FENTON – For 80 minutes on a Saturday night, nobody looked at a smart phone, there was no line at the concession stand and all idle conversation stopped.
Eyes were peeled on No. 8 in white, not wanting to miss the next stroke of brilliance performed by Cor Jesu junior Maddie DiMaria.
And she did not disappoint.
She never does.
DiMaria scored three goals and invoked audible gasps and jaw-dropping moments as Cor Jesu defeated St. Teresa’s Academy 5-0 to win its third consecutive state championship last Saturday at the Class 4 MSHSAA Girls Soccer Championships at Soccer Park.
Cor Jesu (25-0) became the first undefeated state champion since Liberty North in 2023.
“We went into the season with the mindset try to win every game,” DiMaria said. “We knew no one was going to let it come easy, so we had to work for it, and my team did an amazing job with that.”
DiMaria produced her 14th hat trick of the season and 21st multiple-goal game. Her seven goals at the final four were the most ever in a MSHSAA girls soccer championship setting.
After the game, it was confirmed that DiMaria plans to graduate early from Cor Jesu and head to the University of North Carolina, thus foregoing her senior soccer season.
“It was not a decision she took lightly, but we support her and can’t wait to cheer her on in her next phase,” Cor Jesu coach Rachel Brcic said.
DiMaria added, “I’m so lucky for the three years I’ve had.”
Those who have watched her play are equally lucky.
During the state semifinal, Parkway West bracketed her with two players when she did not have the ball and double-teamed her when she did, so she took to the air. She scored on two brilliant headers and delivered a full-speed, back heel goal that left mouths agape.
“My jaw drops often,” Brcic said. “Any day you get to watch her play, it’s impressive. You bring playoff mode, and Maddie is ready for whatever challenge.”
St. Teresa’s tried a similar tactic of tightly marking DiMaria while being extremely physical. One aggressive tackle early in the game sent DiMaria crashing to the turf on her back.
Moments later, DiMaria cruised down the right side, split defenders with a quick move to the middle and blasted a left-footed rocket against the grain to put Cor Jesu ahead 1-0.
Midway through the first half, freshman Finley Staats launched a free kick into the box that bounced to senior captain Katie West 17 yards away from the net.
“I just wanted to get in on that free kick. I lined it up, hit it well with my left (foot) and found the top bin,” said West, who scored her first goal of the postseason.
West, who was among the top three Chargers in goals scored as a sophomore and junior, moved from striker to a defensive midfielder as a senior.
“Katie has always been adaptable in whichever position she is put in, and she brings composure and that grit to be at her best,” Brcic said. “I am so happy she scored her goal.”
The second half became an echo of audible gasps from a locked-in crowd hanging on every move of DiMaria.
Soon after intermission, she lined up a free kick from 22 yards and delivered an effortless, unsavable rocket to make 3-0. She sent through balls to senior Roz Doherty and freshman Riley Smith that left fans in awe. She dribbled goalward and delivered crosses to the feet of oncoming teammates that only she could have located.
Midway through the second half, she raced down the right side and blasted a top shelf goal. A few minutes later, she dropped off another perfectly-paced pass that Doherty drilled into the net to make it 5-0.
At the 10-minute mark, DiMaria was subbed out of the game. Without hesitation, the crowd rose in unison to give her a standing ovation.
“Hearing them cheer for me – the people who rallied around me, uplifted me in the moments I needed it – it’s so special,” DiMaria said.
After the game, dozens of young girls gathered in the front row and awaited DiMaria, who chatted with all of them and signed her name on their shirts.
“It’s kind of surreal. I would never have thought a kid would want my autograph, but seeing all those kids being fans of mine, it’s the biggest honor,” DiMaria said. “I just try to go out there and set the best example for them on and off the field.”
A player with the skill and adulation that DiMaria possesses could garner envy or resentment from teammates. It is the opposite situation at Cor Jesu.
“She earned the applause with her skill, but she earned the respect by being a part of the bigger picture – always jumping on top of someone else who scored, bringing fun and intensity to practice,” Brcic said. “She is grateful and humble for what she has accomplished, and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
St. Teresa’s (11-7-1) was humbled by midseason injuries and a stretch of five losses in six games to end the regular season, but four consecutive playoff victories by a one-goal margin placed the Stars in the state title game.
“The first month of the season, everyone thought we would be here on this stage, but that last month of the regular season we had some doubts,” St. Teresa’s coach Emily Welch said. “We reset mentally as a group going into the postseason. We collected ourselves, we regrouped, we kept fighting, and the belief and the confidence kept growing.”
But in the final game of the Class 4 season, St. Teresa’s was tasked with slowing down a bullet train with the best high school player in the country as its engineer.
“Hats off to them, they’re an incredible team. Defensively, we held in as strongly as we could, but that’s a tough offense to try to shut down,” Welch said.
And tipping one’s hat is all that is left to do, saluting the triple accomplishment of Cor Jesu and the absolute brilliance of high school soccer’s version of ‘The Great 8.’
“It’s been a wonderful journey, and I’m so thankful for all of it,” DiMaria said.
For a full photo gallery from this game, click the link below: