Catonsville (13-1) won its 12th game in a row and the school's second Baltimore County championship when the No. 6 Comets defeated No. 15 Sparrows Point, 2-1, at Franklin on Wednesday night.
Catonsville sophomore Lenna Meyer wasted no time getting the Comets onto the scoreboard when she finished a pirouette in the right corner with a goal into the opposite corner for a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the contest.
Early in the second half, junior Jenn Nonn made it 2-0 on a penalty kick, for her 65th career goal and 19th of the season.
Sparrows Point's Alyssa Rasmussen cut the lead in half four minutes later after a pass from Carli Zellers, but the Comets held on down the stretch for their first county title since 2009.
The Pointers (10-3) had two quality chances to tie in the final 11 minutes, but a shot by Jamie Shiflet leaked wide and another by Lauren Spivey hit the far post and caromed back to keeper Lauren McDonald.
"I just kind of turned and the ball just happened to be there. It was a lucky one," said McDonald, a midfielder, who has filled in for starting keeper Natalie Croom (concussion) in five of the past six games. "I turned and thought it went in."
She wasn't the only defender who shined in an understudy role for the Comets.
Sophomore Lila Nazarian relieved starting sweeper Lauren Vogelpohl, who injured her leg with 18:32 left in the first half, and did a fine job holding the lead with wingbacks Anna Higdon and Carly Toulan and stopper Katie Viets.
"We start 11 quality players and we have a quality bench, and that is a rarity for a high school team," Catonsville coach James Fitzpatrick said. "We have a lot of people who can play a lot of different places."
Fitzpatrick moved striker Renee Gast to stopper for the final 7:30 and the Pointers never got another scoring chance, but they certainly made an impression on the Comets coach.
"I thought Sparrows Point was the best side we saw all year," Fitzpatrick said. "They gave us fits both times we played them. They don't give up."
The Comets attack and midfielders Ali Dingle, Deanna Eveland and Kelsey Scott gave the Pointers fits in the first 15 minutes of the game and set up scoring chances for Nonn and Gast.
The Pointers stepped up the intensity midway through the half and had a shot by Brooke Peterson that McDonald corralled.
A corner by Higdon led to a shot on goal by Nonn that was rejected on the end line by defender Barb Foster with nine minutes left.
With 5:55 left in the half, Sparrows Point had its best chance, but Shiflet's shot was saved by McDonald.
The Comets, who defeated the Pointers during the regular season, 3-2, set the tone early in the second half, and Nonn was rewarded for her hard work in the box with the penalty kick.