkhart saved with a dive to her right.
A blind cross across the box from Smith found a streaking Mathilde Rasmussen, the Bulldogs’ first goal-scorer, but Burkhart slid to her right to deny Rasmussen’s attempt for a second goal.
And the Smithville keeper somehow tracked the ball after Smith delivered a slick, back-of-the-heel pass inside the box that sent Miller into the clear.
“I thought our defense and our keeper really stepped up in the second half,” Reed said. “Our girls showed today that they’re among the best teams in the state.”
Smith, Miller and senior Brooke Cattoor, who earned an assist on the opening goal, each have more than 20 assists on the season.
Miller admits that, at times, they might be too unselfish.
“I think we’ve had times where we’ve laid it off to each other and knew we could have (shot) it ourselves, but we learn from it,” Miller said.
Miller, who has a pass-first mentality, unleashed a heavy shot late in the second half that Burkhart somehow deflected away. The save kept the contest at a one-goal difference and set up a furious charge from Smithville in the final eight minutes.
First, a bomb from Smithville senior Alayna Edwards was courageously denied by Zumwalt South goalkeeper Ally Moore.
“That was a phenomenal save. That ball was 100 miles an hour,” Reed said.
Moments later, a straight-on, free kick by Edwards from 25 yards away chimed the right post and sent a gasp through every section of the crowd.
“My heart went out of my chest,” Zumwalt South defender Mia Brown said.
Smithville produced a final, loose ball scramble in the box in the closing seconds, but Brown booted it away from harm while falling to the turf. On her way down, she looked up at the clock and only two seconds remained.
“The ball was up in the air, and I thought, ‘We did it again. No way this is real,’” Brown said.
It may have felt unreal because it had never happened before. With the win, Fort Zumwalt South became the first Missouri public school girls soccer team to win a third consecutive state title.
The motivation to achieve a three-peat for players already owning two championship medals took on several forms throughout the season.
“We just had to think about our families, our school, who we’re playing for,” said Brown, a senior.
For Smith, part of her motivation came from those who did not think the remarkable achievement was possible.
“I think everyone thought we would get two (titles) and be done, and we wanted to prove everyone wrong,” Smith said.
The doubts may have briefly entered their own locker room when junior Jailyn Brownlee, a star defender and the third freshman on that 2021 team, was lost due to a knee injury midway through the season.
Fort Zumwalt South (22-4) surrendered at least one goal in nine of their final 10 regular season games before surrendering just three goals across six postseason games, including a shutout in the second half against a Smithville team averaging 4.6 goals per game.
“After that first (Smithville) goal, we just had to breathe, compose ourselves and keep our confidence up,” Brown said.
And that confidence was modeled by the side-foot shots, back-of-the-heel passes and unselfish teamwork displayed by Smith, Miller and the Bulldogs throughout the game.
“Even if we try that and it doesn’t work, it’s just one play,” Smith said. “It’s all about mentality. If we mess up, it’s just one play and we go right back at it. That’s one of the main reasons our team succeeds is our mentality.”
Miller added, “We’re always supportive and never get down on each other. We walk on the field together and we walk off the field together.”
And for the third season in a row, Fort Zumwalt South is walking off the field as state champions.
