After yesterday's Class 2A state final, Bethesda-Chevy Chase coach Amy Wood had to admit that luck had been on her side.
Three Elizabeth Schlossberg saves in the final 47 seconds, two Towson shots off the post and two stick saves by B-CC defenders kept the No. 2 Generals from leaving Goucher College with their first state field hockey championship.
Instead, the Barons extended their state record to nine straight crowns with a 2-1 victory. The Montgomery County team has won 12 titles - one shy of Severna Park's record 13.
"I said to [Towson coach Holly West], 'A little bit of luck was with me with those posts,' " Wood said.
"Towson played better than they did on Monday [a shootout win over No. 15 Centennial], and their defense came through in the pinch. That's been their strength this year. They play a mean defense."
The Barons (12-1-2) needed two near-perfect goals to get past Generals keeper Jessy Willse, who made seven saves, and the defense of Hayley Mershon, Alley Firey, Sam Merrick and Meredith Harter.
Senior Katie Lee, who crossed the ball to Courtney Lee for B-CC's first goal just before halftime, provided the clincher with 5:17 left in the game.
After Towson (16-2) foiled one B-CC play, the Barons regrouped on the right. Bethany Martin then centered a pass to Lee, who cranked up and hammered a drive down the middle into the cage.
"That was a nice goal," Firey said. "She was at the top of the circle, and she nailed it so hard no one could get in front of it."
In the final 47 seconds, the Generals scrambled around the goal mouth and nearly tied the score. Shannon Band, who scored earlier in the half, took a shot that Schlossberg saved. Then Band slammed one off the post.
That was the second time in 10 minutes Band connected with the post. With 9:24 left, she fired one off the post after a cross from Jocelyn Paul - the same play Band had scored on early in the second half.
"I dove for it and it went up and hit the post," Band said. "Since I was falling, I dropped my stick and I didn't have enough time to recover."
Schlossberg, who finished with eight saves, also made a terrific one-on-one stop against Meg Rector at the top of the circle in the first half.
The Barons, who demonstrated terrific touch on their short passing game, also had their share of missed opportunities - many on fast breaks. Willse blocked back-to-back point-blank shots from Sam Riley and Martin in the first few minutes of the game.
The Generals' senior keeper made another save a minute later and quickly recovered to clear the ball away with her stick.
For the Barons, the victory was especially sweet. They came within one day of having their season canceled because of the Washington-area sniper attacks. They did not play a game during a 24-day stretch in October, but finished the season with five straight wins.
Playing against the state's field hockey juggernaut, the Generals came away feeling they had done all they could.
"It's great to say we're state finalists, because that's as far as Towson's ever gotten," Paul said. "We made history for our team. We can't hold our heads down. Even though we didn't win, we got to states and everybody played awesome."