There's something about sixth-ranked McDonogh that brings out the best in the Friends field hockey team.
Two weeks ago, the Quakers handed the Eagles their only regular-season loss and scored the first goal against them this year. Yesterday, they scored the second.
With 1:04 elapsed in sudden-death overtime, Amy Kremen scored off a crossing pass from Heather Bohanan to give host Friends a 1-0 win over McDonogh in the semifinals of the Association of Independent Schools Tournament.
"I think both of us are good strong teams, and it easily could've gone the other way," said Friends coach Carol Samuels. "There were pockets of domination by both teams, but in the end we just read the situation well."
The Quakers (6-2-3) advanced to tomorrow's A Division final against Roland Park, a 1-0 winner over Garrison Forest in yesterday's other semifinal.
It will mark Friends' second straight trip to the final. Last season, the Quakers shared the championship with Roland Park. The teams tied, 0-0, after playing two overtimes.
To get there again, though, they had to survive a McDonogh onslaught that lasted for most of the second half.
After playing well early, Friends gave up four penalty corners and four shots on goal down the stretch.
The Eagles' Niamh Corcoran nearly scored twice, missing wide-left both times on free hits from the top of the arc midway through the half. Then, with just five seconds left, McDonogh's Alicynne Simons rolled a last-ditch crossing pass through the goal mouth just under the stick of Katie Rice, forcing overtime.
Said Samuels: "I just held my breath the last eight minutes."
Once in the overtime, however, the Quakers didn't waste much time. After winning a coin flip for possession, they drove the ball to McDonogh's end.
Vanessa Coe fed Bohanan in the corner, and she lofted a crossing pass toward the goal. Kremen batted the ball out of mid-air and into the cage for the winning score.
"I saw the pass going up, so I just wound up my stick and smacked it," said Kremen. "It made the best sound when it hit the back of the goal."
McDonogh (8-2-3) dominated the rest of the league, neither losing nor allowing a goal. For the Eagles, a strong performance was little consolation.
"We were ready for them, and I think we played pretty well," said McDonogh coach Mickey Deegan, whose team outscored opponents, 28-2, this season.
"They have some really good players, and they're very aggressive. I tip my hat off to them."