St. Hubert’s celebrates after winning the Philadelphia Catholic League girls soccer championship Oct. 25. (Photo by John Knebels)
Now that their season has come to a close, the St. Hubert’s girls’ soccer team can reflect on a campaign that few outsiders would have predicted.
Perhaps they weren’t watching closely.
“We believe in ourselves,” said first-team All-Catholic senior Luca D’Andrea. “The players, the coaches. We knew we had what it took to make this a special season, and we went out and did it.”
St. Hubert’s standout Luca D’Andrea captained the Bambies to the program’s best season in 23 years. (Photo by John Knebels)
After finishing second in the Philadelphia Catholic League during the regular season, the Bambies’ flight took off.
Representing a program that hadn’t won a PCL title since 2002, the Bambies faced four-time defending champion Archbishop Wood in the league final Oct. 25. Wood drew first blood with an early goal from PCL Most Valuable Player Paige Eckert, but the Bambies refused to buckle. By halftime, St. Hubert’s had clawed back, tying the match 1-1 on a goal by senior Bridie Musial.
After a scoreless second half and double-overtime came penalty kicks. One by one, Hubert’s girls converted, and when senior Riley Roesner delivered the final, decisive strike, the stands erupted in celebration. It wasn’t just a win, it was a declaration: the Bambies had arrived.
Yet as dramatic as that moment was, the true hero of St. Hubert’s season didn’t appear on the score sheet, which is really saying something since the PCL All-Catholic team included first-team All-Catholic Luca D’Andrea, first-team All-Catholic freshman Maeve Hasson, first-team All-Catholic Grace Smith, second-team junior Saige Primavera, second-team junior Kady Donnelly, and third-team senior Riley Roesner.
Quin Miller, the team’s junior goalie, somehow not named All-Catholic, became the backbone of every postseason triumph. In the PCL final, she made several key stops, including a diving stop on Eckert’s low liner that kept the Bambies alive.
In the first round of the PIAA Class 3A state tournament, she turned away multiple attempts during regulation and double overtime against Strath Haven, then stopped two penalty kicks in a 4-3 shootout.
“Being a goalie is one of the toughest positions,” said D’Andrea, a graduate of Our Lady of Calvary Catholic School. “Field players can recover from mistakes. A goalie doesn’t get that luxury. Quin? She handles it like a pro. Her confidence under pressure is insane. When you’ve got a goalie like her, you feel like you can take on anyone.”
St. Hubert’s goalie Quin Miller excelled during the postseason run. (Photo John Knebels)
Miller’s story is one of quiet resilience.
“All of the three All-Catholic goalies deserved it, but it did make me question what I was missing in order to earn that title,” said Miller. “It gave me something to prove to myself, motivation to keep giving it my all. I get my mental strength from my teammates and coaches – they’ve always believed in me, even when I doubted myself.”
The Bambies’ state tournament journey ended Nov. 8 with a narrow 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Lower Dauphin , but the heartbreak couldn’t overshadow the magnitude of the season.
Before that, St. Hubert’s claimed the District 12 championship with a 7-0 rout of Benjamin Rush, proving they belonged on the state stage.
For D’Andrea, the season was the perfect capstone to her high school career.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” she reflected. “We grew every year, got closer to our goal, and finally achieved it. Playing with these girls, some since we were 5 years old, has made me a better player and a better person.
“I’m proud of how we’re leaving this program – it’s just the beginning for St. Hubert’s soccer.”
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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.
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