BRADENTON, Fla. – Knowing only a win would send the side through to the Girls U18 championship game at the Super Y League North American Finals at IMG Academy on Sunday morning, Washington Spirit VA recognized an early goal was imperative against regional rival Northern Virginia Majestics.

A goal five minutes in by Nickelette Justice, the first of two on the game, and a standout performance by goalkeeper Ella Callahan paved the way to a 3-0 win for the Spirit, setting up a meeting with Midwest United on Tuesday for the title.

“It was essential,” said Spirit Coach George Hales on Justice’s early goal. “It was exactly what we talked about in our team meeting last night. If we got on the board first, we could hold everything off, so it was key.”

The early goal was met by a strong response by Northern Virginia, which threatened twice late in the first half to find an equalizer. Both times they were met by good saves from Callahan, whose positioning was solid throughout, and the Spirit goalkeeper continued to keep her side ahead early in the second half as she both made good saves, and also commanded her penalty area well.

“She was our goalkeeper on our U16 team last year that won the tournament, so we love to have her back,” said Hales. “She’s just a huge asset to the team.”

With the Majestics pushing forward greater numbers, it began to open up space for the Spirit, and Emma Nguyen took advantage midway through the second half of a miscommunication between a defender and the goalkeeper to slip in behind and finish into an empty net. Nguyen then began the move for the Spirits’ third a few minutes later as her well-weighted pass found Alice Walker’s run down the right, and Walker’s cross to the back post was met with a fine first-time finish by Justice to wrap up the victory.

Nguyen was consistently effective in helping develop attacks from her central midfield position, but gave credit to her teammates for making the right runs that would allow her passing vision to be put to its full use.

“It’s not just seeing the runs, but my teammates making them,” Nguyen said. “If they don’t make the runs, I can’t play it anywhere.”

A part of the side for the past three years, along with her sister Sarah, Nguyen’s understanding of Hales’ system has made her an invaluable part of the side.

“They have a good understanding of what we’re looking for,” Hales said of the Nguyen sisters. “Their understanding of the game as a whole is on another level, and that helps us, and that’s going to help whatever lucky college coach gets them, and that’s what’s going to help them bring it to the next level. They’ve got a humungous ceiling.”

The Spirit will now get the chance to overturn a 1-0 loss to Midwest United when the two sides meet in Tuesday’s final. Nguyen hit the post twice in that contest, and is hopeful she and her teammates can reverse the result of the first meeting.

“It would mean so much, because we lost to them and it was such a tough game,” Nguyen said. “It would mean so much to come back and beat them and come back stronger than last time.”