Fifth-seeded Pingree narrowly defeated third-seeded Immaculate Heart, 2-1, in the NJSIAA girls state championship game at the Prudential Center in Newark, winning its first-ever state title.
Pingree, which entered the state tournament under .500, had impressive wins, including a dramatic overtime victory over perennial powerhouse Morristown Beard in the semifinals.
The three stars of the game are:
First Star: Charlotte Diemer, Pingree
Dimar found the back of the net twice in a 4:03 span of the second period, setting up Pingree's two goals. She took the lead 2:57 into the period, and Immaculate Heart responded a minute later with the winning goal. She scored a team-high 26 goals this season.
Second star: Kate Nicolai, Pingree
The senior goaltender finished his high school career in style, stopping 33 of 34 shots in a game where he was dead even in terms of shots. She was nothing short of a brick wall at the state tournament, stopping 94 of 97 shots in four state tournament games, giving her an eye-popping .969 save percentage.
Third Star: Delaney Kozin, Immaculate Heart
The rookie netminder stopped 32 of 34 shots in IHA's loss. She made several big saves throughout the match, including one stop on a breakaway near the end to keep the match at 2-1.
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