After a disappointing second-place finish in a conference tournament, the Bishop O’Connell Knights bounced back.

The high school girls team and second seed finished its season by winning the four-team Northern Virginia Independent Schools State Invitational with a 2-0 record.

O’Connell (16-2-3) shut out top seed and host Catholic Panthers of Saint Paul VI3-0, in the title match on November 7. In the semifinals at O’Connell, the Knights blanked the No. 3 seed and defending champion Potomac School Panthers, 2-0.

The state title was O’Connell’s third overall, all in the last four years, since the competition began in 2017. The Knights were second last fall.

Just before the state tournament, O’Connell lost 1-0 to Paul VI in the championship match of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC).

“We did a better job of passing and moving than we did in the WCAC final,” O’Connell coach Albreto Starace said. “We were depressed after this defeat. So it’s a good way to end our season. We beat two good teams to win state.

Starace credited Paul VI for having a good defensive strategy in the WCAC final, clogging up the middle of the field and not allowing sophomore midfielder Audrey McKeen to score. McKeen finished the season with a school record 37 goals in a single season and was chosen WCAC Player of the Year.

McKeen was moved from midfield to left wing on offense and broke through in the state final, scoring on a second-half penalty shot and assisting on a Molly Kinsella goal earlier in that half-time. McKeen also had a few more shots on goal.

“Audrey is a special player and a gifted athlete, and she played some great balls in the (state) final,” Starace said.

Molly Clark dribbled past a defender then scored on a cross-court shot to give O’Connell a 1-0 halftime lead. Clark has scored 15 goals this season and Kinsella 14.

Paul VI had few chances to score in the national final. “Our defense has been solid all season,” Starace said.

Bridget Prophett, Meeghan Zonavetch, Ryana Dill, Alex Carter, Emmy Hart, Rachael Zonavetch, Molly Kinsella, Mary Boniface, Annelise Baldwin, Alex DuRoss, Arden McEldowney, Sadie Smith, Emmy Hart and Lyla Kelly were defenders in front of goalies Izzy Gorkowski and Mia Morrill.

The Knights posted 13 shutouts this fall and allowed just 11 goals, scoring 85. One of those shutouts was 5-0 against Paul VI in the only regular season game between the Catholic school rivals.

In the Potomac school’s 2-0 shutout in the state semifinal game, McKeen scored on a hard shot in front that deflected off the goalie’s hands for a 1-0 lead, then Clark scored on a cross pass from Boniface.

Seniors Jessica Knisley, Mia Kucey and Nora Bruen also contributed to O’Connell this season.

While the WCAC and Independent School League play girls soccer in the fall, other independent school leagues and Virginia public schools compete in the spring.

REMARKS : Starace has coached O’Connell for 39 seasons and has 542 wins with the Knights. His teams have appeared in 24 WCAC tournament finals, with 10 championships. He also won 129 games as head coach at Madison High School in Vienna years ago, giving him 671 career wins as a high school coach. . . McKeen scored 23 goals as a freshman, giving him 60 in two seasons.