INDIANAPOLIS – After freshman goalkeeper Rachel Castor sealed an 8-7 penalty kicks win with a final save over Cathedral in the regional semifinals, and after the Noblesville faithful rushed the field, junior Corynn Fleck stood in the middle of the madness with a message written on her left forearm.
Painted in black marker, the team message was still fully legible.
#WAT
We Are Together.
It’s a phrase that powered the community in the aftermath of the 2018 Noblesville West Middle School shooting. It now serves as the team mantra - a phrase that powered the Millers (10-3-4) to a dramatic win over Cathedral (12-6-1) on Wednesday.
“We’ve tried to carry it on, keep it going amongst ourselves as a team and that was kind of our battle cry,” said Noblesville coach Mitchell Holden.
Like a baseball game, the Millers walked it off at Brunette Park - Cathedral’s home field. They eliminated the Fighting Irish from the Class 3A postseason on their own stomping grounds, just like they did to Westfield on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the Millers slayed the latest dragon in their postseason expedition. After scoreless regulation and two overtime periods weren’t enough, two rounds of penalty kicks decided the winner.
Both teams traded goals until Cathedral’s eighth attempt.
After junior defender Brooklyn Gibbons blasted the final penalty for the Millers, the Fighting Irish missed their equalizer when Castor dove to her right for the winning save.
That was a fitting exclamation point in a game ruled by defense.
“I knew I had to end it there at some point, “Castor said.
Noblesville win in penalties, 8-7. pic.twitter.com/cJbGye8TTl
— Marc Ray (@themarcszn) October 15, 2026
Noblesville and Cathedral’s backline stayed solid in 94 minutes of playing time. The Millers, who surrendered 28 goals entering Wednesday, neutralized Cathedral’s attack and kept star sophomore Saige Usher – a constant offensive threat – off the board.
The Millers played with a dark horse mentality, driven by their losses to HSE, Westfield and Zionsville this season.
They redeemed their loss to a talented Westfield in the sectional finals before they eliminated Cathedral, about two months since both teams tied, 1-1, in their season opener.
Like it did against the Rocks, Noblesville’s unshakable composure won out in extra time. They defeated a Cathedral team that entered regionals on a six-game unbeaten streak and allowed just two goals in that stretch.
Noblesville turned the postseason chatter into fuel. Their "We Are Together" creed rang true in a total team effort.
“Obviously, we were the underdogs for both games actually and I think that kind of really motivated us to want to win,” Fleck said. “We had a rough little stretch this season and we struggled beating really good top 10 teams, but I think when the time came, we really stepped up.”
Wednesday’s loss was a gut punch for the Cathedral - a team that got through Lawrence Central and Lawrence North before they vanquished Warren Central, 9-0, in the sectional championship. A single penalty kick to Noblesville ended their season, but they still dug deep at home.
“All season long we have really been a team that played all the way until the end,” said Cathedral coach Marc Behringer. “We didn’t give up many goals in the season and it’s 0-0 after 94 minutes, so that seems about right. When you go to penalty kicks, it’s just like flipping a coin and it’s hard.
“You send these girls out there, these players, these teenagers and all this pressure. So really proud of how our girls performed. Great job to Mitch and to the Noblesville players that pulled through in penalty kicks.”
Noblesville will face Brownsburg (8-7-4) in the Class 3A regional championship at Carmel on Saturday.
Marc Ray is a high school sports reporter at the IndyStar. He can be reached at marc.ray@indystar.com , and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'We are together.' It is not just a motto for Noblesville girls soccer team