WPIAL champion Quaker Valley planning girls soccer encore

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, August 24, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The 2024 season was one for the ages for the Quaker Valley girls soccer program.

Second-seeded QV hung on to beat No. 9 Burrell, 2-1, to win the WPIAL Class 2A championship Nov. 2 at Highmark Stadium.

Freshman Lily Baker scored the goal that gave the Quakers their first district title in girls soccer in 32 years.

“We set our sights on winning the WPIAL the first day we stepped on the field for preseason,” coach Rachel Loudermilk said. “So, for the girls to work hard all season and bring home the title after 32 years was pretty sweet.”

Loudermilk and Maggie Behun share the head-coaching duties for the Quakers. It was always in their plans to compete for a WPIAL championship in 2024.

“The night before preseason began, we held a joint parent/player meeting covering rules and regulations for the upcoming season,” Behun said. “We also set expectations for the level of commitment we expect from the girls to maintain a positive team atmosphere.”

Baker tallied the winning goal in the championship game with 9 minutes, 31 seconds left in the second half. QV’s freshman goalkeeper Ava Hajok, bolstered by the team’s determined defensive corps, held Burrell scoreless the rest of the way.

Fast forward to 2025. The Quakers have seven returning starters on this year’s team plus four other girls who rotated into the starting lineup last season.

Seniors Emma Currier (D) and Ari Bosh (MF), juniors Mattie Gatehouse (MF/ATT), Annabel Miko (ATT/MF) and June Lukasavage (ATT) and sophomores Mia Duckstein (D/MF) and Hajok (GK) are the starters back in ‘25.

Players expected to rotate into the lineup include juniors Eliza Rahm (MF/D), Hope Waller (MF/ATT) and Rowan Wallace (D/MF) and sophomore Amelia Suhayda (D).

And don’t forget about the clutch performance by Baker in a reserve role a year ago.

“Lily came in as a sub for the playoffs and was a key player in our postseason success,” Loudermilk said. “She was on JV during the season and earned varsity time for the playoffs then just kept making her mark with her speed and scrappy nose for the goal.”

The Quakers lost two integral senior players to graduation from the 2024 squad, MF/D Mia Modrovich and D Anna Hanley.

But the QV coaches like what they’ve seen from this year’s team in preseason practices.

“We have a dedicated group of players who play on club teams in the offseason. They also participate in speed training and conditioning to improve their skills,” Behun said. “Their passion and dedication contributed to our successful season last year. Despite losing two key players, we expect to continue competing at a high level.

“We are anxious to tap into the new and younger players and see how they fit into the mix. We encourage all our players to improve and deliver their best no matter their age. We’re fortunate to have such a great group and look forward to the season.”

The QV coaches also welcomed a small but skillful collection of freshman players to this year’s team.

“We have six freshmen coming in, so it’s a bit of a small class,” Loudermilk said, “but they are a very dedicated group. The high school team has a great relationship with the middle school team, so these girls have been watching the high school team play for several years and they are so excited to step on the pitch with us.

“They already feel like part of the team, and there are several we are expecting to contribute right away. We are excited to see what they can do in game play.”

Burrell’s goal early in the second half was the only one allowed by QV throughout the WPIAL tournament. The Quakers blanked Southmoreland, 4-0, Deer Lakes, 1-0, and North Catholic, 2-0, in advancing to the WPIAL finals.

Miko assisted on the game-winning goal against Burrell and netted her team’s first goal in the game.

“During WPIALs, we focused on one game at a time, battling great teams, while keeping our goal to get to Highmark,” Miko said. “We set this goal at the beginning of the season, and we achieved it.”

The Quakers finished 19-3-2 overall last year and tied for first with Beaver atop the Section 3-2A standings.

In all, QV outscored WPIAL opponents by a 65-10 margin during the 2024 regular season and playoffs. That’s 10 goals surrendered in 21 games, along with just four allowed in 10 section contests.

Behind Hajok — who made six saves against Burrell — and an undaunted group on defense, QV accumulated 16 clean sheets in ‘24 including two in the PIAA playoffs.

“As a freshman, I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into high school sports, but it’s been a great year,” Hajok said following the WPIAL tournament. “The girls have a lot of chemistry and really communicate and play well together.

“Winning a WPIAL title feels surreal. It’s a big accomplishment.”

QV has captured three WPIAL championships in girls soccer in school history. The first two were achieved in 1991 and ‘92.

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