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July 7, 2009, started out like any other day for 17-year-old Stephanie Minite.
The Good Counsel junior had just finished packing and was preparing to leave for Clemson (S.C.) University's girls volleyball camp. While waiting for her ride, Minite decided to hop in her Volkswagon Jetta and drive to the store to pick up a few snacks for the trip.
On her way back to her home off Muncaster Mill Road in Derwood, Minite's car was struck by a dump truck.
"I just made a left hand turn and got hit," Minite said. "It was such a quick reaction. You know how people say their life flashes before your eyes? I didn't even have time to have that happen. I was able to get out of the car, but then I passed out from the pain. It was just a black thing and then I woke up in the hospital."
Metro American Club and Falcons teammate Frankie Emanuele was supposed to drive to South Carolina with her later that day.
"The way I found out was horrible," Emanuele said. "My mom called me and she told me Stephanie got hit by a truck, and the phone disconnected. I thought she died. I don't even think Stephanie knows that. I was actually freaking out. But thankfully I found out she was okay."
Minite was lucky. She walked away from the accident with a severely broken radius bone in her wrist, but other than that, just a few bumps and bruises.
"Oh my gosh, my family still won't show me the pictures of the car," said Minite, whose parents were in Italy at the time of the accident and immediately flew home. "Apparently the backseat was in the front seat of my little Jetta. Thank goodness for seat belts."
The fractured wrist left Minite hospitalized for 15 days and with months of intense rehabilitation to follow. She was finally cleared to return to action in early October and eased her way gradually back into the lineup during the Falcons' run to their fourth straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.
Girls soccer
Falcons forward Jessica Daly scored the biggest goal of her career in the 94th minute of Sunday's WCAC final.
It gave Good Counsel a 1-0, double overtime win over three-time defending league champion St. John's (D.C.) at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, and its first title since 2001.
Field hockey
Senior co-captain Katie Slater converted an open shot off a penalty corner to give Holy Cross its second straight WCAC championship, a 1-0 sudden-death overtime victory over Good Counsel Saturday in College Park.
Boys soccer
Despite one of its best seasons in recent history, Good Counsel's season ended in a heartbreaking, 2-1 loss to Paul VI in the WCAC quarterfinals.
