Salem, Va. – Before the first draw in the NCAA Division III Women’s final Sunday, Gettysburg midfielder Steph Colson’s mother told herself, “One down, one to go.”

Laura Colson spent the first part of Sunday in her hotel room watching her younger daughter, Lizzie, and the Maryland Terrapins win the Division I title in Boston.

By the start of the Division III final, she was anxious and prayerful. Steph Colson, a sophomore, had returned to the field only a few games ago after sitting out seven weeks with a concussion and whiplash.

“Just to have her between the lines at all is a prayer answered,” Laura Colson said. “We’re just trying to focus on the gratitude part of it.”

Two hours later, there was plenty more to be grateful for, as Gettysburg notched its second national championship in program history with a win over The College of New Jersey. Steph Colson was named tournament MVP on the strength of a two-goal performance Sunday, including the game-winner.

The Bullets’ 6-5 win avenged a regular season 7-6 loss to TCNJ, the most decorated club in Division III with a dozen NCAA championships in 19 finals appearances, the last win in 2006. Gettysburg’s previous title came in 2011.

The game matched two members of the 400-win club in TCNJ’s Sharon Pfluger (493) and Gettysburg’s Carole Cantele (401).

The Colsons are accustomed to working through logistics to see their daughters play. A third daughter, Allie, just finished her senior season at Messiah.

Sunday, Steph’s father, Harry, and one sister were in Boston to see sister Lizzie, a freshman, help fuel the Terps’ defense.

Her mother, grandfather and another sister and brother were at Kerr Stadium on the Roanoke College campus to see her play.

The game didn’t just divide family across several states. It also divided them by a few yards of artificial turf, and, in the stands, but just a few seats.

As senior Caroline Jaeger lined up to take the first draw for Gettysburg, about fifteen meters away her first cousin and close friend, sophomore Kathleen Jaeger, was lined up at attack for TCNJ.

In the stands, their fathers, Tom and Tim Jaeger, respectively, were separated by a handful of seats and one nephew who demarcated the family boundary by wearing a Gettysburg hat and a TCNJ t-shirt.

The families are close, often vacationing together.

“It’s kind of a tense rivalry,” said Tom Jaeger. “We try to put a happy face on.”

To further complicate it, Caroline’s older sister Ali played TCNJ, helping lead them to the semifinals in 2008 and 2011.

The brothers agree they each hope for their niece’s success – but they still want to win.

Sunday gave both dads something to brag on.

Caroline Jaeger scored with a right-handed low to high rip off a free position with 4:57 to go in the first half.

The Lions roared back after the break as their attack began to find seams in Gettysburg defense.

Kathleen Jaeger, the Lions’ leading scorer on the season, dodged and willed her way to the net for back-to-back unassisted goals to even the game at 4-4, and then put the Lions ahead by a goal 8:34 remaining.

“When she scored, I was like, well she’s just another player on the field with me and we’re in a competition right now, “ Caroline Jaeger said. “After the game I’m still going to congratulate her on a great game and a great season.”

The TCNJ defense – the stingiest in the country in Division III on goals allowed – found its footing and turned back repeated Gettysburg possessions with caused turnovers.

Gettysburg finally broke through less than a minute after Kathleen Jaeger’s second tally and knotted it at 5-5 when freshman midfielder Courtney Patterson found space on an inside roll and slid a shot past TCNJ goalie Miranda Chrone.

With three minutes to go, Colson, pulled in a clearing pass from Bullets goalie Shannon Keeler, streaked through the midfield and found herself with just a single defender on her. Colson blazed a right-handed shot past Chrome to put the Bullets ahead for good.

“I guess we knew we needed a goal,” Colson said, “and sometimes you’re running down the field and you get tunnel vision and you see one girl in front of you and you just have to take it.”

Gettysburg Junior Attacker Katie Willis snagged the subsequent draw control and the Bullets ran out the clock.

“Thank you, God,” Laura Colson said after the trophies, t-shirts and hats were distributed.

To have two daughters in two championships on the same day was more than enough to be thankful for. That they both won was almost too much to fathom.

“It’s unreal,” Steph Colson said. “My sister played amazing in her game and it’s just crazy that she’s a freshman playing at Maryland and we can both share this experience together and just celebrate.”

Laura Colson predicted some good-natured ribbing between the sisters about whose achievement was greater.

Other friendly rivalries ended Sunday.

TCNJ goalie Chrone, a former defender, didn’t step into the cage until her junior year at New Jersey’s Moorestown High School, where she began learning the position from Keeler. She entered the tournament leading all Division III goalies in goals against average at 3.19.

Keeler, a senior, played her last collegiate game Sunday, making several crucial saves to add to a 15-save performance in a semifinal win over Trinity the day before.

“She helped me so much,” Chrone said. “I can’t think her enough and I’m just happy for her and very glad she could win this since it’s not us.”

Kathleen Jaeger played her last game against cousin Caroline, a senior, in the final, ending a family competition that began when the two played for rival high schools, New Jersey’s Hunterdon Central and North Hunterdon.

“It’s always been a constant support system,” Kathleen said. “We’re always positive.”

“I’m always rooting for the Jaeger name, but of course we wanted the national title today,” Caroline said.

Talking about it all on the Jaeger family vacation won’t necessarily be easy.

“We’ll try to avoid the subject,” Kathleen said with a laugh.

“We all keep in mind it’s a game,” Tim said. “Everybody wants to win, but it’s a game, and family goes on.”