By Richard Torres
For The Reporter
FISHERS – With tradition comes expectation, and for the Noblesville girls soccer team both seemingly go hand-in-hand, even when counted out.
On Saturday, the Class 3A third-ranked Millers showcased both during the Sectional 8 championship game at Hamilton Southeastern, shutting out rival Fishers, 5-0, to net their fifth straight title and 14th in program history.
After losing hold of the Hoosier Crossroads Conference title this season for the first time since 2018, the rebuilding Millers (13-1-3) weren’t predicted to keep their sectional streak alive.
Yet, despite seven new starters in the lineup, the Millers are demonstrating that time, patience, and persistence pays off, especially once the state tournament arrives.
Junior Meredith Tippner scored a hat trick for the Millers in the first half Saturday, and juniors Atley Pittman and Olivia Olszewski buried two more goals in the second half, as Noblesville continued its revenge tour this October.
On Thursday, the Millers avenged their 3-2 regular-season loss against key rival second-ranked Hamilton Southeastern with a 2-1 sectional semifinal victory.
Friday’s win signified what the Millers expected to see despite finishing 4-1-2 in the HCC prior to the postseason.
“Honestly, we lost a lot of seniors that aren’t replaceable. They were a great part of this program, and we had a lot of younger kids that had to step up and figure out their new role on this team,” Tippner said. “A lot of upperclassmen had to take on leadership roles, and I don’t think we were where we needed to be at the beginning of the season.”
The Millers are tournament-ready now, and Tippner’s 19 goals in 17 games put them in position to win their seventh sectional title in eight years.
Tippner’s first goal put the Millers ahead 1-0 in the 11th minute with the assist credited to senior Syndey Elliott. A corner-kick by junior Atley Pittman four minutes later led to Tippner’s second goal before she posted her hat trick in the 24th minute for a 3-0 Millers’ advantage.
“The people we were surrounded by last year just kind of showed us the path of how we needed to get to where we wanted to be, and I’ve been very lucky to have won a sectional title before and I know what it takes to get here,” Tippner said.
“I’ve been able to kind of try to bring my teammates with me and our coaches have done a great job of preparing us, so we don’t feel stressed out when it comes to situations. We just stay composed and play the game that we’ve grown to learn.”
No situations were bigger than the two on Thursday and Saturday.
Faced with two inter-county foes and two conference opponents they couldn’t cleanly beat during the regular season, the Millers came out renewed, refocused and determined to keep their winning tradition going.
“It was a big motivator for us. I know a lot of us were kind of ready to see what we truly had in us to play in postseason. We always say that October is when it really matters,” Pittman said.
“We definitely hold ourselves to a very high standard, and I think we’ve definitely met it this postseason or are continuing to get closer to it. That is helping us get closer to our final goal. Another state title.”
Last year, Noblesville won its third state title all time and first since going back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. With only four returning starters from last year’s state finals lineup – Tippner, Pittman, Elliott and goalkeeper Bella Wyatt – the team had to develop their chemistry in season.
“We had seven new starters this year. Again, it was a rebuild, and I like the parts that came with it. It just took a while for it to come together,” Noblesville head coach Mike Brady said. “Nothing against HSE, who won the conference. They earned it, but we knew we had bigger goals. That was one of them, but now we want to see how far we can go in this tournament.”
While Tippner tallied the most goals, the Millers clamped down defensively to limit the Tigers (4-10-3) to 10 shots on goal.
Wyatt logged seven saves for the shutout before both sides made substantial substitutions after Olszewski’s goal in the 61st minute initiated a running clock.
Fishers recorded the first shot of the game in the initial 30 seconds, but the Millers responded immediately to control possession a majority of the first half and first 20 minutes of the second.
“Honestly, you want to come out and be the team that takes the first shot, and it’s pressuring, but you have to improvise and keep moving on from that. I think the team did a great job of switching from being more of a defensive team to attacking. That just comes from preparation and from coach,” Tippner said. “This is a team that’s not willing to give in, and we did a great job from top to bottom today.”
The Millers will now seek to add a 10th regional title in program history with five to their credit since 2016, including four in 3A.
“I really like this team and what it’s done the last two months to get us where we are. But we know, we still have a lot of good teams ahead of us,” said Brady, who is in his 21st season at the helm. “That’s a good Fishers team. They can certainly play and that game against HSE was against a very good team that we had to get through.”
In Brady’s tenure, the Millers have won six regional titles, nine sectionals and three state championships.
“I’m just fortunate. The support of the community, the school, and again, just the culture that has been created. It’s not me. It’s just one that’s been created by the players,” Brady said. “I started one freshman, and one came off the bench. When you enter this program, you know the bar is set high, and the older players nurture you to play a certain way. We’re just fortunate to have the culture we have in what we try to do.”