BEAR – Saint Mark’s, the second seed in the DIAA Division I girls soccer tournament, hung with No. 1 Caravel for more than 80 minutes when they met in the title game on June 1 at Caravel’s Bob Peoples Stadium. But the Buccaneers turned up the pressure in the final 20 minutes of regulation, and Maci Hood converted on a corner kick in the 83rd minute as the Bucs successfully defended their state championship.
This was the third time Saint Mark’s and Caravel met for the title since 2021. The teams split the first two, with the Bucs winning in 2021, and the Spartans returning the favor in 2022.
The teams met on April 3, a 2-1 Buccaneers win, but they spent some time feeling each other out in the title tilt. Neither team had much of an opportunity until Caravel keeper Taylor Fitzgerald stopped a 24-yard free kick by Saint Mark’s Lily Phillips. Spartans keeper Emma Gibbons made a few stops, and a Caravel goal was negated by an offside call in the 21st.
There were some chances as the half progressed, but nothing found the net. Whitney Evancho sent a shot off a defender and the crossbar for Saint Mark’s best shot, and a free kick by Hood was stuffed by Gibbons.
The Spartans nearly took the lead in the 53rd minute. Evancho caught up to a free ball behind the Bucs’ defense, but Fitzgerald threw up her left hand to rob Evancho of a goal.
Caravel recaptured the momentum midway through the second half, coming close on a few corner kicks and other opportunities. The game nearly ended on the final play of regulation when a Saint Mark’s shot was just wide right.
That sent the game into overtime, and the Buccaneers went on the offensive. They had a corner in the first minute of the extra sexxion, with the ball being knocked off the crossbar before Gibbons stopped a second chance. She had no shot on the game winner, however. With a mass of players in the 6-yard box, Hood was able to roll the ball to the front right post, a foot over the goal line, bringing the game to its conclusion.
Caravel finished with a 13-1-1 record. The Spartans closed at 13-3.
Photos by Mike Lang.
