The sign on the fence at yesterday's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland soccer championships urged No. 1 John Carroll to "Make it 3" -- not three titles but three straight wins over No. 2 McDonogh.
The Patriots complied.
In an otherwise even game, Kourtney Porcella's goal early in the second half boosted the Patriots, the 13th-ranked team in the nation, past McDonogh, 1-0, for the first IAAM A Division soccer championship at Towson University.
"We wanted this more than anything," said Patriots All-Metro senior Jen Biscoe, who played another superb game in the midfield.
"We've been trying to get here for four years, and this is the first time we've made it past the semifinals. No one really expected us to do it, and we did it. We won, and it's great."
The Patriots (20-1-1) completed a season sweep of the Eagles (18-6), who have lost only to nationally ranked teams this fall.
For the second straight game, Maggie Pyzik, with 11 saves, and defenders Morgan Russell, Shannon Seipp, Kerry VanShura and Megan Sparks held the Eagles scoreless.
"This defense is phenomenal," said Patriots coach Gary Lynch. "We're very organized in the back. We had seven and eight people back every time, so it's pretty tough to get a close shot in on us.
"We felt that if we make them take their shots from the outside, Maggie's got a good chance of saving it, and that worked because they didn't get anything off, on balance, inside the 18."
Seipp, a freshman marking back, again managed to shut out All-Metro striker Lisa Zanti. Seipp made a lead-preserving play, leaping to deflect a header by Zanti on goal less than two minutes after Porcella had scored.
When Zanti went up and redirected a long shot from Eagles midfielder Jackie Reid, Seipp soared between Zanti's shot and the net, heading the ball off the post.
"Maggie called the ball, so she went up to get it," Seipp said, "but Zanti got up over top of her and headed it. I saw it, and I jumped up as high as I could to head it. I was so scared that it was going to go in. I don't think I've ever jumped that high before."
With their stellar defense, the Patriots needed only one break, and they got it when Porcella found herself open on the left in the 44th minute. She lofted a shot across the goal that hit the far post just under the crossbar and went in.
The game was so even that McDonogh had 15 shots and the Patriots 14. The Eagles also received fine defensive efforts from Kellan Hoover, Jamie Hupp, Cede Bell, Katie Nelson and goalie Mariel Wilner, who contributed eight saves.
"It was a great game," said Eagles coach Maurice Boylan Jr., whose team won the Catholic League title last year.
"Obviously, John Carroll's got a great team. Anybody that beats anybody three times, they've got a great team."
B Division
Rachel Noppinger, Candice King, Stephanie Wilson, Kerry Webber, Stephanie Long and Amy Mitchell scored in a 6-4 shootout victory that lifted Mount Carmel (16-4-2) over Severn for the B Division championship.
The teams had played 220 minutes of scoreless soccer this season, half yesterday and half in a regular-season, 0-0 tie.
Championships
Boys soccer
Thursday
Class 4A
Dulaney vs. Churchill, 7: 30
Friday
Class 3A
River Hill vs. Fallston, 7: 30
Saturday
Class 2A
Mount Hebron vs. James M. Bennett, 2: 30
Class 1A
Oakland Mills vs. Williamsport, 7: 30
Girls soccer
Thursday
Class 4A
Westminster vs. Parkville, 5
Friday
Class 3A
River Hill vs. Eastern Tech, 5
Saturday
Class 2A
Loch Raven vs. Middletown, noon
Class 1A
Glenelg vs. Williamsport, 5
All games at UMBC; all times p.m.
