Most Cinderella runs end in heartbreak, but the Community Christian School girls soccer team bucked the trend Saturday afternoon at J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex.

The Lady Cyclones won the first state championship in school history with a thrilling penalty-kick victory against Faith Christian of Rocky Mount.

The No. 8 seeded Lady Cyclones and No. 3 Faith were 1-1 after 80 minutes of regulation, twin 10-minute overtime periods and a pair of five-minute "golden goal" overtimes in the N.C. Independent School Athletic Association 1-A final.

But CCS (13-3) edged the Lady Patriots 4-3 on penalty kicks and avenged a 2-1 loss to Faith Christian (16-4-2) in The Brittany Willis Memorial Soccer Showcase at Gillette in March.

But even a round of penalty kicks weren't enough. Both teams converted three of their five attempts in the opening session to force a sudden-death round.

In the sudden-death PKs, Community Christian senior Jessica Daley fired high but kissed the ball off the underside of the crossbar into the net. Faith, the No. 3 seed, needed to convert to stay alive but Elisha Catt's shot off the crossbar wasn't as fortunate.

Catt's attempt caromed off CCS keeper Lindsey Baldridge's fingertips and off the underside of the bar back in front of the goal to send players, students and even a few parents rushing onto the field in celebration.

"There was a lot of pressure," Baldridge said. "I was praying the whole time."

Baldridge, in her first year of organized soccer, carries the perfect mindset for a penalty-kick situation.

"Lindsey did really well," praised CCS head coach Rhine Sharp. "She shows no emotion -- period. I knew she would handle it mentally."

Daley didn't hit the ball where she wanted, but the result was exactly what she was looking for.

"I was aiming for the left corner," she admitted. "I was just praying that it wouldn't get over that (cross)bar; it bounced in and I was relieved."

Perfectly placed or not, the goal put the weight of the world back on Faith.

"She didn't hit it where we practiced," Sharp said of Daley's shot. "But it was good enough and it sure put a lot of pressure on them."

Auburn Smith, Greysen Smith and Meredith Sharp converted shots in the opening PK round for the Lady Cyclones, as did Mary Kate Watson, Ariel Van Zant and Hannah Barnes for Faith.

Watson gave Faith the lead six minutes into the match on a long shot that skidded and trickled just inside the post.

Smith, the only CCS player named to the all-state team, answered with eight minutes left in the half on a beautifully placed free kick.

From then on, neither team produced a solid scoring opportunity until Watson broke free with just seconds left in the second 10-minute overtime.

Faith's top scorer blazed towards the goal after stealing the ball and Baldridge remained the only obstacle in the way of glory. Baldridge strayed too far from the goal, but recovered in time to make a smothering save to keep the Lady Cyclones' alive.

"I figured it was too late to go back to the goal, so I just decided to stay out there and give it everything I had," Baldridge said.

It was the most impressive of Baldridge's 11 saves on the afternoon. Katie Brandt stopped nine shots for the Lady Patriots. CCS held a 16-12 edge in shots.

Faith coach Harold Rackley wasn't upset that his team lost, but said it was taxing on everyone once a match reaches penalty kicks.

"I hate it when it comes down to penalty kicks because the pressure is just so great on the players," said Rackley. "I feel like we played good to hold it tight, but they outplayed us in regulation I thought."

CCS loses just two seniors in Daley and Auburn Smith, who was joined on the 1-A all-state team by Faith Christian's Watson and Kaitlin Blalock along with Azylnn Aycock of Greenfield.

Smith, the team's top scorer, said it was an experience no Lady Cyclone would forget.

"It feels great just playing with all these girls and knowing we played our hearts out," she said. "It's been awesome!"