On a day dedicated to the seniors, it was a couple of underclassmen who stole the show from their older teammates, as the Carroll College soccer team edged the Westminster Griffins, 2-1 at Nelson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

After falling behind 1-0, Carroll sophomore Meghan O'Connell's goal tied things up at 1-all, before freshman Laura Maddock booted the game-winner.

The Saints' fifth successive victory lifts the Hilltoppers to the Frontier Conference lead, with a 12-4-1 overall record, and 3-1-1 in the conference.

The Griffins are 8-9-1, 3-2-1.

"There was a lot weighing on this game - sharing the conference championship, home-field advantage - and it was awesome to come back and win it," senior forward Hannah Young said.

Maddock broke the deadlock at the 81-minute mark, assisted by O'Connell, when she dribbled past one defender and shook the net with a shot past Griffins' keeper Dayna Winter-Nolte.

"Meghan gave me a nice ball, and when the keeper came out, I just slotted it past her to the corner," said the 6-foot-1 forward of her first-ever collegiate goal. A three-sport prep athlete from Bismarck, N.D., Maddock was the 2008 Gatorade West Region Player of Year, and a member of two state championship hockey teams.

The action Sunday was fast and furious, and downright chippy at times, with each team sustaining a yellow card.

"It was like a boxing match out there today. They were handing it out to us pretty good, but we were giving it right back," said Young, who along with O'Connell took numerous bone-jarring hits from the Westminster players.

The visitors got on the board first, on a goal by Corie Walch, in the 18th minute, assisted by Nicole Taylor. Walch's kick curved past a diving Katie Beall, CC's senior goalie.

In the second half, O'Connell received a corner kick from Abby Hoover, and knocked in a header to even the score in the 69th minute.

Young just barely missed on two scoring tries for the Saints, with Sophie Johnson, O'Connell, Rachael Lowe and Hoover also contributing decent attempts.

Kristine Sowers and Lauren Cacopardo were among the defensive stalwarts, while Beall made several crucial saves.

"We were struggling in the first half, but then we came out in the second half and played like the team that we can be. This is a good rivalry starting between these two teams," Beall said.

Carroll coach Dave Thorvislon agreed on the comeback. "It's hard to be down 1-0 and come back and get a win," Thorvilson said. "But we kept our patience, and that first goal by Meghan really lifted us back into it."

The Saints next travel to Great Falls on Saturday. A win over the Argos would secure the conference championship for the purple and gold, while a loss means a share of the title with Westminster.

After that, Carroll will host the five-team Dakota/Frontier Conference playoffs on Nov. 6-7.

Curt Synness: 449-2150 or curt52s@bresnan.net

Westminster 1 0 - 1

Carroll College 0 2 - 2

WCSL - Corie Walch, 18:00 (Nicole Taylor)

CC - Meghan O'Connell, 68:00 (Abby Coburn)

CC - Laura Maddock, 81:00 (O'Connell)

Shots on goal - WCSL 3, CC 7; Corner kicks - WCSL 0, CC 2; Saves - WCSL 5 (Dayna Winter-Nolte), CC 2 (Katie Beall); Yellow cards - WCSL, CC