Stonington — It was an enviable position: winners of 14 straight games. A 2-0 record during the regular season against your conference tournament opponent in the semifinals. Ah, yes. Rainbows and lollipops for girls’ soccer at Stonington High.

Except …

“I do think that teams who come to play us want to be the one who beats us,” Stonington coach Jen Solomon was saying Tuesday after she finally exhaled, following a 2-0 win over fourth-seeded Ledyard, the No. 1 Bears’ 15th straight, that got them to the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I championship game Thursday night against No. 2 Woodstock Academy.

“There is a little bit of pressure, but it's also like the energy on the field from the opponent is at another level. And so the girls are handling each time they play and finding moments within the game.”

Their moment came late in the first half when goalkeeper Kelsea Anderson made the play of the game. Ledyard junior Maddie McLeod found herself alone on the doorstep, a few feet from Anderson and did not get cheated with her bid to give Ledyard the lead.

McLeod rifled one that sent Anderson sprawling to her right, making an outstanding save that kept the game scoreless.

“Adversity sometimes helps us become better,” Solomon said. “But at that moment, it showed that Kelsea is checked in. It was a great moment for us also because she hasn't been tested a lot this year.”

Moments later, Carleigh O’Keefe converted a penalty kick that gave the Bears (16-1) the only goal they’d need. Carly Constantine added an insurance goal with 24 minutes remaining.

“I was concerned at the chances they had (early),” Constantine said. “I think we have to communicate on those. Sometimes we don't communicate. But those scoring opportunities actually made us do better and be more aggressive.”

“A goal there from Maddie would have been a big moment,” Ledyard coach Emily Lehet said. “When they got their PK, you could see us deflate for a little bit and have to recover from that. But they battled to the end. I can't complain about anything.”

Ledyard (10-6-1) entered the Div. I tournament as the league’s defending Div. II champion. A program with a future.

“It's a pretty big difference between Div. I and II,” Lehet said. “It was a lot more of a battle to get here. Last year, I feel like we knew as soon as we started the second half of our division schedule that we were going to be in the tournament and we were pretty confident about the teams we were going to be playing. This is harder. But I think we're much more prepared for the states.”

And Lehet enters the states with much respect from a team with 15 straight wins.

“This actually makes us better going forward,” Solomon said. “Ledyard did a great job of disrupting our style today. But the girls found a way to adjust to that and find a way through.”

m.dimauro@theday.com