Defending Class 3A state champion Fallston knows when to be at its very best.

Against Severna Park in the postseason, it has been during the penalty-stroke shootout.

For a second straight season, the top-ranked Cougars moved on to the state tournament at the expense of the No. 8 Falcons, capturing the Class 3A East regional field hockey title yesterday with a little better aim on penalty strokes.

Mandi Wisniewski hit the game-clinching goal into the top right of the cage past goalie Liz Tinker, lifting visiting Fallston to victory, 4-3 in penalty strokes, after the two teams played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two seven-on-seven overtime periods.

"I just didn't want to let anyone down because we worked so hard," Wisniewski said. "We practiced it a million times and I knew I could do it - I just had to concentrate. It was just so intense. I went right - I always go the same way."

The Cougars (15-1) will try to take a step closer to a ninth state crown at 12:30 p.m. Monday in the semifinals at Goucher College against Seneca Valley, a 1-0 winner over Richard Montgomery in the West regional final.

For the Falcons (13-2-2), it's the second straight early exit courtesy of Fallston after reaching the state tournament for 16 consecutive years while playing in Class 4A.

The Falcons had a 13-3 edge in penalty corners and dominated both overtimes, but couldn't finish any more chances after Abbi Horn gave them a 1-0 lead with 5:50 left in the first half. The Cougars tied the score two minutes into the second half on a penalty-stroke goal from Chelsea Gebhardt. Last season, the teams played to a 2-2 tie before the Cougars won by a 2-0 count in the deciding shootout.

"This is hard," said Falcons junior center Lauren Maranto, fighting back tears. "We worked so hard and we wanted states so bad this year."

Wisniewski's exclamation couldn't have been possible without two saves from Siobhan Eustace at the start of the shootout. She got her left hand on the first and saved a second one high with both hands to give the Cougars the opening they needed.