The three-mile runs during Saturday practices are starting to pay off for the Arundel High School girls soccer team.

The Wildcats played the final 31 minutes -- including two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods -- down a player but sophomore forward Lexa Stevenson notched the equalizer with 59 seconds left in regulation and Arundel salvaged a 1-1 tie at South River in a meeting of the top two teams in Anne Arundel County on Tuesday.

Arundel and South River, ranked No. 6 and No. 10 in the latest DigitalSports Top 20 poll, entered the contest with undefeated county records. If each team wins its remaining two games, they will meet again in the county championship Wednesday, Oct. 22 at North County High School.

"These girls work hard in practice," said Arundel coach Laura Coe, whose team is now 10-1-1 overall, 8-0-1 in the county. "There's one day a week when they don't even touch a ball. There's Saturday mornings with three-mile runs. The girls know that their work ethic in practice carries over to the game and it did tonight."

Senior Christine Flanagan scored for the Seahawks (9-1-2, 7-0-1) in the 16th minute after her initial shot was blocked. Flanagan, the team's leading scorer, had a constant presence inside Arundel's penalty box but the goalkeepers in the match decided its outcome.

"We always play better knowing Lyndse (Hokanson) is in goal," said South River coach John Sis, whose team has surrendered only seven goals this season, which is tops in the county.

"Our defense did well, too. Colleen Crowley did a great job, Laria Rogers and Danielle Piccirilli also did well. We knew they had speed and we took notice of that. They didn't beat us over the top and they didn't beat us on a through ball, it came on a throw-in."

Stevenson said the Wildcats, the county's highest-scoring team, have been dangerous every time they've been awarded a throw-in inside 30 yards of the opposing goal.

"Our throw-in girl (Alise Lecompte) is the best throw-in girl in the county," Stevenson said. "It's pretty much like a corner for us.

"(On the goal) I just waited because I knew someone was going to get a head on it and I just stood there until it came. No one was on me so I shot it and it went in."

The scoreboard timer stopped at two minutes as the official time is kept on the field by the head referee. Stevenson's late goal added life to the Arundel bench and the Wildcats took the momentum into overtime. Despite being under-manned, Arundel held its own after regulation as both teams had opportunities for the golden goal.

On a South River corner kick, a shot from senior forward Haley Paskalides in the second extra period hit the upright and Arundel junior forward Francisca Okoko threatened the Seahawks' goal several times.

Hokanson (nine saves) came off her line in critical situations and made several point-blank saves. Junior Ariel Ross, the Wildcats' goalkeeper, was just as exceptional with seven saves.

A Lecompte shot with 28 minutes left in the second half was initially blocked by Hokanson and then bounced off the South River post.

"We're happy to come away with a draw," said Sis, whose dropped its first game of the season Monday in a out-of-conference match against No. 5 Archbishop Spalding, 2-0. "We could have easily given up and surrendered a goal in overtime."

Arundel (10-1-1)        0    1    0    0    -    1
South River (9-1-2)    1    0    0    0    -    1
GOALS: SR - Flanagan; AR - Stevenson. ASSISTS: SR - Larel Rogers. SAVES: AR - Ross 7; SR - Hokanson. CORNER KICKS: AR - 5; SR - 6.