Score, score and score some more
It’s not every day you see field hockey games with scores of 5-1, 4-3 or 6-0. It’s even more surprising to see those numbers in the state finals.
There were so many goals scored Saturday at Washington College, that records were tied or broken all day. The day-long tally of 20 goals was the highest total ever for the state finals. In the past, teams had reached 15 goals three times, most recently in 1997.
The day got off to a blistering start when Pocomoke beat Glenelg, 5-1, in Class 1A. The Warriors’ five goals tied the record for most goals by a winning team in a final while the total of six tied the record for most goals by both teams.
But both those records would last only a few hours.
Fallston’s 4-3 win over Atholton in Class 3A set a new mark for most goals by both teams in a title game. In the day’s finale, Severna Park torched Quince Orchard, 6-0 in Class 4A, for the most goals by one team.
Only one game was close all day, Kent Island’s 1-0 win over Winters Mill.
No one seems to have an answer for why so many goals were scored this year. The games were played on artificial turf, but they have been for the past few years at Broadneck or Maryland. There have been dominating performances in the past, of course, but that usually meant a 3-0 or 3-1 win.
It may have been just one of those things. It’s tough to play teams like Severna Park, with 18 state titles, and Pocomoke, with 16, when you don’t have the same level of skill and experience. With their track records, those teams draw dedicated players who focus on field hockey over other sports.
Fallston has a similar tradition, winning its 11th state crown, and few would have predicted that Atholton would push them right to the finish. But Atholton proved that underdogs can be in the fight, especially when they score three goals.
While it’s more exciting to watch a close game, it’s also fun to see a lot of goals in a sport that’s usually very low scoring.
We may never see that many goals in a state hockey tournament again, so it was nice to see all that offense for a change.
