Good Counsel forward Mia Bookhard dribbled the ball to the corner flag, as a player does when she wants to make time disappear, and took one more hit.

She was still on the frigid turf at Catholic University as the final whistle blew, declaring her Falcons back-to-back WCAC girls' soccer champions with a 1-0 win over Elizabeth Seton. But Bookhard didn't have the energy to immediately join the joyous sprint toward goalkeeper Serena Mensah. She walked toward the celebration, hands on her hips, a smile on her face.

It had been that kind of day. After Falcons forward Chemutai Sitienei found an opening amid a penalty-area scramble and put Good Counsel up with 12 minutes remaining in the first half, the game had turned into a physical battle. The Falcons worked to maintain possession and cling to their lead as the Roadrunners pushed hard for an equalizer.

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