Brebeuf goalie loves pressure. And he was at his very best in Class 2A soccer title game.

Remarkable.

That's probably the best way to describe the journey of Brebeuf Jesuit boys soccer since the start of last season.

Saturday afternoon — a year to the date after it went from 0-7-2 to Class 2A state champions — Brebeuf was back at Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium for another blue-ribbon coronation, this one following a 2-1 overtime win over Mishawka Marian.

"Oh no," senior goalkeeper Aidan Wade replied when asked if he could have predicted this type of run 13 months ago. "We were getting blown out by the worst teams. All it took was one or two small changes and we haven't lost a playoff game since. We're 14-0."

Wade was involved in perhaps the most important of those changes, with coach Carlos Zavaleta tapping him as starting goalkeeper, so Quinn Warren could join star striker Stefan Boes on the attack.

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The 6-5 Wade established himself in net last season, allowing four goals in seven state tournament games; he was lights out this year, posting five straight shutouts followed by back-to-back 2-1 victories.

Wade's success as a senior went hand-in-hand with the team's success, Zavaleta observed. He became more confident as the team kept winning, and as he played with more confidence, the team's level of play improved.

"Aidan grew a lot this year and he's been very consistent," Zavaleta said. "I'm really, really proud of him."

Wade was at his best Saturday afternoon.

Brebeuf controlled possession for long stretches of the opening half, but the second largely belonged to Mishawaka Marian, which capitalized on the move of Warren from defense to striker and was able to apply more steady pressure on the Brebeuf backline.

The Knights broke through for the game's first goal about 10 minutes into the second half — freshman Victor Aguilar set up senior Jaxson Hundt for the go-ahead header — but Wade was lights out from there, coming up with a number of critical saves.

"I love pressure. It's what makes me play best. But I would have preferred a nice, quiet day," Wade said with a grin.

Wade delivered perhaps his best save of the day on a shot by Vincent Rodriguez from near the top of the box midway through the half. The Brebeuf keeper was nearly caught out of position, but managed to recover and set himself, calmly jumping up to deflect Rodriguez's high-rising shot over the bar and out.

"He is the best keeper in the state of Indiana. I'll tell you that," said Boes, the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner.

Moments later, Warren threw a ball into the box that was batted around until it landed on the foot of Ben Haneline, who buried the equalizer.

Brebeuf's first deficit in seven-and-a-half games lasted all of 12 minutes.

"We always have confidence, even when we go down," Boes said. "We talked about it — we just had to stay positive."

Wade gave Brebeuf a chance in regulation; his defense and a brilliant play by Teddy Potts brought it home in overtime.

The first five minutes of the extra session resembled the first few minutes of regulation: fast-paced, end-to-end action but no goals to speak of.

That is until Warren took another throw-in.

The towering 6-6 junior heaved a throw into the box. Mishawaka's clearance attempt failed, and the ball found its way to Potts in the middle of the box. Rather than try and rush a shot on net, the junior midfielder remained calm amidst the chaos, rotating away from his defender and passing the ball back to Mateo Soria at the top of the box.

Soria planted his foot and blasted a long-range shot past the diving keeper and into the back of the net.

"The composure (Potts) had to bring it down under a lot of blue jerseys — some kids would want to just turn around and shoot it," Zavaleta said. "But he had not only the composure, but the awareness to see Mateo was sitting there and then Mateo's quality of finish is unbelievable."

It was up to Brebeuf's defense from there, and it was excellent, sealing off passing lanes and blocking shot after shot over the final nine minutes.

"I love my defense," Wade said of his backline. "Our coach calls them the 'No Goal Patrol' and this postseason we've scored 22 goals and only let in two. My defense is everything."

Brebeuf, which was making its third state championship game appearance (2014, 2021), is the second back-to-back 2A champion in the past four years (Evansville Memorial). It graduates six seniors with Wade and Boes joined by Jack Weeter, Jake Rosenberg, Ian Houle and Josh Pang.

"All of these guys are like my kids. I really do love them that much," Zavaleta said. "The seniors have been with me for four years, so they're very special and it's hard to know this is the last (game). They're very good leaders, so wherever they go, whatever they do, I know they're going to be successful because they're good people and they're good leaders."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school boys soccer: How Brebeuf beat Mishawaka Marian