Do You Believe? Upper Arlington Advances To Their First State Championship

Shelby — Upper Arlington might be experiencing a little déjà vu, but this time it’s the good kind. “Believe” has been the motto for the program all tournament long, and that belief has carried them to the program’s first-ever state championship.

The Golden Bears defeated Perrysburg 6-2 Tuesday night in Shelby, punching their ticket to Historic Crew Stadium, where they will face Cincinnati Catholic powerhouse Seton on Saturday for the Division I state championship.

The last time Upper Arlington faced the Yellow Jackets, they came away with a 5-2 road win. Combine that with bus troubles, and it was a memory they wouldn’t forget.

Fast forward to Tuesday’s state semifinal, and déjà vu struck: the game was delayed due to… you guessed it, bussing issues for Upper Arlington.

“If this is a dream, I’m not ready to wake up,” Coach Jared Dombrowski said. “I told the girls when the bus broke down that it just adds another layer to a story we can tell later in life.”

In the end, the result was just the same as last time: A comfortable win for Upper Arlington.

Perrysburg made things interesting through the first 40 minutes, generating several dangerous looks early. But after weathering that pressure, Upper Arlington finally found its breakthrough in the 37th minute.

Lillian Schilling put in a shot from a Sophie Khelashvili corner kick, putting the Golden Bears up first 1-0 over Perrysburg.

That goal sparked a surge of momentum for Upper Arlington, energy that didn’t fade even when Perrysburg tied things just two minutes after Schilling’s strike.

In the closing seconds of the first half, Upper Arlington reclaimed the lead when Emery White buried a rebound off the crossbar, sending the Golden Bears into halftime up 2–1. In some ways, it was a goal that took all the air out of Perrysburg.

From there, just like a girl fitting the glass slipper, the Golden Bears took control and turned belief into reality.

Freshman Taylor Whetzel delivered a second-half hat trick, and Elena Myers added another, as Upper Arlington hung six goals on Perrysburg and sent the Yellow Jackets buzzing back to Toledo.

Most players never get a moment like that. Whetzel got a state-semifinal hat trick as a freshman.

“I feel amazing, our team has worked so hard,” Whetzel said postgame. “I’m so proud of us. I never experienced anything like this and I know we are ready.”

A freshman delivering a hat trick on a state-tournament stage speaks to the roster depth and talent Upper Arlington has top to bottom.

For head coach Dombrowski, that’s the kind of problem you’re glad to have.

“That depth is what separates this team from many ones I have coached,” Dombrowski said. “It makes my job more difficult because I have to name a starting 11, but I have 15 to 17 starters on this team. It’s a great problem to have as you go deep into these tournaments.”

The final step comes Saturday at Historic Crew Stadium, where Upper Arlington will meet Cincinnati Seton, the 2022 state champion in girls soccer. Seton advanced with a decisive win over Pickerington North Tuesday in Springfield.

Upper Arlington celebrated on Tuesday night and this morning, but it’s all back to work for the final stretch and finish what they started.

“We are all walking through this together, and I told them to enjoy tonight,” Dombrowski said. “Come tomorrow, we are going to refocus and start preparing for Cincinnati Seton. Hopefully, it translates Saturday night.”

Upper Arlington will face Cincinnati Seton at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus for the Division I State Championship on Saturday night. Kickoff is at 7 PM.