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The scoreboard clock at Monday's Class 3A West Region girls soccer final between defending state champion Urbana and host Bethesda-Chevy Chase had stopped, but the official time was kept on the field, and the final whistle hadn't blown.
Barons coach Rob Kurtz nervously paced the sidelines through 4 long minutes of stoppage time. But it was worth the wait.
B-CC held on to a 2-1 victory, avenging a loss to Urbana in last year's regional final. Owyn Manson tied the game after the Hawks went ahead, and senior Hilary Goldman scored the game winner with about 10 minutes left to play.
"I'm so excited, I don't even know how excited I am," Kurtz said. "Any time you play Urbana, you're worried. We have a lot of respect for them. This is something you prepare for the whole season. I think it shows the character of our team."
The top-seeded Barons' fifth regional title in eight years lifted the spirits at B-CC after the boys team, also seeded first and defending last year's state championship, fell 1-0 to No. 3 Tuscarora in the first game of Monday's doubleheader.
The girls, looking for their first state title since 2004 and third overall, will play the winner between Towson and Hereford at North Point High School Saturday at 5 p.m. for a spot in the state championship game.
Monday marked the fifth regional tournament meeting between B-CC (15-0-0) and Urbana (8-5-1) in six years; the Barons closed the gap to 3-2 head-to-head with the victory.
After a scoreless first half, Urbana took a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute when junior midfielder Julie Ruhe darted up the middle to score her seventh goal in four postseason contests. It was just the fifth goal B-CC had allowed this fall and first since its 5-2 win over Poolesville Sept. 19.
But the Barons pressured Hawks senior goalie Caroline Browning all night, outshooting Urbana, 9-4. They finally reaped the benefits when Manson knocked in a pass from sophomore midfielder Alex Doll to even the score in the 66th minute.
Goldman then got the title-winning goal in the 74th minute, finishing a corner kick from Lesley Baseman.
"Rob and I have a long, painful history," Urbana coach Chuck Nichols said. "One of us is always crushed when the game is over. B-CC, top-to-bottom, is maybe the best-skilled team we face. You can either change what you're doing or try and survive their onslaught."
The B-CC boys (9-2-4) weren't as fortunate. Playing without starters Chris Woodruff, Adriel Cabello and Stephen Sawiki, who were red-carded for over-celebrating a goal in the teams' previous contest, the Barons played a lethargic first half.
Tuscarora (8-6-2) took advantage to go up 1-0 in the 31st minute, when Titans junior Warren Naylor scored his first-career goal. The Barons had their chances in the second half, outshooting Tuscarora, 7-2. But the Titans were content to pack it in and defend.
Senior Luis Mendoza lined up a great shot into the upper right corner in the 59th minute but Tuscarora senior goalie Mitch Kelman denied it.
"[Tuscarora] knows how to win," B-CC coach Sean Karns said. "They scored on a misclear. Normally if we take enough shots, one goes in. that's been the case. We'll be back, though."
