أغر؟´«أ½

"It wasn't one of our better games and we got beat,'' sophomore forward Maddie DiMaria said when asked about the loss.

But the Chargers didn't dwell on the setback because they couldn't afford to do so. Saturday in the title game of the inaugural أغر؟´«أ½ High School Champions League at Maryville University, Cor Jesu bounced back strong with a 4-2 victory over Liberty.

In the win, DiMaria, the reigning Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year, had three goals and junior Macy Nicholson added the other as the Chargers improved to 8-1. Liberty is 9-3-1.

Cor Jesu swept Pool D of the tourney with victories over Fort Zumwalt South (8-1), Lindbergh (2-1) and St. Dominic (3-0) before getting by St. Joe's 2-1 in the semifinals. Liberty won Pool B with wins over Visitation (3-1) and Clayton (4-3) and a 3-3 tie against Oakville. In the semifinals, the Eagles beat Visitation 1-0.

Cor Jesu coach Rachel Brcic said Wednesday's loss had limited impact on Saturday's game.

"Nobody likes to lose, but we also didn't want to dwell on it,'' the coach said. "We knew today was an opportunity to bounce back and that's exactly what we did. I think the girls were pumped up about getting a chance to play for a championship and came out with something to prove."

Cor Jesu started strong and grabbed the lead midway through the opening half when DiMaria ran onto a Nicholson throw-in, pushed the ball past a defender and was taken down in the penalty area.

DiMaria's penalty kick slid under Liberty keeper Stella Zielinski for the 1-0 lead.

Cor Jesu nearly added to its lead when a corner kick from Charli Blomstrom glanced off the crossbar with about 14 minutes to play before halftime.

Liberty created some chances with its counter-attack in the first half and managed to pull even when a penalty kick was awarded with about 11 1/2 minutes to play before halftime. The Eagles' Madelynn Moyers converted to make it 1-1.

Cor Jesu finished the half strong, getting decent late chances from Blomstrom, who whistled a long-range shot over top of the goal, and Emma Shields, whose outside shot was pushed wide with a diving stop by Zielinski.

Cor Jesu took control early in the second half when Nicholson scored on a long-range free kick from the right wing. Up 2-1, the Chargers came on strong as Roz Doherty tested Zielinski with a low shot that required a kick save.

Seconds later, after getting a pass from Caitlin Kemp, DiMaria rang a shot off the goal post.

"That second goal took us out of the game mentally for a stretch there in the second half,'' Liberty coach Heidi Kleekamp said. "But fortunately, we were able to get our heads back into the game as the second half progressed."

Unfortunately for the Eagles, Cor Jesu's lead went to 3-1 midway through the second half after DiMaria made another strong run into the box and was again tripped up after being surrounded by defenders. Her second PK goal of the game gave the Chargers the two-goal advantage.

"Maddie goes and goes and goes. She only knows one speed,'' Brcic said.

The Chargers lead grew to 4-1 with just under 16 minutes to play when DiMaria completed her hat trick. After getting a pass from Shields, the talented sophomore made a strong run along the end line before slipping the ball into the net.

But Liberty, a team that starts six freshmen and two sophomores, never quit. The Eagles' McKenna Lucas shot wide after a nifty spin move with about 12 minutes to play and Liberty's Moyers had a shot blocked and deflected wide by Cor Jesu defender Nicholson with just under 10 minutes left.

With about 6 1/2 minutes to play, the Eagles got a goal back when Moyers knocked in a crossing pass from McKenna for the 4-2 final.

"We showed some heart, fighting until the end,'' Kleekamp said. "Just being part of an event like this is something to be proud of. I know there are tears and some heads hanging now, but these girls can be proud of what they accomplished. And hopefully this experience and this bitter taste is something we can draw on in the future."

After winning the Class 3 state title last year, Cor Jesu is competing in Class 4 this year. And Brcic is hopeful that challenging games like those her team faced in the Champions League will help prepare the Chargers for the hurdles ahead.

"It was great to see us bounce back from that first loss; I really liked the way we played today,'' she said. "We started strong, we controlled the ball and played a lot of good possession soccer."

DiMaria agreed: "Nobody likes to lose and we didn't feel that we played our best against St. Joe's. But we learned from that experience and played better today. Being the first team to win a Champions (League) title is special and hopefully that's something we can build on as this season moves on."

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