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by Jeff Speegle
Mountain Brook High School goalkeeper Laine Minich certainly did her part in the Lady Spartans’ march to the AHSAA Class 6A state girls’ soccer championship.
Minich, a junior, recorded a shutout in the semifinals and finals – the final match resulting in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham area rival Briarwood Christian Saturday at Loretta P. Spencer Sports Complex at John Hunt Park.
She had four saves in the finals and six over the two state tourney matches.
The Spartans (15-3-4) took the lead in the final at the 10:18 time mark of the first half when Sophie Hicks scored on a penalty kick. That 1-0 lead stood well into the second half when Langston Lilly added a second goal for Mountain Brook.
Mountain Brook, coached by Adam Johnson, won the school’s fifth girls’ state title with the win – and the first since 2013.
"We knew that it was going to take the full 80 minutes, and it did," Johnson said. "We knew Briarwood was the real test for us. They were the real challenge. And I mean, it's cliche to say it was a team effort, but it took all 24 of us trusting each other and just playing for each other. We tell the girls, you don't play for yourself, you play for your sisters. and that's what they did."
