Maryvale Prep capitalized on a pair of penalty corners in the first half and held on for a 2-0 victory over Mount de Sales in Catonsville on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Sam Darcangelo started a corner that Kaylin Ziemba re-directed to Elena McWright for the first goal midway through the first half.
With 3:50 remaining, Miranda Ibello flicked in a corner to Darcangelo, who left it for Ziemba. Her shot deflected off a Sailor defender into the goal.
Mount de Sales, coming off a 1-0 victory over Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference foe McDonogh, a day earlier, had two opportunities before the Lions struck first.
Junior Julia Shearer had two fast-break chances rejected by goalie Justine Lago in the first 12 minutes and defender Sam Stewart saved a ball from just in front of the end line off a shot by Shearer.
After Shearer's fast-break chance with 18:13 left in the half, Maryvale coach Michelle Thaniel called a time out with the score knotted at 0-0.
"I told them they needed to step it up and play defense the right way because they weren't and that's what was putting us into that situation," Thaniel said. "I didn't even say much about offense. They reciprocated and put it in."
"She felt we were just playing sloppy and just smacking the ball around," Ziemba said.
Maryvale came out in the first two minutes of the second half and had four penalty corners, two that resulted in shots by Darcangelo and Shelby Kuhlman that were saved by Eve Lukowski.
The Sailors responded with strong midfield play from Caroline Butler and Kayley Jones that triggered three corners,
The Sailors' best scoring chance came with 19:57 left in the second half, after passes from Leah DiGianodemico and Amanda Ignacio, that resulted in a shot just wide from Shearer.
DiGianodemico scored the game-winning goal last week in a 2-1 victory over Carroll County powerWestminster.
That win, coupled with the triumph over McDonogh, put Maryvale's Ziemba on alert, as well as an early-season tie with the Sailors at a pre-season playday at Mount Hebron.
"We tied and it was our hardest game," Ziemba said.
The Sailors continued to keep up the pressure in the second half, but another shot in the final four minutes by Jones was saved again by defender Stewart on the end line.
"This was a a big game," said Maryvale's Thaniel, whose squad remained unbeaten in the Gold Division of the Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference.
The Sailors (7-2-1) maintained their lead atop the Red Division.