AFFTON • This soccer game was more than just another division match for the Kolping Kicks.

The U-18 girls select squad hosted the NSA Premier Fury out of Chicago at Lutheran South's Gornet Field on Saturday. It was a rematch of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship that was played in July in Phoenix, where the Fury won the national championship match 2-0.

Saturday was a regular-season meeting in the Midwest Regional League Premier Division, but it was a chance for redemption for Kolping Kicks, and the St. Louis-area girls came through with a measure of revenge in a 2-1 victory.

All the scoring took place in the first half. That left the Kolping Kicks shrinking back into a defensive posture throughout most of the second half.

The St. Louis team withstood the pressure, which included five corner kicks, with a stout back line. Maddie Friedmann, positioned as the center back, stifled several NSA Premier Fury runs.

Corinne Harris worked up the Fury's right side all game, using her speed to break into space on several occasions. In the 77th minute, when Harris stormed in from the right edge and was about to put a shot on goal from the 18, Friedmann slid in for a tackle to turn away another NSA Premier Fury opportunity.

"She's a very well-skilled player and has great feet and speed," Friedmann, a senior at Ursuline, said. "We marked up on her really tight and kept her from getting the ball, and when she does you have to get your head in there and make sure not to dive in and be strong over it."

NSA Premier Fury coach Rade Martinovic thought his team lost its motivation to attack after winning the title over the summer, and he said the girls have been caught up in declaring for various college programs. While there were possession opportunities, the Fury could not finish.

"Now motivation is completely not there," Martinovic said. "We had opportunities all the way through the game, but we don't have any more killing instinct."

There was no lack of motivation for Kolping Kicks. The victory let the team prove something to itself.

"It was such a proud moment," Friedmann said. "Your heart fell to pieces when you lost in nationals. Winning against them today proved we're just as good."

Erin McGauley, who assisted on the tying goal, scored the winner in the 40th minute when she attacked the back post and sent a glancing header into the net. Nicole Breece sent the ball into the box with a somersault throw-in.

McGauley, a senior at Cor Jesu, was not the intended target, but the Fury defense missed the clearance and McGauley was exactly where she needed to be.

"One of the players flicked it, it kind of bounced and luckily it kind of went in," McGauley said. "I could see it was going in so I crashed and ended up in the goal and the ball was there too."

McGauley set up the tying goal when she fed a ball ahead into space for Breece. Breece split two defenders and got an outstretched left toe on the ball to drive it into the net to tie the game at 1-1 in the 21st minute.

NSA Premier Fury jumped on the scoreboard less than two minutes into the match. Harris pushed the ball on a counter and worked it to Christina Ordonez. Kolping Kicks turned away the attack, but the clearance didn't travel outside of the zone.

Jessica Bronke ran onto the loose ball and sent a chip shot back into the box from 30 yards out. The ball carried and slipped under the crossbar and over the outstretched hands of Kolping Kicks goalkeeper Jessica Perry.

Perry wasn't asked to make many saves the rest of the match, but she did snag a ball off the foot of Harris early in the second half to maintain Kolping Kicks' lead.

"I think the wind made it dance a little bit," Kicks coach Tony Schmitt said of the Fury goal. "But you want to talk about showing a lot of character, Jess came back and made a huge save to keep us in the game, and that was as valuable as either of those goals.

"It's a big statement game for the league. After getting beat by that team twice at nationals, this meant a lot to the kids. This game doesn't mean a lot in the league if you don't take another step tomorrow."

Kolping Kicks (2-1-1) hosts FCX North Black, another Chicago-area team and a newcomer to the league, Sunday at Lutheran South, while NSA Premier Fury (2-2) faces St. Louis' Loe Fusz SC Premier at SLUH.