The path to Chantilly’s triumph over one of the most decorated teams in the Northeast was paved in a hotel lobby in Virginia Beach last spring. The Chargers were in town for a showcase, heading out for breakfast, when Coach Melissa Bibbee was stopped by a voice: “Hey, coach.”

It was Joe Brown, coach of Delaware powerhouse Padua Academy. The Pandas recruit top-level talent from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Bibbee said, and didn’t lose a game from 2015 to 2016. Padua frequently tests itself against the best competition in the region, and Brown asked whether Bibbee would be interested in taking her team on a road trip to play his. She was.

Chantilly and Padua entered Friday’s matchup with no losses. The score remained knotted at 0 after the first half, but in the second Chargers sophomore Aria Nagai broke through, and Chantilly hung on for a 1-0 victory.

“That was huge,” Bibbee said. “The girls knew what their record was. … Padua travels all over, and they don’t lose.”

Nagai, who Bibbee said is in the Japanese youth national team pool, created the goal by herself. She picked off a pass at midfield and started accelerating toward the goal. Dribbling for about three seconds, she beat one defender before ripping a right-footed shot from about 20 yards that sneaked in under the crossbar. The goalkeeper had no chance.

“Her change of speed goes from 0 to 100 in a half-second. She has the fastest change of pace I’ve seen in any kid,” Bibbee said.

The win provided a confidence boost for Chantilly as it returned to facing Virginia opponents. The Chargers picked up right where they left off with a 3-1 win over Centreville, led by stud midfielder Aleigh Gambone, on Tuesday. They’ll play No. 1 Madison on Friday, a rematch of the teams’ March 20 draw.

1. Madison (7-0-1) Last ranked: 1

After a sluggish first half, the Warhawks changed formations, and freshman Jordan Ramsey scored off a rebound to give the team a 1-0 win over Oakton.

2. Chantilly (7-0-1) LR: 2

Serena Pham, Gloria Ahn and Nicole Cohen scored to lift the Chargers past Centreville.

3. Yorktown (7-1) LR: 4

Lauren Flynn scored two goals, pushing her team-high total to 12, as the Patriots rolled to a 6-0 victory over South Lakes.

4. Briar Woods (6-0-1) LR: 6

Entering overtime knotted at 1 with Tuscarora, the Falcons got two goals from Abby Maltese and another from Katie Bjornsen for a 4-1 win.

5. W.T. Woodson (5-0-2) LR: 8

Megan Welther and Sydney Kulenguski scored to push the Cavaliers past Robinson, 2-0.

6. Patriot (8-0) LR: 9

The Pioneers blew past Colonial Forge and Osbourn with wins of 5-0 and 6-0.

7. Tuscarora (6-1-2) LR: 7

Dacheka Kolcum scored the lone goal in the Huskies’ loss to Briar Woods.

8. Oakton (5-3) LR: 3

The Cougars controlled possession in the first half against Madison before falling victim to an invigorated attack in the second half of a 1-0 loss.

9. Battlefield (7-1) LR: 5

A grueling stretch of three games in five days ended in a 5-0 defeat to Madison, a loss the Bobcats will look to move past Thursday against Patriot.

10. T.C. Williams (8-1) LR: 10

Three Titans scored two goals each as they cruised to an 8-0 romp over Mt. Vernon.

Dropped out: None

On the bubble: Hayfield