Marist Girls Dominate in Earning a Fourth Straight Trip to 4A State Championship Game

Junior forward Libby McLaughlin scored twice and assisted another as the top-ranked Spartans blanked Henley to earn their fourth consecutive appearance in the Oregon girls soccer state final.

The Marist girl soccer team lines up for the Star Spangled Banner before their playoff match against Henley in Eugene Nov. 11, 2025. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Marist Catholic girls soccer team continues to set the standard in Oregon high-school soccer. On Tuesday night, the top-ranked Lady Spartans defeated Henley High School, 4-0, in the Class 4A state semifinal to advance to Saturday’s state championship match against The Dalles.

With the win, Marist improved to 16-1-1 and notched its 14th shutout of the season — a testament to a defense that has been nearly impenetrable all year.

McLaughlin Leads the Attack

Junior forward and co-captain Libby McLaughlin was sensational once again, scoring two goals and adding one assist to lead the Marist offense.

McLaughlin broke the scoreless tie 15 minutes into the first half, finishing a long over-the-top pass from sophomore outside back Lexi Hudson.

Just before halftime, freshman forward Kiara Philyaw doubled the lead with a composed strike assisted by senior defensive midfielder Sadey Woodrum, giving the Spartans a 2-0 cushion heading into the break.

Sherman Puts 'The nail in the coffin'

Two minutes into the second half, junior midfielder Tori Sherman delivered what Marist head coach called “the nail in the coffin,” slotting home from close range off a feed from McLaughlin.

The final blow came in the 62nd minute when McLaughlin calmly converted a penalty kick after a Henley defender was whistled for a foul on senior co-captain Piper Paslay during a corner-kick scramble.

Defensive Dominance Defines the Spartans

While the goal scorers grabbed headlines, Marist’s back line once again dictated the match. The Spartans’ defense — anchored by senior goalkeeper and co-captain Emily Meigs, Paslay, Woodrum, senior outside back Gina Schroffner, junior center back Hannah Gardner, and Hudson — smothered Henley’s attack and preserved another clean sheet.

“Credit Henley for bringing the physicality tonight,” said Marist head coach. “I respect their team, and that was what we needed to feel alive tonight. But it was Marist’s night in our last home game of the season.”

“I am so proud of this team — they earned it tonight to get back to the state final for the fourth consecutive year,” he added. “We had some players sick or just coming back from sickness, so we had to fill some positional gaps, and our ladies stepped up when it mattered most.”

The coach praised the defense as the best in the state:

“We earned this win. We played as a team in attacking moments, we played as a team on defense, and we won as a team. But our job is not done yet. We need to regroup and focus on The Dalles on Saturday. We just need to play Marist soccer — play our best and be our best… because why not!”

Up Next: The Dalles in the Championship

The Marist Spartans will now face The Dalles in the Oregon 4A girls soccer state championship on Saturday, Nov. 15, 4 p.m. The Riverhawks advanced to the final with a 2-1 win over Scappoose on Tuesday to improve to 15-0.