With about 3:30 left in the first half, the clock kept running -- which only happens when a team is up 10 goals or more. The goals kept coming from Apex, and the clock never stopped after a goal again as the Cougars won their fourth state championship in five years with a 24-3 blasting of Charlotte Myers Park.

After the teams traded the game's first six goals, Apex scored the final 21 straight.

"That's rare, but these girls wanted it so bad," Apex coach Jen Flaherty said.

The desire for perfection -- Apex finished the year 20-0 -- was born on a Wilmington field a year ago, when the Cougars fell in the first round of the state playoffs.

"I was one of the most upset ones after we lost, and I knew all offseason I was going to have to work for it," senior Katie Wagner said. "I wanted it really bad and I knew I just had to push myself to go out with a bang."

Apex had cruised through the regular season, with only one opponent able to stay within eight goals of them. But in the playoffs, some of those same teams had closed the gap. Myers Park, which lost to Apex 17-9 in the regular season, was not one of those teams.

The 24 goals were a single-game high for Apex this season.

"Since we lost last year, this has been such a goal of ours," championship game MVP Cawley Bromley said. "It was a huge statement year. After losing last year we said we were never losing again."

Myers Park won five of the game's first six draws, which helped the team score the game's first goal and even the score at 3-3 with 13:43 left in the first half.

But Bromley won nearly every faceoff the rest of the way, which allowed the Cougars to win possession time and time again until they ultimately scored. In those rare occasions where Bromley did not win the draw, the Cougars either forced a turnover or watched goalie Asia Moore come up with one of her six saves.

"We tried some different things but then I got quicker on the draw, my hand turning faster than her," Bromley said. "We just kept going. We kept our heads up and we pretended it was 0-0 coming back after halftime, so we kept charging."

Bromley had a say on every play for Apex, whether it was winning draw, scoring one of her three goals or handing out one of her seven assists. The senior, heading to Virginia Tech next year, is one of five Apex players signed to play in college next year.

Wagner scored a game-high six goals, followed by McLaughlin, Bromley, Kristi Marks, Katie Burnet and Sarah Gioconda each with three goals apiece. Beth Fellows added one goal and Casey Nesbitt had two.

Marks, who added two assists, went 47-0 her senior year as a starter on Apex's girls lacrosse and volleyball teams.

"The teams that I was on are just unbelievable. I trust every single girl on both of the teams. We're a family, both teams are a family and I don't even know what I'm going to do without them," Marks said. "I play a team sport for a reason. And these girls help me with everything -- on the field or off."

This year's seniors go out as three-time champions, adding to the dynasty that is Apex girls lacrosse. The program's strength can be seen on the sidelines, as Myers Park coach Sasha Vedock helped lead Apex to a title in 2008.

"I think it's going to keep going for next year and the years to come," McLaughlin said.