In reaching its ultimate goal, well aware of how demanding it was and making more program history, Loyola Blakefield soccer had a championship game performance against stubborn Curley that well represented its special season.

In Sunday night’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title game, played in steady rain at packed UMBC Stadium, the No. 1 Dons took charge early and then impressively handled a sustained second-half push from the No. 2 Friars.

It wasn’t until sophomore Brody Good, parked at the far post, headed home Joel Romero’s corner kick with 3:38 to play that the Dons could finally feel comfortable. A 2-0 win was soon completed for a successful defense of its conference crown.

All-Metro senior forward Sammie Walker scored what turned out to be the game-winner with 12:54 to play in the first half and an incredible effort on defense kept the ball out during Curley’s relentless work throughout much of the second half.

The 2024 Dons, following up on last year’s 14-0-4 campaign, are the first in program history to repeat as champions, finishing with a 14-2-2 mark. It’s Loyola’s fifth conference title.

“Repeating was definitely 10 times harder than we thought it was going to be, but we fought through it all and had the team to do it,” said Walker, a West Virginia commit.

He later added: “We found out how hard we could work and how much it would take and we were definitely up for the challenge all season.”

Picking up from its 4-1 win over Mount Saint Joseph in the semifinal round, the Dons started to persistently attack 10 minutes into play. They finally were rewarded when Walker took a square pass from Diego Hernandez and quickly turning, found the right corner from 16 yards for a 1-0 lead with 12:54 left in the first half.

At the halftime break, Curley coach Barry Stitz urged his Friars to give more — everything they had left — and they responded from the second-half opening whistle.

For much of the 30 minutes that followed, Curley sent ball after ball in front of the Dons’ goal, but nothing got past senior goalie Drew Mattingly, who made five saves and got tireless help from a back line led by senior Ryan Andrews. The Friars’ best sequence in an effort to tie the game came midway through the half when Landon Beckman found Casey Price, whose shot was deflected out of bounds.

The ensuing corner kick lingered in the middle before a shot was cleared off the line.

With 5:40 to play, Nick Lentz sent a free kick from midfield in front that Mattingly got to just before Friars forward Jack Comey. In addition to Mattingly and Andrews, Michael Leming, Michelangelo Parravano and Hernandez were part of the defensive front.

Minutes later, Good provided relief for the Dons with his insurance goal.

“We’re the first team in Loyola history to [repeat as champions] and I’m really proud of all my guys,” said Andrews, a captain and the lone starter who returned on defense. “Our back line, for 20 minutes at the end of the game, we were defending — header after header — I’m just so proud of them. It was stressful, but I knew if we worked like we know we can as a unit, we would do it. There was no question.”

With exceedingly high expectations going into the season and their third coach, Geaton Caltabiano, in as many years, the Dons rolled early. They opened 8-0-1 to extend their unbeaten streak to 27 games before McDonogh ended it with a 1-0 win on Oct. 8. Soon after came a stunning 1-0 loss to last-place Concordia Prep. They handled Curley, 6-1, early in the season and then tied the Friars, 2-2, in the teams’ second regular-season meeting.

Playoff time, the Dons experience and togetherness returned front and center with a 4-1 semifinal win over Mount Saint Joseph setting up the title game showing.

“It was a lot of pressure from Day 1, a lot of expectations,” said Caltabiano, who also won a MIAA A Conference championship as a player for Mount Saint Joseph. “Then we had a couple of dips during the season and some people wanted to write us off and I give this group a lot of credit. After we lost to Concordia … we really came together as a team, we showed our character and responded really well. Things could have gone the wrong way, but good teams, championship teams stick together.”

Curley, seeking the program’s fourth championship and first since 2006, had a fine season on the cusp of a great one had the ball bounced their way on UMBC’s soggy field. After knocking off McDonogh in penalty kicks in an epic semifinal, the Friars (17-3-2) did all they could in a second half filled with character.

“In the second half, what else can you ask from a group of players? They played so hard,” Stitz said. “At one point, I think we outshot them 6-0 for the most part and then we gave up a late one on a set piece which was unfortunate. But we were banging on the door and it was just a great effort from the guys. It was a great season, great senior leadership and nothing to hang our heads about with that effort. Loyola is a very good team and they deserved to win.”

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