It was quite an appropriate ending for the South Park girls' soccer team.

One night after earning its first state championship -- albeit in an unorthodox manner -- the Eagles got together one final time for a season-ending banquet. There were speeches, videos and, of course, plenty of food.

It's a wonder anybody still had an appetite, though -- the Eagles spent the entire season feasting on opponents.

The list of feats this Eagles squad accomplished over the past two-and-a-half months reads like a roll call. There's a 17-game unbeaten streak to finish the season. There's the 18 shutouts and just nine goals against in 27 games. And then there's the two shining gems that the Eagles will never forget, WPIAL and PIAA Class AA championship trophies.

"They're a really special group of kids," coach Shelly Thropp said. "And it's not just the starting 11. They had a lot of fun with each other this year. They did a lot of things together, even off the field. I'm pretty confident that's about 90 percent of the reason they were successful this year."

The Eagles displayed the distinct characteristics of a close-knit bunch, a factor that was never so important as it was in their state championship match against eastern power Villa Joseph Marie.

South Park stood toe-to-toe with the heavy favorites for 110 minutes, before the contest eventually ended with the teams deadlocked in a scoreless tie. Under PIAA championship rules, there is no a shootout the two 15-minute overtime periods, so the teams were declared co-champions.

The scene at Hersheypark Stadium was odd. While South Park (24-1-2) celebrated to some extent, players for Villa Joseph Marie (18-2-4) consoled one another. The Jems are used to winning state crowns by now -- the title was its ninth overall and fifth in seven years -- so having to share it with the Eagles seemed a bit uncomfortable.

The same cannot be said for South Park.

"It felt like a win for us because it was our first time out there and the other team had been so used to being there," Thropp said. "Even though we were co-champions, we were very excited about what we accomplished."

Despite registering only four shots, the Eagles had several scoring opportunities, including at least two in overtime.

With a solid defensive effort, the Eagles were able to stay in the contest throughout. A group that includes seniors Lauren Sauter, Lauren Greselin and Marissa Raymond, and sophomore Nicole Miller, continually turned backed the potent VJM attack. Junior goalkeeper Sydney Judkins also came up big with nine saves.

Graduation will hit this team hard. In addition to the aforementioned senior starters, the Eagles will also lose the services of two key offensive threats, Brittany Pfaff and Jessie Morgan. Leading scorer Nikki Doria (32 goals) does return, though, as does a group of underclassmen that Thropp is excited about.

"We're going to be OK," Thropp said. "The seniors left a good tradition. I think their leadership is going to carry on for years to come."