WINSLOW — For the first time in program history, Snowflake girls soccer can call themselves a state champion.

Joee Nichols’ sudden death penalty kick goal sealed the deal for the Lobos (18-4-1, 3-2 East) as they claimed a 1-1 (4-3 PKs) victory to hoist the fall soccer state championship trophy on a cloudy Saturday afternoon in Winslow.

In the first half, Harmony Weber put one into the net for St. Johns in the 26th minute, taking a 1-0 lead. Snowflake would answer, tying the match in the 43rd minute off the foot of Grace Prestwich.

The two teams played through a stalemate in both 10-minute overtime periods as the clubs went into the penalty kick phase. After both teams tied 3-3 in their first five tries, each team locked in during sudden death.

Sage Platt of St. Johns netted her first try, but Emree Mowers of Snowflake made her attempt as well. After Martha Andrus hit the right sidebar on a miss, Nichols came up and knocked hers through to claim the title.

At first, it appeared half the Snowflake squad, including Nichols, had no idea they had just won a title, but soon enough, they figured it out.

“Honestly, I didn’t know I was the last one! I went, I made it, and I was like, ‘Oh boy, like next person.’ And then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh did we just win state, let’s go,’” Nichols said as her team celebrated on the field by taking photos with the trophy.

Snowflake had quite the 48 hours, defeating Northland Prep in the state semifinals on Thursday, 2-1. It is the first time in nearly a decade that the Spartans have not participated in the fall soccer state championship match, appearing in nine straight since the 2017 season.

St. Johns, which fell short of the program’s fifth championship, also just missed out on an undefeated season. They were 19-0-2, with one of those ties coming against this very same Snowflake team in a 1-1 tie back in late August.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X and Instagram at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.