On June 7 at North Central College in Naperville, St. Ignatius defeated Peoria Notre Dame 1-0 to win the IHSA Class 2A girls soccer state championship, the first in program history. The Wolfpack was able to achieve this thanks to the contributions of a few local residents.
Rising senior Lili Garcia, a Berwyn resident, scored the game-winner with five minutes left in the title match.
“I was so glad me and my team could get it done,” said Garcia, who attended Ascension School in Oak Park. “We really deserved it; we worked really hard this season.”
St. Ignatius’ head coach is Pam Whitehead, a longtime Oak Park resident. One of Whitehead’s assistants is Katy Oldach, a former goalkeeper for Oak Park and River Forest High School, and one of the Wolfpack’s top players is rising senior Lauren Reed, a River Forest resident.
“When we were making the state run, we weren’t thinking of or focusing on the accolades,” Whitehead said. “We were focused on whatever game was in front of us. It was absolutely thrilling to win the final game.”
“It feels really rewarding knowing how much work we put in everything we do,” said Reed, who also went to Ascension. “From the beginning of the season, Coach Whitehead made it a goal to make it to state, and she helped us believe we could achieve this. For us to not only make it to state but win is incredible.”
Oldach, a 2012 OPRF graduate, coached St. Ignatius goalkeeper M.C. Galante. The Lafayette signee came up with several clutch saves against Notre Dame, keeping the Wolfpack in the game and setting up Garcia’s heroics.
“Outstanding is an understatement,” Oldach said of Galante’s exceptional play. “We trust M.C., she’s our field general who provided a lot of leadership, not just in the state tournament but throughout the season.”
St. Ignatius girls soccer player Lili Garcia is lifted by her teammates after scoring the only goal of the Class 2A state title match against Peoria Notre Dame, June 7. Garcia is a Berwyn resident who attended Ascension in Oak Park. (Courtesy of Jeff Stern) 
Oak Park resident and St. Ignatius girls soccer head coach Pam Whitehead before the IHSA Class 2A state title match against Peoria Notre Dame. (Courtesy of Jeff Stern) 
St. Ignatius girls soccer midfielder Lili Garcia with the IHSA Class 2A state championship trophy. Garcia, a Berwyn resident who attended Ascension in Oak Park, scored the only goal in the Wolfpack’s 1-0 victory over Peoria Notre Dame in the title game, June 7. (Courtesy of Lili Garcia) 
Lili Garcia (#13), a Berwyn resident who attended Ascension in Oak Park, gets introduced before St. Ignatius’s Class 2A girls soccer state title match against Peoria Notre Dame, June 7. Garcia scored the only goal of the match in the 75th minute to give the Wolfpack an 1-0 victory and the first state championship in program history. (Courtesy of Jeff Stern) 
St. Ignatius girls soccer midfielder Lauren Reed, a River Forest resident, in action at the IHSA Class 2A state finals. (Courtesy of Lauren Reed) 
St. Ignatius girls soccer midfielder Lauren Reed, a River Forest resident, with the IHSA Class 2A state championship trophy. (Courtesy of Lauren Reed) 
River Forest resident and rising St. Ignatius senior girls soccer midfielder Lauren Reed (#17) is introduced before the Wolfpack’s Class 2A state title match against Peoria Notre Dame, June 7. (Courtesy of Jeff Stern)
“M.C.’s one of my really good friends on the team,” Garcia said. “Our success is because of her. She’s one of the hardest working players I’ve ever seen. She’s such a good person to lead our team.”
Whitehead, who has lived in Oak Park since 1993, served as an assistant for OPRF’s boys and girls soccer teams from 2007 to 2014. She worked with current Huskies’ badminton coach Paul Wright, who coached the boys soccer team from 2005 to 2015.
Whitehead says her experience with Wright was beneficial as it set her on a course to become a head coach.
“It’s rare that you have someone in your life who’s really a mentor,” she said. “Paul strikes a really great balance between showing you the path and letting you stumble off the path and get back on it. He’s a really structured, focused, and kind person. I give Paul so much credit; I enjoyed my time with him so much.”
“She clearly bought into what I was saying,” Wright said, “and how I wanted to do things. At the time, there weren’t a lot of females coaching boys teams, but she had extreme success because she knew how to create a culture and connect with kids. She’s always been detail-oriented and looking to grow as a coach. I’ve learned just as much from Pam as she has from me.”
Reed thought the key to success for St. Ignatius was having fun on the pitch and having a good support system among teammates. She, along with Garcia, also spoke highly of Whitehead.
“I love Coach Pam,” she said. “From the very beginning of the season, she was always supporting us. She’s always helping tweak our game play, helping us improve and be better.”
“She’s a great coach,” Garcia said. “She’s very positive and a great leader. She teaches us not only how to play soccer, but also life lessons.”
Garcia and Reed return to St. Ignatius next season, looking to further solidify their strong chemistry.
“She’s awesome. I’ve known Lauren for a long time,” Garcia said. “She’s hardworking and very kind.”
“Lili and I play well off each other and trust each other on the field,” Reed said. “We’re great friends.”
