At game's end, the scoreboard at Tom Ryan field read 0-0, thanks perhaps to a scoreboard malfunction, which was a fitting tribute to an evenly-played game between Branson and rival Archie Williams. In fact, Branson came away the victor, 0-1, on a long throw-in by Brooke Wangenheim, with just five minutes to play, which was tipped in by Whitney Collet.

This win vaulted the team to second place in the league standings and to a high point of the season in the regional and statewide rankings. The Bulls and goalkeeper Patricia DePalma ran their streak to eight straight shutout wins and twenty-eight consecutive unanswered goals. 

The game was played in a driving rainstorm and on a drenched field which hindered crisp play. Branson enjoyed a slight positional advantage in the first half and an alert defense led by Caroline Deleon and Lena Sugrue parried numerous Peregrine Falcons rushes. In the second half, DePalma left her net for a sensational "sweeper-keeper" clear and the Bulls generated several scoring chances, set up by miscues between the Archie Williams defense and keeper, before the winning strike.

Photographer: Devon Johnson