Player of the Year
Emma Penczek, Manchester Valley, senior, midfielder
Some day, when Manchester Valley midfielder Emma Penczek looks back on one of the most storied high school careers in state history, she’ll think about the championships she helped win and the records she shattered. But those accomplishments will take a backseat to something a bit less tangible, though more important in her eyes.
“All the accolades and accomplishments are amazing, but I think the best thing that has happened to me in my four years of high school is the amount of friendships that I’ve built with a variety of people,” Penczek said. “Those friendships have truly made an impact on my life, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”
The Clemson commit also wouldn’t change the results of her unparalleled senior season, in which she racked up 89 goals, 56 assists, 124 draw controls and 39 caused turnovers, capped by a four-goal, four-assist performance in a 17-9 win over Glenelg in the Class 2A state title game. All told, her top-ranked Mavericks finished 19-0, outscoring opponents 354-62 to earn a No. 4 national ranking, and No. 1 among public schools, by USA Lacrosse.
The perfect season capped a career in which Penczek broke the Carroll County record for goals (329), eclipsing the 307 scored by former Century star Katie Schwartzmann, who went on to become a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner at Maryland in 2012 and 2013. Penczek also shattered school records for career points (487), assists (158) and draw controls (437) while winning a pair of state titles along the way.
Now, the 18-year-old is set to begin her college career at Clemson, departing for the summer semester this month. She plans to major in sports communications while playing for a team that’s become a burgeoning national power after only its third year of competition in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Still, she said there always will be something special about her senior year at Manchester Valley.
“It was so surreal. This team was so special,” she said. “This senior class … we all grew up together playing rec lacrosse. Being able to go out with an undefeated season and winning the state championship with this group of girls was so amazing. I couldn’t picture a better way to end.”
Coach of the Year
Brian Reese, Maryvale Prep
In his fourth year at the helm, Reese led Maryvale Prep back to prominence as a lacrosse powerhouse, helping the Lions overcome a few midseason hiccups to capture their first Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title since 2002 and rank as high as No. 3 in the country.
To get there, the Lions first had to figure out a way to overcome consecutive one-goal regular-season losses to McDonogh and Spalding. After some late-season introspection, Maryvale Prep tightened up its game and did its best work in the A Conference playoffs, first rallying from a 6-2 deficit to score a 9-8 overtime win against McDonogh in the IAAM semifinals, then roaring back from a 4-2 deficit to topple Spalding, 7-5, in the final.
“I think we learned a lot about ourselves in those [losses], and were able to fix some deficiencies and play a lot better in the playoffs,” Reese said.
The 1998 Maryland graduate and former All-America defenseman has been a driving force since coming to Maryvale Prep from Glenelg Country, where in 2017 he was named The Baltimore Sun’s co-Coach of the Year.
In the seven seasons before Reese took over, Maryvale Prep regularly languished in the bottom half of the A Conference standings, averaging three wins a year against league opponents. Since then, it has averaged 9.5 wins in conference and has 22 underclassmen set to return next season, including his All-Metro daughter, Cayden.
“We’re built to last,” he said. “It’s not a flash-in-the-pan type of thing or catching lightning in a bottle.”
Success is nothing new to Reese, who was also Major League Lacrosse’s coach of the year in 2009 with the Denver Outlaws, and was part of his wife Cathy Reese’s coaching staff when the Terps won a national title in 2010. Still, he said this season will always be a memorable one.
“It’s special for our girls because it’s something they haven’t done before, but I think they’ve always wanted to do,” Reese said. “They helped put Maryvale back on the map.”
First team
Brynn Bartlett, Howard, junior, midfielder
The three-year starter and UMBC commit was the definition of an impact player for the Lions, racking up 64 goals, 45 assists, 114 draw controls and 25 caused turnovers. She already has the 10th-most points in county history.
Maria Bragg, Severna Park, junior, midfielder
In her third year as a starter, the Florida commit was dominant all over the field, finishing with 37 goals and 16 assists to go along with 33 caused turnovers and 94 draw controls for the Class 3A state finalists.
Mckenzie Brown, McDonogh, senior, defender
This Northwestern-bound lockdown defender was also the Eagles’ biggest spark in transition. Aside from causing 17 turnovers and scooping 17 ground balls, Brown’s speed sparked several fast breaks for a team ranked near the top of the national rankings.
Jenna Cratin, Marriotts Ridge, sophomore, midfielder
This sophomore’s speed, uncanny explosiveness and consistent ability to make defenders pay helped lead the Mustangs to the Class 3A state championship. She finished with 56 goals and 27 assists to go along with 98 ground balls, 78 draw controls and 17 caused turnovers.
Ella Davis, Spalding, junior, goalie
The left-handed Virginia commit allowed just 6.3 goals per game against IAAM A Conference competition, frequently coming out of the cage to break up scoring chances and leading the Cavaliers to five one-goal wins, including two in the playoffs.
Sofia Herrera, St. Paul’s, senior, defender
The leader of a defense that held opponents to six goals or fewer nine times, this Maryland commit racked up 24 ground balls and caused seven turnovers while marking the opponent’s top threat. She also used her standout speed to spark the Gators’ transition game.
Kit Laake, McDonogh, junior, defender
The Maryland commit dominated defensively for IAAM A Conference regular-season champs, causing 25 turnovers and scooping 31 ground balls while always taking on the opponent’s top offensive threat. She is ranked as the nation’s top junior defender by Inside Lacrosse.
Nora Lopes, Broadneck, junior, midfielder
The Louisville-bound midfielder dominated at both ends of the field, finishing with 69 goals and 12 assists in leading the Bruins to their fifth straight Class 4A state title. Her standout speed made her a constant threat in transition.
Leah Miller, South Carroll, senior, midfielder
The Maryland commit did it all for the Class 1A state champions, finishing with 86 goals and 14 assists while winning 97 draw controls, scooping 41 ground balls and forcing 17 turnovers. Despite constant face guards, she scored at least five goals in nine games.
Emma Mohn, Maryvale Prep, junior, attacker
The Yale commit was a standout dodger and shooter who paired with Cayden Reese up front to lead the Lions to their first IAAM A Conference title in 23 years. She finished with 40 goals and 10 assists against the area’s toughest competition.
Cayden Reese, Maryvale Prep, junior, attacker
Despite facing constant face guards and double teams, the Maryland commit led the IAAM A Conference champions with 38 goals, 24 assists and 70 draw controls, frequently drawing in defenders and setting up goals with early passes.
Kayleigh White, Glenelg, senior, midfielder
The Howard County Player of the Year and High Point commit finished with 71 goals and 21 assists, connecting on an impressive 74% of her shots. The three-year starter also had 108 ground balls and caused 14 turnovers.
Second team
Sophie Baer, Manchester Valley, senior, defender
June Barber, Towson, senior, attacker
Tessa DeLuca, Maryvale Prep, senior, goalie
Paige Feick, Bel Air, senior, midfielder
Taylor Fique, Manchester Valley, sophomore, midfielder
Ava Fossati, McDonogh, junior, attacker
Caroline Hoskins, St. Paul’s, senior, midfielder
Erin Hussey, Severna Park, senior, midfielder
Kaitlyn Magdar, Mt. Hebron, senior, midfielder
Sienna Miller, Broadneck, senior, attacker
Ella Jane Ostrowski, Spalding, junior, attacker
Molly Robison, Broadneck, sophomore, goalie
Avery Saviano, Severna Park, senior, defender
Final Top 15 poll
Rank, team, record
1. Manchester Valley (19-0)
2. Maryvale Prep (13-5)
3. Spalding (12-5)
4. McDonogh (14-3)
5. St. Paul’s (12-4)
6. Broadneck (17-3)
7. Marriotts Ridge (15-4-1)
8. Severna Park (18-3)
9. Notre Dame Prep (10-7)
10. South Carroll (16-3)
11. Glenelg (16-4)
12. Towson (13-3)
13. South River (9-4-1)
14. Severn (8-7)
15. Mount de Sales (9-6)
Others considered: Century (12-5), John Carroll (6-8), Liberty (11-5), Mercy (12-2), St. Mary’s (10-9)
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]]>The Bruins then showed it.
After going the first 11 minutes without a goal, No. 7 Boadneck flipped a switch, tightening its defense, winning draws and scoring eight of the next nine goals in an 8-6 win that gave the Anne Arundel County power its fifth straight state title at Stevenson University.
“We just kind of pulled it together,” sophomore Ceci Facciponti said. “We talked to each other and we were like, ‘Let’s go, we can do this.’ It was just about believing it.”
“These girls are just resilient,” coach Katy Kelley said. “Lacrosse is a game like basketball; 4-0 is really not anything to worry about in the first quarter. Last quarter down four, maybe. We said we were going to play quarter to quarter, and we went out in the second quarter and played like Broadneck.”
Facciponti finished with three goals and an assist to go along with two goals each by junior Nora Lopes and senior Savannah Libby, a pair of assists by senior Raleigh Kerst and a goal and assist from junior Anne Claire Tilghman.
The result was particularly emotional for Kelley, who announced after the game that she was stepping down as coach.
“It’s my last one,” Kelley said. “I knew it coming in.”
The legacy she leaves will be hard for any successor to match.
Broadneck (17-3), ranked No. 11 in the nation among public schools by USA Lacrosse, has claimed Class 4A crowns each of the past five years, the most consecutive titles a girls lacrosse team has won in any class since Mt. Hebron reeled off a state-record 11 straight from 1997 to 2007. And at least one team from Anne Arundel County has won a state title for seven straight seasons.
Seniors said they never could’ve expected this level of success when they first entered the program.
“I knew coming into this program that we had a great coach, we had great players,” senior Sienna Miller said. “It’s just a great program, and I‘m just so lucky to be a part of it.”
On Thursday, it just took a little while to show it.
Urbana (14-4-1) started quickly in this one, taking an early 4-0 lead after the first 6:58 with two goals each from Colby Johnson and Cora Betten. Broadneck several times hurt its own cause during the stretch with offensive turnovers, failed clears and a costly yellow card on a dangerous propel by Facciponti, the team’s draw specialist.
The Bruins, however, quickly got back into it, using a pair of low-angle free position goals by Facciponti to cut the lead to one, then pulling even when Kerst found Lopes with 3:22 left in the half.
“We did what we had hoped from the get-go. We came out on fire,” Urbana coach Ryan Hines said. “We were putting the ball it the net, we were working well, we were moving at break-neck speed. But we played a lot of defense tonight, and I think that just fatigued some of those defenders. We just can ran out there in the third quarter when they went on a little run, and that really hurt us. We couldn’t bounce back from that.”
Despite three goals each from Johnson and Betten, Broadneck only grew stronger in the second half, taking the lead for good when Lopes scored on a free position with 47 seconds left in the third.
The loss denied Frederick County its first-ever girls lacrosse state champion — something the Hawks are hoping to rectify next spring.
“From [Friday] on, the goal is going to be to beat Broadneck,” Hines said.
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Girls lacrosse
Class 4A state final
(at Stevenson University)
Broadneck 8, Urbana 6
Goals: B — Facciponti 3, Lopes 2, Libby 2, Miller; U — Betten 3, Johnson 3. Assists: B — Kerst 2, Miller, Facciponti. U — Queen, Lange, Hines. Saves: B — Robison 4; U — Swing 3. Half: Urbana, 5-4.
In Saturday night’s Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference final, the Sailors put the progress they’d made on full display at USA Lacrosse in Sparks.
Playing a near-flawless first 17 minutes, Mount de Sales built an early six-goal lead against top-seeded Mercy, getting four goals from junior Grace Herman and three each from senior Mackenzie Conley and junior Ella Powers in a 15-8 win to earn their first IAAM crown.
The win was the culmination of a three-year period in which the Sailors spent two seasons near the bottom of the A Conference, dropped to the B Conference this season and improved throughout the spring.
“They were beaten down last year,” Mount de Sales coach Amy Donahue said. “This year, our goal from the very beginning was to win the championship here. To me, it says that the girls have grown. Every game they’ve grown and they’ve learned from their mistakes. This game, I thought, was a beautiful example of not making a ton of crazy mistakes.”
The Sailors (9-6) had lost to Mercy by a goal earlier this season, but knew they were capable of bigger things. So they went to work, both in the classroom and on the field.
“We watched film,” Donahue said. “We knew we really needed to slide, and worked a lot on guarding 1-on-1s. We held them 1-on-1 pretty well, and we really cut well and fed well in the first half. Just getting that start where everybody was shooting, everyone was scoring, just gave the girls confidence.”
Mount de Sales led from the outset in this one, building a 7-1 lead after the first 17:02 by winning ground balls, forcing poor shots and making the most of its offensive chances, including two goals and an assist by Herman. Senior goalie Mary Beth Zaleski also made several point-blank saves during the stretch.
“Honestly, I think it was just the momentum off the draw,” Herman said, “Once we get going, we really, really get going. … Everyone got a goal on the offense, and that really helped boost everyone’s confidence.”
Mercy, however, soon clawed back into it by turning draw controls into goals. When Lilly Lackner scored off a feed from fellow freshman Audrey Hogrebe with 8:08 left before halftime, the Magic had cut the deficit to 8-5.
Senior Calleigh Hayes finished with a game-high five goals for Mercy (12-2), whose only other loss had come in the season opener against A Conference foe Roland Park.
But the comeback was not to be. Mount de Sales regained command with five straight goals in 9:33 to extend its lead to 13-5 by early in the fourth quarter.
“Credit to them,” Magic coach Brian Casserly said. “They came out, they were ready to play. We took a couple bad shots early and might’ve shot their goalie hot. … She made a bunch of really good saves early. We took some ill-advised shots and they came down on their end and did their job. They looked fast, they looked athletic.”
For Mercy, the night marked a bitter end to an otherwise stellar season.
“Sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail,” Casserly said. “Unfortunately, today we were the nail.”
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IAAM B Conference Final
(at USA Lacrosse)
Mount de Sales 15, Mercy 8
Goals: MDS-Herman 4, Powers 3, Conley 3, Mundorf 2, Cunningham, Sabatelli, Smith; M-Hayees 5, Lackner, Schmith, Johnson.
Assists: MDS-Powers; M-Lackner 2, Hogrebe. Saves: MDS-Zaleski 6; M-Pross 4. Half: Mount de Sales, 8-3.
]]>Junior Ava Linnell and senior Skylar Sensenbrenner made certain the Eagles did just that, dominating the draw and scoring six goals each to help the Eagles pull away from upset-minded Catholic for a 20-11 win at USA Lacrosse.
It’s the first title for AACS since 2016.
“The first day of tryouts, we were talking about May 10 and changing the script of what happened last year,” Eagles coach Maggie Bickhart said. “The girls have been working, and this just shows that their effort paid off.”
Tied at 5 early, AACS pulled away with seven straight goals. The key was controlling the draw, winning 28 of 35 overall.
“It’s all about teamwork,” Sensenbrenner said. “I placed Ava [Linnell] exactly where I wanted her. I knew where I was going to place it. I knew her strong side, my strong side, and then what the other competitors were good at.”
“Draw controls win games, and we just saw it happen,” Bickhart said. “Whenever we won the draw, we had momentum, and that’s what kept our girls going.”
AACS (9-2) ended the season on an eight-game winning streak. After falling to St. Timothy’s in last year’s final, however, the Eagles were taking nothing for granted.
The game was even early, with both Sensenbrenner and Catholic’s Gabrielle Caruso scoring hat tricks in the first quarter and the score tied at 5 early in the second.
But that’s when AACS began to take command.
Sensenbrenner and Linnell began dominating on the draw, with the Eagles time and again converting at the other end. AACS won 15 of the game’s first 18 draws and scored seven straight goals in six minutes to build a 12-5 lead by late in the second quarter.
Linnell scored five straight goals for the Eagles, including a free position with 1 second left in the half to put her team up 14-6.
“I think we went into the first quarter honestly a little scared,” Linnell said. “But I think once we settled in, we remembered who we were as a team, and that’s where the confidence came in and the adrenaline came rushing.”
Catholic (8-3), however, wasn’t finished, coming out of halftime rejuvenated and getting back into the game by scoring the first five goals, including two straight from senior Maura Barnes.
“It started in the locker room,” Catholic coach Megan Morales said. “We said we didn’t want it to be a blowout, and we came out strong. I think just working hard and playing for every 50-50 ball really helped us in that third quarter.”
When the Cubs lost Caruso to her second yellow card, however, AACS began to regain control.
For AACS, the win was the ultimate redemption
“Day 1, we were just like, ‘Let’s make it to championship; let’s win,” Linnell said. “We went into every game with confidence.”
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IAAM C Conference Final
(at USA Lacrosse)
AACS 20, Catholic 11
Goals: C-Caruso 3, Harris 3, Barnes 2, Roane 2, McMillion; A-Linnell 6, Sensenbrenner 6, Hansen 3, McGill 2, Roush 2, Sturdivant.
Assists: C-Caruso; A-Boyer, Hensen, Baldonado, Roush, Linnell, McGill.
Saves: C-Tyler 7; A-Cameron 3.
Half: AACS, 14-6.
]]>“I think that stuck to the back of our head,” coach Brian Reese said. “We said, ‘You know what? If they can do it to us, we can do it to them.’”
No. 6 Maryvale then brought those words to life, opening the second half with five straight goals while keeping host No. 3 McDonogh off the scoreboard for a span of over 16 minutes, and finally ending one of the biggest games in program history when freshman Maddie Moran scored on a free position 57 seconds into sudden-death overtime to give the Lions a 9-8 win.
“It was the same exact score as in the regular season when we were up 6-2 [and lost],” junior Cayden Reese said. “I think that really showed that it’s not over yet and we need to keep pushing. It sucks being on that side, but it’s our turn. We just kept fighting and never gave up.”
“It means everything,” Moran said. “We’ve aimed for this the whole season. This was our goal.”
Maryvale (12-5) now advances to Friday’s 7 p.m. A Conference final at USA Lacrosse in Sparks, where the Lions will vie for their first title since 2002 against No. 2 Spalding, a 10-9 winner over defending champion St. Paul’s in the other semifinal. Maryvale lost to Spalding, 10-9, when the teams met in mid-April.
To get another chance, however, the Lions first had to find a way back into a game they seemed to be letting slip away. Paced by two goals each from senior Payton Magday and sophomore Parker Kitchel, McDonogh (14-3) – which entered the day ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Lacrosse – built a 6-2 lead in the first half and appeared to be cruising.
After halftime, however, Maryvale came out firing, winning ground balls, forcing turnovers and quickly pulling even with four goals in the first 7:26. The Lions then took their first lead when McDonogh picked up a yellow card for a check to the head, and Moran scored on a free position with 16 seconds left in the third.
Moran, junior Emma Mohn and junior Lainey Minderlein each scored two goals for Maryvale, while Reese added a goal and three assists.
“It may seem like a lot, 6-2, but that’s four goals, and four goals can happen in a quarter,” Cayden Reese said. “It goes so fast and every play matters.”
Minutes later, trailing by one after Gia Trianfo’s free position, the Lions again pulled even when Mohn scored off a feed from Reese with 3:46 left in regulation.
The score stayed that way until overtime, which Maryvale started a man up for the first 39 seconds following an earlier yellow card for a cross check. Cayden Reese won the opening draw, and Brian Reese called a timeout to set up his offense.
“They never gave up, kept fighting and just chipped away, chipped away,” he said. “They played awesome down the stretch.”
When play resumed, the Lions were aggressive, passing the ball inside where Moran drew the foul on a shooting attempt near the goal, setting up the winning 8-meter shot.
“The past couple games I’ve been shooting high and it hasn’t been falling, so I knew I had to take advantage of a moment like that and shoot low,” Moran said.
“Maddie Moran is a special player,” Brian Reese said. “I told her, ‘Big-time players make big-time plays.’ I’m happy she got a chance to stick that last goal.”
For McDonogh, the loss was a sudden end to an otherwise brilliant season. Though hit hard by graduations after last season, the Eagles were dominant throughout most of this spring, consistently staying near the top of the national rankings.
“I think what this team did this season is pretty phenomenal,” McDonogh coach Megan Nicotra said. “Given what we lost last year and the record we had, taking first place in the regular season, there are a ton of things that this group has to be proud of. The hard part is now dealing with this is how it ended … Sometimes things just don’t go your way.”
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Goals: Maryvale — Mohn 2, Moran, 2, Minderlein 2, Reese, Aldridge, Cutair; McDonogh — Kitchel 2, Magday 2, Trionfo, Haley, Hammonds-Rippin, Martin
Assists: Ma — Reese 3; Mc — Kitchel
Saves: Ma — Deluca 4; Mc — O’Donovan 8
]]>“We really needed to just take a breath,” sophomore Winnie Marshall said. “We took our time, called a timeout and reset ourselves … We really just stopped panicking.”
After surrendering four straight goals to lose control of a game it had led throughout, Poly closed the fourth quarter with three straight of its own, holding the perennial Baltimore City power Knights scoreless for the final 13:40 and getting the game-winner from junior Kit Engelke with 40 seconds left in a 12-11 win that clinched its first city title since 2011.
Marshall, a sophomore who played last season for City before transferring, finished with five goals and two assists to go along with three goals from Kate Johnson Carey and two each from sophomore Juliet Goad and Engelke. Midfielder Rye Pierre scored a game-high six goals and teammates Tayonna Jones and Nicole Ryan two each for City, which was in search of at least a share of the championship for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
This year, however, belonged to Poly (7-1 overall, 5-0 city), which clinched the championship by twice beating City, 12-11, in the span of 16 days.
“This is such a good group of kids,” Poly coach Marissa Totten said. “Everyday they come to practice and really just want to fight. They really lift each other up too. We don’t have a JV program, so we have a range of skills. We have kids picking up a stick for the first time and we have kids who are probably going to go off and play in college. I just see so much leadership in those kids who have the experience … and that’s why I think they have so much success on the field.”
Trailing by two entering the fourth quarter, Poly pulled even on a pair of goals by sophomore Kate Johnson Carey, setting the stage for Engelke, who took a feed from Johnson Carey on the wing, then drove in and scored to the goalie’s left.
“I just saw there was an open spot to go to goal,” Engelke said. “I knew we had no time, so I might as well take the chance. I just hooked it over the goalie, and it surprisingly went in.”
When Poly won the ensuing draw, City (5-2, 3-2) could only watch the final seconds tick away.
It marked the first championship in 14 years for the Engineers, who close out the regular season Tuesday against Western. Regardless of that outcome, players said they will always remember this special moment against their biggest rival.
“It’s always special to play [City],” Marshall said. “Everyone just came together, and I’m just so excited to be a part of this team.”
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Poly 12, City 11
Goals: C — Pierre 6, Ryan 2, Jones 2, Martin; P-Marshall 5, Johnson Carey 3, Goad 2, Engelke 2. Assists: C — Ryan 2, Martin 2; P-Marshall 2, Goad 2, Ancarrow 2, Johnson Carey, Engelke.
Saves: C — Smiith 3; P-Zamora 4. Half: Poly, 7-6.
]]>“Just playing for our team, playing for our seniors, knowing that we’re a better team than this and that we can show other teams that we’re not out of it,” Brewer said.
Down by four early in the second quarter, the No. 4 Cavaliers began to battle back, winning ground balls, forcing turnovers and taking advantage of their offensive chances. Brewer then broke a tie game with 22 seconds left, driving past a fallen defender and firing the ball into the right side of the net to give Spalding a 10-9 win over the host Lions in a key Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference matchup.
The goal came after Maryvale’s Emma Mohn (3 goals, 2 assists) had scored off a feed from Carly Koepsell to tie the game with 1:38 left in regulation. Spalding then won the ensuing draw and held the ball for over a minute before scoring the game-winner.
“It was just whoever was able to get inside,” Brewer said. “We were trying to stall as much as possible and take as much time, then if somebody got that lane they were just go ahead, green light. Everybody was just trying to get that spot, and I just got lucky to be able to get that last shot in.”
Junior Ella Jane Ostrowski scored a game-high four goals to go along with three from Brewer and eight saves from junior goalie Ella Davis, including several at point-blank range, as Spalding (6-4 overall, 4-3 conference) captured a confidence-building win against a nationally ranked opponent (No. 12 USA Lacrosse, No. 21 Inside lacrosse) after consecutive losses to John Carroll, Severna Park and St. Mary’s.
“A lot of these games we’ve been down by a lot of goals and we try to build our way back up, and I think we really did it as a team today,” Davis said. “We play really under well under pressure. When the pressure comes, we really fight through it and come up with some really big defensive stops.”
Though this matchup has now been decided by a single goal in four of the past five years, it looked like it might be a blowout early.
Maryvale (8-3, 5-2) dominated the first 15 minutes, with junior Cayden Reese winning draws and the Lions building a 5-1 lead on Finola McCormick’s goal 1:45 into the second quarter.
But that’s when Spalding began to surge, getting consecutive goals from Ostrowski, Amanda Gazelle and Brewer to cut the lead to one.
“Once we sort of settled down and went play by play instead of thinking 5-1, we just took every play and tried to dominate that play specifically and began to chop away,” Cavaliers coach Tara Shea said. “Then, once we sort of gained some momentum, we realized that we’re here to compete to win, and not just stay in the game.”
Unlike the previous losses, Spalding rarely gave away possessions after the first quarter while also getting stellar play from a defense led by Davis and senior Ella Doerschner, who matched up with Lions standout Reese and limited her to a pair of goals.
For Maryvale, the final score was disappointing, but with a home game Thursday against top-ranked McDonogh, there’s little time to dwell.
“We knew this was going to be a tough, close game. Spalding made a few more plays than us,” Maryvale coach Brian Reese said. “We don’t have a lot of time to dwell on it. We have another big game on Thursday.”
Girls lacrosse
Archbishop Spalding 10, Maryvale 9
Goals: AS — Ostroski 4, Brewer 3, Collins 2, Gazelle; M — Mohn 3, Reese 2, Weetenkamp 2, McCormick, Moran. Assists: AS —Downs. M — Mohn 2, Koepsell, Rine. Saves: AS — Davis 8; M-Deluca 6. Half: Maryvale, 6-4.
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]]>When the Gators faked and instead shot into an otherwise unprotected net, however, the Syracuse-bound junior got back the only way she knew how — by simply taking flight.
O’Donovan’s head-first diving save off a point-blank shot not only helped preserve host McDonogh’s slim lead, but served as a spark for the rest of the team, as the top-ranked Eagles held No. 4 St. Paul’s — the defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A conference champion — to one goal over the final 19:26 to earn a 9-5 win in a rematch of last year’s final.
“I’m a very active goalie, so I popped out of the goal thinking that she was going to pass it low to try and pick off that pass,” O’Donovan said. “Then I saw her immediately turn her whole body and I said, ‘Oh shoot,’ and I literally just ran then just dove right in. It was just a really big momentum-changer for the whole team.”
Sophomore Parker Kitchel and senior Payton Magday each scored three goals for McDonogh (8-1 overall, 5-0 IAAM A), as the nation’s consensus No. 3 team broke open a one-goal game with three unanswered goals in the final 5:40.
“It just completely motivates us and gives us that push that we have to fight back for her,” Kitchel said of O’Donovan’s acrobatics. “The whole defense just played amazing, and that gave us the momentum to win.”
The Eagles’ defensive unit — led by senior McKenzie Brown, juniors Kit Laake, Ava Sesay and Mia Knysh and freshman Lexi Rosen — forced poor shots and turnovers all day, holding St. Paul’s (6-3, 3-3), ranked No. 9 nationally by Inside Lacrosse and No. 6 by USA Lacrosse, to 5-for-20 shooting.
“That [defensive] unit is the veteran part of our team, and they give the offense so many opportunities for possession,” McDonogh coach Megan Nicotra said. “They really earn the ball back for us.”
Despite a pair of goals from senior Riley Vasile, St. Paul’s never got its offense in gear. It’s been a recurring problem for the Gators, who earlier this season dropped one-goal games to Archbishop Spalding and St. Mary’s, and needed overtime to get past Notre Dame Prep.
“We can’t score. We’re struggling this season to score, and that’s the difference in Spalding, St. Mary’s and McDonogh,” said St. Paul’s coach Mary Gagnon. “We’re playing great defense and we battled back on the draw, but we had so many opportunities. Sure I give Reagan credit for a great save there, but we have experience on the offense and we have to bury the ball. You can’t win in this league scoring five goals.”
Though the Gators twice in the second half forced turnovers on shot-clock violations, they failed to capitalize on several golden scoring chances, including on a pair of fourth-quarter free positions stuffed by O’Donovan.
“I don’t know if it’s a little bit psychological now,” Gagnon said. “We haven’t been shooting well and now it’s a little mental thing. We’re struggling to finish. The offense is creating good opportunities, but we’re not finishing. … When you’re shooting like that, it’s hard to win. But the good news is that defensively we’re there, [and] we’re right there with creating opportunities. [When] people count us out, we like that.”
For McDonogh, the goal is clear — recapture the A Conference championship next month at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks.
“We’ve talked a lot about this being a journey, with the goal being [the finals on] May 9,” Nicotra said. “We need to improve everyday upon what we’ve done the day before. If we do that, we’ll be peaking at the right time.”
Girls lacrosse
McDonogh 9, St. Paul’s 5
Goals: SP — Vasile 2, O’Day, Hoskins, Lim; M — Kitchel 3, Magday 3, Cooke, Fossati, Hammonds-Rippin. Assists: SP — Tedesco; M — Kitchel, Laake. Saves: SP — Keenan 4; M — O’Donovan 7. Half: McDonogh, 4-3
Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.
]]>The payoff came Tuesday afternoon.
Facing upset-minded Notre Dame Prep, the top-ranked and host Eagles took the lessons from last week’s lopsided loss and applied them against a similar zone defense, getting three goals from senior Payton Magday at one end, then 14 saves from junior goalie Reagan O’Donovan at the other in an 8-6 win over the No. 13 Blazers.
“I think we’re grateful that Episcopal came down here,” Nicotra said. “Sometimes I think an early season loss is a great reset and refocus, and I think it woke us up a little bit. NDP plays a zone that’s very similar to Episcopal’s zone, so having two games like that back to back was really great for our offense to take what we learned from Thursday and turn around and apply it here. I’m really proud of the focus and the effort in learning from one game and carrying it to the next.”
Sophomore Byers Martin added two goals and juniors Reed Pinkin and Ava Fossati a goal and an assist each, as the Eagles — ranked No. 3 nationally by Inside Lacrosse and No. 5 by USA Lacrosse — used a patient, opportunistic offense to turn an early tie into a 6-3 lead near halftime.
It was exactly the start McDonogh needed following last week’s 12-4 loss at USA Lacrosse.
“I just think that having this weekend to prep really helped us focus on the rebound,” Magday said. “It’s just about our response to this stuff. We can’t let whatever happened last week get into our heads, and I think our offense responded well.”
Their defense did, too.
Despite losing the majority of draws, including the first six of the game, McDonogh (6-1 overall, 3-0 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference) time and again got the ball back by making stellar defensive stops. Junior Ava Sesay came up with several huge ground balls and caused turnovers, while O’Donovan made a handful of point-blank saves.
“We knew our offense was going to take a while; we’re still a work in progress there,” Notre Dame Prep coach Mac Ford said. “We dominated draw controls [but] we put up six goals. We had a lot of point-blank shots, but their goalie was sensational today. A couple of those go in and it’s a different game.”
Despite two goals from junior Ava Larkin and a goal and assist from junior Maddie Faith, the Blazers (4-3, 2-2) went scoreless for the final 13:08 after pulling to within a goal near the end of the third. Despite big days from defenders such as Ella Cox and Lila Davis, NDP didn’t have enough firepower to pull it out.
“Our defense is our veteran unit,” Nicotra said. “I think we rely on them a lot, and they stepped up. From Reagan’s first save, it just gave off the vibe that they were here to play today.”
All three of the Blazers’ losses have come by two goals or fewer, including last week’s 8-7 overtime setback to defending conference champion St. Paul’s. Ford believes the close games will pay off down the road.
“We’re going to be in every game,” Ford said. “It’s just about learning how to win those games and how to put the ball in the cage at the right time.”
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.
Goals: NDP — Larkin 2, Joyce, Bowers, Faith, Bailey; M — Magday 3, Martin 2, Kitchel, Pinkin, Fossati.
Assists: NDP — Faith; M — Cooke, Pinkin, Fossati.
Saves: NDP — Baker 8; M —O’Donovan 13.
Half: McDonogh, 6-4.
]]>“She’s been a great player since she’s been here,” Liberty coach Tom Brandel said, “and I can’t wait until she graduates.”
In a rematch of last year’s Class 1A West Region I final, Miller dominated the draw, helping her team maintain possession for most of the first half, and scored four goals as the host No. 15 Cavaliers ran out to an early six-goal lead and held off the surging Lions, 11-9, on Friday night.
The athletic Miller helped South Carroll (4-0 overall, 1-0 Carroll County) win each of the first five draws and eight of the first nine as the Cavaliers ran out to a 6-0 lead after the first 15:58 and threatened to turn this rivalry game into a blowout.
“That was really big for us. I think it gave us a lot of confidence,” Miller said. “It reassured us that we’re a really good team and we can get up on someone like that. It helped us be a little more relaxed and we could just run our offense. It didn’t have to be so frantic.”
Senior Charlotte Harrington also added three goals and freshman Riley Niles scored two for the Cavaliers. By late in the second quarter, however, Liberty (2-2, 1-1) began to make a game of it.
The Lions used intense defensive pressure to force several turnovers and closed the half with four straight goals, including a pair by attacker Mady Smith, to pull within two by halftime.
“I think we have to work on handling the pressure,” South Carroll coach Brigid Scanlon said. “They came out and put great pressure on us and we made some turnovers on offense. So it’s about knowing how everyone can handle that pressure. We’ll get there. We’ll have to see them again in two months.”
Three times in the second half, Liberty pulled to within one, time and again finding success by driving from behind the goal and shooting. But the Lions never managed to wrestle away the lead, giving the Cavaliers the opportunity to slow the pace and kill clock.
“Once they started putting that pressure on us we kind of needed to take a second and realize that as long as we had possession they couldn’t score,” Miller said.
Smith finished with four goals and Kourtney Goff and Sophia Carpenetti added two each for Liberty, which trailed 9-8 late in the third quarter, but then went scoreless for the next 13:13. Miller’s free position near the end of the third and Cathryn Yankle’s goal with 3:30 left then gave South Carroll a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“We stayed positive the whole game,” Brandel said. “We put ourselves in a 6-0 hole and made it into a game, so I’m really proud of their effort.”
Liberty is aiming to get back into state title contention after winning three straight Class 1A championships ending in 2023. A year ago, the Cavaliers beat the Lions, 8-4, in the regional finals.
For players, the rematch had special significance.
“This definitely was [a statement], especially because this is the team we always see in the regional finals,” Miller said. “It was definitely a big game for us.”
South Carroll 11, Liberty 9
Goals: L-Smith 4, Goff 2, Carpenetti 2, Marsicano; SC-Miller 4, Harrington 3, Niles 2, Yankle, Krantz. Assists: SC-Krantz. Saves: L-Brandel 6; SC-DeLuca 5. Half: South Carroll 6-4.
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