A clash of titans in the GA Champions Cup U17 final lived up to expectations in a five-goal thriller that delivered plenty of drama. In the end, STA ran out 3-2 winners, surviving a late comeback attempt by the Utah Celtic.

It took no time for the game to kick into action. Just five minutes in, STA forward Olivia Robinson won possession in the final third and dribbled around the keeper, only for Eden Jones to make a dramatic goal-line clearance. The Celtic would generate looks from Keira Bradley and Hannah Haimuli, who broke through on counterattacks only for their shots to be saved by Sienna Goldstein.

True to the form of a high-level game between two of the best in the country, it took a special individual moment to open the scoring. STA midfielder Brianna Concepcion found space in the midfield, driving forward for a counterattack before unleashing a left-footed rocket that sailed straight into the upper 90. That 34th-minute strike gave the New Jersey-based club a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Most expected the Celtic to come out on fire for the second half, motivated to find an equalizer, but it was actually STA who got the upper hand, scoring two quick-fire goals spurred on by Alexa Bowe. The first came as the attacking midfielder delivered a brilliant through ball for Winslow Rowley to finish 1-v-1 with the keeper. The second was all Bowe as she quickly turned and released an unexpected shot from outside the eighteen that stunned the defense.

Despite a 3-0 scoreline in the 55th minute, the match was far from over, particularly against a team with plenty of attacking flair and firepower.

Ellie Karl took matters into her own hands in the 60th minute, blasting a shot from 35+ yards into the upper 90. The Celtic rode that momentum to find a second 10 minutes later as Goldstein did well to save the initial shot off the crossbar, only for Haimuli to convert the rebound. 3-2 with 20 minutes to play, it seemed only a matter of when, not if, the Celtic would complete the comeback.

That is when the center-back duo of Ella Di Costanzo and Keala Cicchino stepped up to ice the game, winning one tackle after another, allowing Robinson, Bowe, and Concepcion to run down the clock in the attack. The closest the game came to an equalizer was when Addison Feldman had a free kick from just outside the 18, but the USYNT star was unable to repeat her feat from the semi-final as her well-struck attempt was saved by Goldstein.

The championship marks a heroic conclusion for an STA team that lost the national final last summer due to a heartbreaking last-minute goal. For the Celtic, it will have a chance at vengeance in the national playoffs.

Player of the Match: Alexa Bowe, STA

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