Beavers repeat as WOSSAA AA champs

   Dorchester heads to sixth consecutive OFSAA in girls soccer

  May 29, 2025

By Rob J. Ross

LONDON, Ont. - Dorchester Beavers girls soccer is certainly glad Mya Steller returned to the team.

Steller scored twice, including the winner in extra time, lifting the Beavers over Stratford St. Mike's, 3-2, in the WOSSAA AA gold match May 28 at City Wide Sports Fields.

The Beavers are heading to their sixth consecutive OFSAA and second one at the AA level. A year ago at the high school provincial championship held in St. Thomas, Dorchester captured the bronze medal.

Steller scored with five minutes remaining in the second half of extra time, during a game played in drizzly cool conditions.

"It didn't feel real after I scored it," Steller said. "It was kind of a moment in time and it did feel really amazing."

Minutes later, the Beavers were returning to OFSAA, this year in Kingston, June 5-7.

"We didn't play was well as we hoped to, but we wanted to play hard and keep our selves in the game," Beavers co-captain Jenna Couch said. "It was stressful, but we kept playing our game."

St. Mike's led 1-0 at half.

Steller tied the game, chipping in the ball, that deflected off a player up off the cross bar and in to the mesh.

Portia Metcalf scored on penalty kick, giving the Beavers a 2-1 lead.

Dorchester was about to celebrate a victory, before St. Mike's sent the game to extra time, scoring a buzzer beater before the end of the second half.

After two years competing in track and field, Steller made the decision to return to the team she helped win OFSAA gold while in Grade nine, motivated by two medals she missed.

The Beavers repeated as 1-A champs in her grade 10 year in 2023, followed by a bronze medal in their first year at the AA level in 2024.

"The two medals at OFSAA," Steller said. "I thought I could come back and contribute to the team. Thankfully I did today."

The Beavers carried much of the play, certainly in the second half.

"We had great opportunities to score, but we didn't finish. It was one of those days. It's great we created them, but we have to finish them," Beavers coach Andreas Nolte said. "We stayed the course and kept doing the little things that we were doing right and it paid off. Sometimes you need a little extra time to get it done."

Couch, forward Julia Richie and keeper Makenna Brown, have been on the team since Grade nine.

Combined with the two seasons in 2018 and 2019, before two years were cancelled due to the COVID pandemic, Dorchester has been to OFSAA six straight years, four with Nolte as head coach.

"It's believing in the system. It's a matter of this is the talent we have and what's the best that we can do to get the talent out of the team," explained Nolte, how the Beavers continue to excel. "It's a change in positions and believing that we're doing this for the sacrifice of the team, so that we can be the best team that we can be. Believing what's best for the team in this moment."

Players are willing to change or make sacrifices because they've seen the success this decade.

This year, Dorchester is ranked number three at OFSAA, behind defending AA champ Holy Trinity from Bradford at one and King's Christian Collegiate out of Oakville at number two.

"The greatest thing to expect is to know we're there to compete for a medal,' Nolte said. "That experience gives a big advantage. We still have execute and do all the little things to make sure we win the games."

The tournament starts, 9 a.m. Thursday, June 5, versus Huntsville.

In the WOSSAA semifinals, Dorchester defeated Parkside, 3-1, with Steller, Julia Richie and Megan McLachlin scoring.

Parkside took the bronze medal match, blanking London South, 1-0.

On the boys side, St. Joseph's finished fourth, dropping the the bronze medal game, 1-0, to St. Mike's. In the semifinals, St. Joe's lost a squeaker, 4-3, in penalties to Woodstock St. Mary's, the eventual WOSSAA champs.

At WOSSAA 1-A, Woodstock Collegiate won both the boys and girls titles.

 More images on Instagram - hometownplay