With the postseason under way, the Potomac School Panthers are in a familiar place, having captured one soccer-tournament crown and looking to defend their title in another.
On Friday (Nov. 1), the second-seeded girls high-school team won the Independent School League’s AA Division tourney for the third straight time with a 2-1 overtime victory over top seed Georgetown Day in the championship match at Episcopal High School in Alexandria.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Panthers (12-4), who were 3-0 in the tournament with overtime wins in the semifinals and finals.
Georgetown Day had defeated Potomac School early during the regular season. The teams shared the regular-season title, with Georgetown Day earning the top seed based on the head-to-head meeting.
Next for Potomac School is the four-team Northern Virginia Invitational state tournament, which begins Tuesday (Nov. 5). The Panthers are the defending champions.
The Panthers graduated a number of key players off last season’s team and had multiple new team members to start this fall. After losing two of its first three games, the squad began to hit its stride.
“We knew we had a lot of talent and depth. It took us a while to find our identity this season,” longtime Potomac School coach Ross McEwen said. “This team has grown so much and matured since the start of the season.”
Two of the new players have been sophomore sisters Kaida Mizzo and Chiaro Mizzo, who accounted for Potomac School’s scoring in the AA Division championship match.
Kaida Mizzo scored the game-winner in the first 5-minute overtime after the match was tied at 1 at the end of regulation. She scored off an assist from junior Alden Marin on a crossing pass. Chiaro Mizzo gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead just 10 minutes into the match, with Marin again having the assist.
The Panthers scored another goal early in the second half, but that was disallowed because of an offsides ruling.
Senior goalie Amory Imperatore made multiple saves to earn the win.
Senior midfielder Chloe Lee is one of the Panthers’ captains. She will play soccer at Williams College.
“We really wanted to win this championship again, and we were motivated because we lost to Georgetown Day earlier,” Lee said. “This season was very different at the start, with new players, but we always expected to be good again and get back to this game.”
The Panthers were without two important injured players — Margit Crittenberger, a senior defender, and sophomore midfielder Charlotte Parry — for the championship match.
In the first round, host Potomac School topped seventh-seed Stone Ridge, 4-1. Marin scored two goals and Chiara Mizzo and Kaida Mizzo the other two. Julia Saba and Chiara Mizzo had assists.
After no score in regulation play and overtime against No. 3 seed Holton-Arms in the semifinals, host Potomac School won 4-3 in penalty kicks.
Ally Griswold, Grayson Crittenberger, Ellis Wison, Claire Radanovic and Maya Swanson were other key players for Potomac School in the tournament.
NOTES: Potomac School was playing in the AA Division championship match for the fourth straight time, losing in the 2021 final . . . The title matches of the last three tournaments were at Episcopal . . . The Panthers’ record was 3-0 each season in winning the three straight AA Division tournaments, winning the title matches by scores of 2-1 twice and 1-0 the other time.
