Cumberland has seen plenty of “Lincoln” on the other side of the field this fall: three meetings with the neighboring Lions and three with the Lincoln School Lynx of Providence. Those familiar names have carried some of the biggest moments of the Clippers’ season.

Now, one more Lincoln stands between Cumberland and a championship.

Annie Collins scored twice, including the winner in double overtime, as Cumberland defeated Lincoln School 3–2 in the Division II semifinals Thursday, October 29, at La Salle Academy. The victory sends the Clippers back to the final after getting past the program that ended their championship bid a year ago.

Collins supplied the first goal of the night and eventually the last.

Cumberland’s recent championship history gives those familiar names added weight. Lincoln High edged the Clippers 2–1 in overtime in the 2024 Division II final. Lincoln School won last year’s championship meeting 1–0. Two trips to the final. Two one-goal losses. Each time, a team with Lincoln in its name stood between Cumberland and the trophy.

Now the Clippers have earned a third consecutive trip to the final, with another opportunity to change the ending.

This season’s series with Lincoln School had already shown how little separated them. Cumberland won 2–1 on September 2 before the Lynx answered on September 28 with a 3–2 win, scoring with just seven seconds left in overtime. Thursday brought their third meeting, against the defending champion, with a place in the final at stake.

This time, Cumberland found the finish.

That followed another breakthrough against Lincoln High. The neighbors were tied in the standings before their first meeting and again before their last regular-season matchup. Their first two games ended in draws, 1–1 and then 2–2. On October 19, the Clippers finally broke through with a 6–2 win, converting their opportunities early and responding when the Lions pushed back.

Lincoln has since earned its own place in the final with a 2–1 semifinal win over South Kingstown. Two draws with Cumberland are a reminder of how closely these teams can compete. The Lions will arrive with a championship opportunity, too.

My football coach, Frank Ianetta, once told our team, “Luck is created when preparation meets opportunity.” It is a lesson that fits the way these Clippers have kept responding.

On any given Sunday, anything can happen. Cumberland has kept doing the work, finding the answers and earning the next opportunity—the kind of championship character that has put a title within reach.

Cumberland and Lincoln are scheduled to meet for the Division II championship Sunday, November 1, at 3 p.m. at Bayside Field at Roger Williams University in Bristol.

One more Lincoln. One more opportunity to finish the job.