On paper, it should have been a lopsided game.
Someone forgot to tell Mt. Carmel.
In the end, Chapelgate Christian Academy did beat Mt. Carmel, 2-1, to win its second straight — and fourth since 2004 — girls soccer championship in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland's C Conference, played today at Friends School in Baltimore.
Both Chapelgate goals came within the first nine minutes of the game. It looked like it would be a similar outcome as the first time the two teams met on Oct. 19 — Chapelgate won that contest, 8-0. But goals were scarce this time for the Yellowjackets, who had scored 97 times this season entering the game, and had scored five or more goals in nine games.
"I give (Mt. Carmel) tons of credit for whatever they did between games. Those girls were hungry and they made it really hard for us. This team gave us a run for our money big time," said Chapelgate coach Christen Gjeldum.
Chapelgate striker Kristin Thomas said, "I knew it wouldn't be 8-0 like last time. We're missing one of our star strikers (Lydia Frierson) and they really wanted it this time. But I knew we would win."
Mt. Carmel was sixth in the conference with a 4-4 mark and finished with a 12-9-1 record.
Midfielder Emma Rufulo, who helped feed the ball up top, said the close game was due to "just the pressure of the championship game, but we pulled it off in the end. (This win) is really important to us. We're all really excited" about a second championship.
"Winning twice (in a row) is super cool," added senior midfielder Molly Carlson.
Chapelgate, unbeaten at 8-0 in the regular conference season and now 15-2 overall, dominated the early minutes of the game, with the midfield lofting the ball forward to speedy forwards Thomas and Jordan Williams. Both had shots with the first three minutes.
At the 32-minute mark, Thomas again outran the Mt. Carmel defense. This time, when keeper Katie Clarke came out, Thomas found the back of the net.
Less than 50 seconds later, Jen Yahiro dribbled into the left corner and passed to Jennifer Lindauere who drove the ball into a crowd in front of the net. Williams got a foot on the ball for the goal.
Then Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, located in East Baltimore, made it a game and dominated chunks for the rest of the first half.
"We played a more defensive-minded game to keep them out of the goal and we pushed up forward and pressed seven girls up top," said Mt. Carmel coach Bob Simms.
"From the first game to this one, we've come a long way," he added.
The speed of Mt. Carmel freshman Jada Talley was hard to handle, said Chapelgate's Thomas, who moved to defense for the last 10 minutes of the game. Talley is "a defender's worst nightmare," she said.
With about 14 minutes left in the first half, sweeper Amarachi Uzosike tried to cut off Talley deep in the box. "I tripped over the ball and it went back to the goalie," and the official called it an illegal pass back to the keeper. That gave Talley an indirect kick, but she missed.
Uzosike, as well as defenders Christina Van Wingerden and Abigail Webster, showed composure and control throughout the game. "You get nervous when the ball comes but I know my fellow defenders always had my back," said Uzosike.
Eight minutes after Talley missed, Mt. Carmel got on the scoreboard when Amanda Simms, from 20 yards out, sent a shot soaring over the fingertips of keeper Andelyn Smith.
Chapelgate dominated the second half to secure the win. Mt. Carmel certainly had opportunities. At the 24-minute mark, Talley got in front of Chapelgate's defense and challenged second-half keeper Casey Bigelow one-on-one. Bigelow grabbed the ball on a bounce with Talley in her face.
With nine minutes left, Ashley Simms got a free kick just outside the box, but Carlson headed it out. A rebound shot was saved by Bigelow.
Mt. Carmel keeper Clarke had 13 saves. Smith had two first-half saves and Bigelow had four in the second half for Chapelgate.
Chapelgate was playing without striker Lydia Frierson, who set a school record with 39 goals this fall. She missed the last three games because of a back injury. Both Frierson and Thomas had scored four goals in the first meeting with Mt. Carmel.
"I miss her so miss," said Thomas. "We would assist each other all the time. That's how we would score three or four goals a game."
Chapelgate has now won two conference titles and two championship games under Gjeldum.
The secret to the Yellowjackets' success?
"I tell them to play for God and for each other and to play every game like it's your last game — and you have to want it more than the other team. It doesn't matter who we play, it's the same mental attitude," she said.