PROVIDENCE – Camryn Bromage just couldn’t help herself, and that turned out to be the best thing for La Salle on this Saturday afternoon at Rhode Island College.
The junior midfielder had time to take a shot midway through the first half against Cumberland. That it was from all of 35 yards, or that coach Stephanie Goulet would have preferred a pass elsewhere, will ultimately just become details in a story they’ll remember for years to come.
Bromage managed to find the net and make the difference at Alumni Stadium as the Rams sealed back-to-back Division I titles with a 1-0 win over the Clippers under gray skies on Nov. 7.
“My coach was like, ‘Do not take that shot.’ It was a little far out,” Bromage said. “But I had the space, I had the opportunity and I just shot it.”
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Bromage took aim in the 15th minute after a tense start between a pair of familiar contenders. Her right-footed effort skipped at the top of the 6-yard box and found its way inside the right post, aided by turf still slick from the overnight rain. That moment allowed La Salle to flip what was its lone defeat of the season, a loss by the same score line against Cumberland at home.
“It’s a wet game,” Bromage said. “The field is slippery. It just so happened it went through.”
The Rams kept a 12th clean sheet of the season to bring this one home, with central defender Jill Handrahan claiming tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Grace Keenan was forced to make just two saves, and one of those came off a corner kick when Shea Maher tried to force one home with her chest in the 54th minute.
“I know a lot of the girls on their team,” Handrahan said. “I know how good they are. Going into it I was a little nervous.”
The Clippers nearly opened the scoring in the first minute. Paynter Maher’s cross off the right wing flashed across an open net, but Milana Izzo couldn’t get a touch on it to put it away. Cumberland didn’t force a save from Keenan before the break, with La Salle gradually taking control of the play as the half progressed.
“I feel like we brought the energy,” Handrahan said. “Everybody was just working so hard.”
The Rams (14-1-3) and Clippers (15-2-2) exploded for a combined 12 goals while dispatching North Kingstown and Mt. Hope, respectively, in the semifinals. This was a different sort of 80 minutes in the title round, and La Salle joined the Skippers among programs to finish off recent repeat titles at the top level. North Kingstown beat the Rams in 2021 and 2022 before La Salle returned the favor in 2025.
“It’s hard to win it two times in a row,” Bromage said. “I’m just so happy we were able to accomplish that for our seniors and for everybody.”
CUMBERLAND (0): No scoring.
LA SALLE (1): Camryn Bromage; assist – Lila Slagle.
Halftime – LS, 1-0. Saves – Francesca Stoothoff, C, 3; Grace Keenan, LS, 2.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: One daring shot was all La Salle needed to repeat as state soccer champs
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