Freeport defends WPIAL girls soccer title on Cecelia Schlegel’s dramatic 20T goal against Burrell
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Freeport head coach Steve Kukic celebrates as he gives a medal to Brinley Sullivan (1) after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Sophia Crawford celebrates with Julia McConville after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Sophia Crawford celebrates with Julia McConville after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport celebrates after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport celebrates with the trophy after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport celebrate with the trophy after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport celebrates with the trophy after defeating Burrell 2-1 in double overtime in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Sophia Crawford makes a save against Burrell in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Maggie Conger (30) fights for the ball with Burrell’s Kendall Coury in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport players celebrate Gia Conglose's goal against Burrell in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Teresa Hanak (10) fights for the ball with Burrell’s Mylah Buchak (21) in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s student section cheers after a goal against Burrell in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Lucy Hassler (4) plays the ball Burrell’s McKenna Miller (3) in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Elena Jenkins (8) heads the ball past Burrell’s Sloan Bires in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Brinley Sullivan (1) fights for the ball against Burrell’s Allie McMahon (17) in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Cecelia Schlegel (24) shoots the ball and scores the game winner in double overtime against Burrell in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport’s Alyssa Cooper (9) fights for the ball with Maura Barrett (24) in the WPIAL Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at F.N.B. Stadium. Justin Guido/Special to the Eagle
PITTSBURGH — After allowing the tying goal with less than three minutes left in regulation, Freeport’s girls soccer players could have been asking themselves “What if?” following Thursday’s WPIAL Class 2A championship game against Burrell.
Yellowjackets’ junior forward Cece Schlegel made the Bucs’ late score a mere footnote.
With 2:21 left in double overtime, Schlegel received a pass from Elena Jenkins and, working against a Burrell defender 15 yards from the net, put her left foot into an off-balanced shot as she fell to the turf at F.N.B. Stadium.
“I felt power through my shot, but didn’t see the ball go in. I saw my teammates running at me,” Schlegel said. “That’s how I knew I scored.
The attempt sailed past Burrell goalie Leah Waldsmith into the left side of the net, capping Freeport’s 2-1 win and earning for the Yellowjackets a second straight district championship.
WPIAL 2A Girls Soccer Championship FINAL: Freeport 2 Burrell 1 Cecilia Schlegel scores the golden goal with 2:21 left in the second overtime. The Yellowjackets repeat as WPIAL champs. https://t.co/ncjPg9Eszs
— Westmoreland Sports Network (@WestmorelandSN) November 6, 2026
“I don’t know how she got that shot off, but she did,” Freeport head coach Steve Kukic said. “Cece does everything for us. She’s a center-back by trade, and that’s what she was recruited as by Iowa.”
“I’m so grateful for this team and for the chance to get back here (in the championship game),” Schlegel said.
Schlegel’s game-winner ended a flurry of scoring attempts by Freeport in double overtime. Gabby Pavlina, Maggie Conger and Schlegel each had chances go for naught.
The two teams are Section 2 rivals. During the regular season, they battled to a scoreless tie before Freeport won the rematch 2-1 to snare the section title.
“I’m not surprised one bit that this game was as close as it was,” Burrell head coach Frank Nesko said. “I know Southern Lehigh (District 11) may have something to say about it, but the two best teams in the state played here tonight.”
Gia Conglose scored for the Yellowjackets in the 15th minute after a cross from Conger.
It appeared the score would hold up, but with just three minutes left, a Burrell (16-2-4) corner kick was initially saved by Freeport goalie Sophia Crawford. A scrum in front of the net ensued, and Allie McMahon’s shot was true to knot at 1-1.
While Freeport controlled play for much of the first half, Burrell turned the tables in the second.
“It would have been easy for us to get down on ourselves after that (late goal),” Kukic said. “Really, that whole second half we were on our heels.”
Both goalies stepped up in the first overtime, with Crawford making five of her 10 saves on the night in that 15-minute span. Waldsmith made three saves, ending the game with 14.
The ’Jackets also defeated the Bucs in last year’s district final, and Burrell got revenge by downing Freeport in the state semifinals.
“It’s a slugfest every time we play them,” Kukic said. “I have a lot of respect for their program.”
Freeport (17-2-1) will face District 9 champion Clearfield in the first round of the state playoffs Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
“It’s automatic,” defender Alyssa Cooper said of switching the focus from celebrating to preparing for a state playoff game. “We know we have to be ready next week.”
The WPIAL crown came in a season when the Yellowjackets were dealt heavy adversity.
Camryn Woods, last year’s Butler Eagle Girls Soccer Player of the Year, suffered a knee injury in the spring that will not allow her to play this season.
Cooper and Jenkins also battled injuries and missed most of the campaign.
“I’m just really proud of our girls for not giving up,” Kukic said. “We knew we were a deep team.”
Cooper missed over half the season with a hip injury and a concussion. She played staunch defense Thursday along with teammates Jocelynn Johns and Brinley Sullivan, among others.
“It was tough sitting out, not being able to help the team,” Cooper said. “It feels great to win another title. All of us were crying after the game because we know what we went through to get here.”
