The Falcons had just defeated St. John’s, 4-3, in the second of two sudden-death overtime periods. The final goal could not have been scripted any better: Senior Laila Falcon played a dangerous ball into the box, where it was sent home by her younger sister, freshman Giselle Falcon, to give Good Counsel its 14th WCAC title and first since 2019.

After the ball hit the back of the net, Giselle spread her arms wide and let those wings carry her into her delirious teammates.

“I love these type of games,” Bruno said. “The girls kept their poise, and they finished.”

Entering extra time, it seemed momentum belonged to the Cadets after St. John’s senior Meryl Docking tied the game at 3 with four minutes remaining in regulation. But the Falcons maintained an aggressive approach in overtime, spending their last reserves of energy to create one chance after another.

“Golden goal, last game of the season — there was no reason not to leave everything we had out on that field,” senior midfielder Olivia Benzing said.

The Heights flips the script on Gonzaga to win WCAC boys’ soccer title

Good Counsel (18-1-2) laid some of the groundwork for this victory in mid-October, when it defeated the Cadets, 3-0, in the regular season. That snapped a 29-game unbeaten streak for St. John’s (10-2-3) and gave the Falcons confidence they could halt the Cadets’ run of two straight conference titles.

“We felt like we played great in the second half of that match, so coming into this game we were just hoping to do that,” Giselle Falcon said. “It gave us a blueprint.”

The teams combined for four goals in a frenetic first half in which the Falcons peppered the Cadets’ goal with shots and the Cadets took advantage of a few high-quality scoring opportunities. St. John’s junior Kailyn Effah started the game with a bang, putting her team up 1-0 with a stunning goal from distance. Good Counsel responded less than a minute later, with sophomore Morgan Shannon scoring off a corner.

Benzing gave Good Counsel a 2-1 lead in the 10th minute, splitting a pair of defenders and beating the goalkeeper with a left-footed strike. But the Cadets responded in the 28th, with junior Catherine Webster heading in a goal on a well-executed corner kick.

“I think this group will be remembered for its determination,” Benzing said. “There wasn’t a single game this season where we got down and gave up. That’s all about our connection. In my four years here, this team is the most connected on a personal level. That helps a lot.”