ROSWELL -- Joshua Trieste believes it took his team about 20 minutes to get into a rhythm in the GHSA Class A championship game a year ago.

The FPD head coach watched his team recover and eventually win the school’s first state championship in the GHSA.

The team had no such butterflies Saturday in its second appearance in a state championship game.

Kim Caitlin Alderman scored in the 34th minute and goalkeeper Claire Crawford made a pair of lead-preserving saves as the Vikings (21-1) beat Fellowship Christian 1-0 to win their second consecutive state championship.

“I think we’ve raised our game to another level,” Alderman said. “We’ve raised the bar here.”

FPD won only one championship during its time in the GISA, but the Vikings beat another former GISA school in Fellowship Christian to end the school’s athletic year with a championship for the second straight time.

“We came out and played great from the start,” Trieste said. “We controlled possession the entire game. They really played a great game.”

FPD pressured its opponent from the very start of the action, sending shots wide and high of the Paladins’ keeper. Playing on field turf for the second time this season, the Vikings didn’t need to make many adjustments on the Paladins’ home field.

With less than seven minutes to play in the first half, Alderman fired a shot from 30 yards out to beat the Fellowship Christian keeper for the game’s lone goal.

“I wasn’t sure when I hit it,” Alderman said. “I was hoping it was good, but I just wasn’t sure. It was a pretty great feeling when it hit back of the net.”

The Vikings held a lead in last year’s championship game before Paideia came back and tied the game late. FPD had to come from behind Wednesday to tie Holy Innocents’ and then eventually won in penalty kicks.

There were no dramatics against the Paladins.

The Vikings continued to pressure their opponents, although the Paladins did break through with two good scoring opportunities.

About halfway through the first half, Fellowship Christian broke away with a wide open opportunity against Crawford. The Vikings’ junior keeper lunged to make the save and keep the game scoreless.

“I can rely on my defense most of the time, and they stop just about everything,” Crawford said. “If someone does get by, I’ll try to do what I have to do. I think making a big stop like that early gets me and my team going.”

The Paladins (13-3-2) had an even better look in the second half, when one of their strikers had a free run with a good angle against Crawford. She dived and made the save once again, this time preserving the Vikings’ one-goal lead with less than seven minutes to play in the game.

“I try to tell everybody she is one of the best goalkeepers in the state, but people don’t believe me because she doesn’t face many shots,” Trieste said. “She was in full form (Saturday). Maybe people will start to talk about her now. She played great.”