The Class 1A girls soccer championship Tuesday at UMBC was a clash of two programs in different places.

South Carroll, playing in their second state title in four years with a 17-year veteran coach and a young roster, faced Harford Tech, led by a first-year coach looking for the program’s first championship ever with a more experienced team.

In the end, veteran leadership and youthful exuberance prevailed and South Carroll scored a 3-0 victory, capping a dominant 18-1 campaign with hardware.

“We sort of thought about it early in the season, and then as it goes along, you don’t let yourself drift too far,” Cavaliers coach Andrew Issaco said after his team’s win, trophy on the table to his right and three players instrumental in the victory to his left. “We kept a mentality, and they’ll tell you, one game at a time, one game at a time, especially in the playoffs. It’s a special group of kids. We talked before the game about a legacy. And they’ve set a legacy. I don’t even know what to say. I’m rarely at a loss for words.”

The Cavaliers found the net first to take a lead less than three minutes into the game on a strike from Kenley Kalbaugh, whose 21 goals entering Tuesday led the team. They doubled the advantage early in the second half when Anna Santacroce scored on a corner, and that lead proved too steep for a struggling Harford Tech attack to climb back from.

Another Santacroce goal, on a Kalbaugh assist, with under four minutes to play put the finishing touches on South Carroll’s three-goal victory. Moments later, Santacroce and Kalbaugh and every other Cavalier was being handed medals and posing for photos.

The Cobras finished with just four shots on goal to South Carroll’s 10. But that’s typical for an opponent of the Cavaliers, who allowed just seven goals all season.

“We just continue to do what we’ve done from the start,” Kalbaugh said. “We found a way to get up early, and we just continue to do it. It really stunts the other team, and it puts us in a good spot for the rest of the game.”

Top-seeded South Carroll features few seniors and several freshmen contributors, making this run even more impressive. Three-seed Harford Tech (14-3-1) conversely features an older roster but less experienced coach. This is Mike Maloney’s debut season, and he led the Cobras to their first state final appearance since 2009. Their run has been similarly dominant, allowing just one goal in their previous seven games entering Tuesday.

It wasn’t enough against South Carroll, but the Cobras are confident this campaign was the start of something.

  • South Carroll celebrates their win over Harford Tech during the...
    South Carroll celebrates their win over Harford Tech during the Class 1A girls soccer state championship game at UMBC on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)

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South Carroll celebrates their win over Harford Tech during the Class 1A girls soccer state championship game at UMBC on Thursday. (Brian Krista/Staff)

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“We’re only losing three seniors, so if we fill those spots, we will be back,” said junior Alayna Weaver said, whose 17 goals this season were tied for the Harford Tech team lead.

“It gives us a lot of positives for the coming years,” Maloney added. “I think next year is going to be just as strong.”

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