Friday's showcase girls soccer game -- No. 1 Archbishop Spalding at No. 2 McDonogh -- lived up to its potential and more. It had everything: creative play on offense, tight marking on defense and some fine play from the goalies.

The visiting Cavaliers, defending Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champs, came away with a 1-0 win when midfielder Francesca Springer neatly placed a shot to the far post from a tough angle with five minutes to play.

It was a rematch of last year's title game -- a 2-0 Spalding win. While John Carroll, Mercy and some other quality IAAM foes would like to have a say, it would be no surprise to see the same two teams in this year's title game.

Just how big was Friday's game? A Direct TV blimp was hovering above for a few minutes in the first half.