This has been one long week for Harford Tech's field hockey team.

The Cobras played back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday. Both games went to penalty strokes after double-overtime periods.

Harford Tech's Monday game with Bohemia Manor ended in a 3-3 tie, while Tuesday's game with Aberdeen wound up in the Eagles' win column. Aberdeen, which tied the game with nine seconds left in regulation, won 3-2 on strokes.

“In the game with Bo Manor, both teams played very well and the game deserved to be ended in a tie," Harford Tech coach Amanda Sheldon said. "Against Aberdeen, we played a hard-fought game, but we were tired from Monday and we just couldn't pull it off."

Lyndsey Endlich scored twice in each game for Harford Tech (2-1-1). Taylor Bethke was in goal both days. She had 12 saves -- including four of five shots in the shootout against Bo Manor. Against Aberdeen (4-2), Bethke had six saves.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

A number of Friday's events have been postponed in Howard County because of inclement weather.

Here's a rundown with the makeup dates:

Mount Hebron at Wilde Lake field hockey is now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 26 -- varsity at 3:30 p.m., followed junior varsity at 5.

Mount Hebron at Wilde Lake boys soccer is now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 26 -- time to be announced.

Glenelg at River Hill girls soccer is now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 26 -- junior varsity at 4 p.m., followed by varsity at 5:30.

River Hill-Glenelg field hockey is rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 28 -- varsity at Glenelg and junior varsity at River Hill with both games at 3:30 p.m.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

There's a big game Thursday between Baltimore County rivals Sparrows Point and Patapsco. It's a rivalry game, but not just the usual kind.

When the two teams face off, the coaches standing on opposite sides of the field will be sisters -- twin sisters. Not that you would know it, they say, laughing.

"She's phenomenal," Sparrows Point coach Ashley Fishell-Shaffer said. "I'm the runt of the litter. But I have the better record."

"We always use the Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger analogy of twins," Emily Knich said. "And she's right. My sister is head over heels a much better coach. She was a phenomenal player and now coach, and I was a jack of all trades."

Continue reading "Sparrows Point and Patapsco face off with twins at the helm" »

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Broadneck junior Anna Haley has committed to the University of Iowa for field hockey.

Coach Jen Parks said she is an incredibly hard worker and that she fell in love with Iowa's school, coaches, and its facilities when she visited.

"I am extremely happy for her and very proud," Parks said. "I can't remember the last time [Broadneck] had anyone commit in field hockey in the spring of her junior year -- definitely don't think it's happened in all my years coaching at Broadneck -- but it's proof of how hard Anna has worked and how talented she is."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Field hockey
        

The final field hockey poll will delight some, disappoint some and, perhaps, bewilder others.

Westminster, who completed its season with a perfect 19-0 record, winds up at No. 1 after winning a very tough, 5-4 overtime game against Dulaney, in the 4A MPSSAA state final. A week ago, the Owls were No. 3.

Meanwhile Glenelg, last week’s No. 1, slips to No. 2 despite winning the 2A title and completing the season, 19-1.

So, how did that happen?

Westminster was stuck outside the Top 3 for much of the season as Severna Park, South River and Glenelg exchanged the top three spots, losing only to each other. Severna Park ended the regular season as No. 1, but then lost the District V championship game to Glenelg, 2-1, which had lost to South River early in the season.

South River went to No. 1, Glenelg to No. 2 and Severna Park to No. 3. But then South River lost to Severna Park, costing it the No. 1 spot. Glenelg moved up to No. 1. Severna Park moved up to No. 2. Westminster, which had been No. 4 finally, broke into the Top 3.

Then came this week. Westminster beat No. 2 Severna Park, a team Glenelg had just gotten by, with a dominating 4-1 margin. Glenelg beat No. 6 Century, 2-1. That was the same score Westminster had beaten Century by a month ago.

Glenelg had done nothing to lose the top spot. Westminster had done everything it possibly could to earn it. What could be looked at to determine who should be No. 1?

The answer, besides watching both teams play – and there was little to separate them – was the result of their individual games against common opponents: Century and Severna Park. Westminster was the more dominant team against both those opponents, and much more dominant against Severna Park, which Westminster and Glenelg played within two weeks of each other.

Severna Park may not have been overly enthusiastic about playing the Glenelg game, but Glenelg was psyched to beat No. 1 and a team that had 19 state championships already in its back pocket. Even so, the Gladiators could only manage a 1-goal victory.

Westminster, meanwhile, with the same inspiration as Glenelg, played Severna Park, whose players were nothing if not inspired to win the quarterfinal confrontation as they sought to stay on track to win the Falcons’ sixth straight title and 20th overall. And yet Westminster won, 4-1.

Given all that, Westminster gets the nod, the tiniest nod. Either team would be a terrific choice.

Both were strong defensively, with Westminster producing a remarkable 11 shutouts with senior Emily Colliflower in goal, to Glenelg’s eight with senior goalie Christy Bishop playing most of the time.

Glenelg held the advantage in goal scoring, out-producing its opponents by an impressive, 132-14, with junior Alyssa Parker (38 goals, 38 assists) and Kayleigh Hinkle (34 goals, 17 assists) doing the heaviest lifting. Westminster outscored its opponents 70-13, with senior Meghan Macera (23 goals, 10 assists) leading the way.

And each gave up more than one goal in a game just twice.

So have at it. Consider the year-ending No. 1 ranking a starting point for a good argument about who should have been No. 1. But don’t forget to appreciate all the teams and the tremendous seasons each one of them had, doing their best and giving it their all no matter at what school they played.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Two weeks ago, a quote in the Annapolis Capital attributed to Severna Park coach Lil Shelton sent shock waves through the field hockey community and should be considered a cautionary tale for all high school coaches.

Shelton was quoted as saying the District V game -- in which her previously undefeated team lost to Glenelg, 2-1 -- was "meaningless." Shelton was quoted as saying this in the Capital:

"'This is just an insignificant game. It's nice to win: Whoopee. We're better than Howard County. But that's all it's good for, really, and another feather in our hat. But who needs feathers? I told the girls, 'We don't have room for that trophy in our trophy case anyway.' "

Was Shelton a bad loser? Was she trying to inspire her team to something better?

Asked about the remark this week the longtime coach, whose team plays in Wednesday's 4A state semifinal at Franklin (5 p.m.) against the undefeated Westminster Owls, explained.

"What I said to my girls wasn't for the public," Shelton said. "It was after the game, and they were so down. I gathered them together, and I told them the game was meaningless. That we were getting ready for the state playoffs. As a coach, I'm trying to pump my girls up. And I had them all perked up when one of the Glenelg girls carrying the trophy happened to walk by and I told my team, 'We don't have room for that trophy anyway.'

"You talk to your team like that. It does not get past that for print. It's not something you'd ever say to the other team or on the record. I would never demean another team like that."

Shelton said the reporter had overheard her conversation with her team and later asked her what she had said. She said she told him, but didn't think she was on the record.

She said she was stunned to read her remarks in the next day's paper.

"I wrote an apology to the coach. I was upset for her girls. Ginger [Kincaid] and I have been friends for 30 years. And Ginger wrote me a very nice, understanding letter in reply. But now my credibility has been lost, hasn't it?"

It's an unfortunate incident, but the reporter did ask Shelton what she had said to her team. She knew he was a reporter, and she repeated it. At that point, it is on the record.

Even before that point, however, coaches should understand and be aware anything they say on the field is usually fair game.

Reporters are there to be the eyes and ears of the fans. If coaches want to say something they don't want anyone else to know, they'd be wise to say it in the locker room, behind closed doors.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Field hockey
        

The National Milk Mustache “got milk?®” campaign recently launched a call for entries for the 14th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Awards. The SAMMY scholarship rewards recognizes 25 student-athletes who excel in academics, athletics, community service, leadership and who refuel with milk.

Milk Mustache celebrity judges will help select 25 winners from across the country who will receive a $7,500 college scholarship, an awards ceremony at Walt Disney World and an opportunity to appear in their own special Milk Mustache ad.

For complete contest rules and applications log onto http://bodybymilk.com.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

No. 12 Hereford and No.15 Dulaney will play for the Baltimore County field hockey championship Wednesday at Lansdowne at 7 p.m.

Hereford finished the regular season with a 10-2 overall record, while Dulaney was 8-4.

In Harford County, No. 8 Patterson Mill beat North East, 5-0, to win the UCBAC Championship Tuesday. Emily Keesling (2 goals), Christina Claypool (2) and Jaelyn Felts (1)
each scored with assists from Emily Keesling (1) and Sam Rutkowski (2). Huskies goalie
Gabby Brooks had 6 saves.

Meanwhile, the playoff season is drawing near. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association will begin postseason play Tuesday, Oct. 26, and the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland will begin Oct. 29.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

C. Milton Wright wrapped up its regular field hockey season Wednesday with a satisfying 1-0 victory over North Harford. The win came after coach Bonnie Schnell figured out what would motivate her veteran team.

The Mustangs, with a roster that includes 14 juniors and seniors, started the season by climbing up the charts. They made it to No. 10 before losing to John Carroll (2-1 in double overtime), Hereford, 1-0, and Bel Air, 3-0. This week they lost to St. Paul's, 2-1 in overtime.

Wednesday's victory gave the team a 7-6-1 regular season record heading in to the postseason.

The results were not what Schnell had anticipated and she had tried to "sugar coat" close losses, until the St. Paul's loss, when she finally laid it out plainly to her team.

"This team went up and down all season," she said. "I finally figured out the thing to motivate them. It's hard to explain, but I have to consistently remind them about heart and desire. It's not every player, but you can't depend on the same two or three every game. It's a team sport and it's their desire that will decide their fate."

She told her team to look at Bel Air (9-2), a team she believes is less talented than her own, but one that leaves everything it has on the field every game.

"That's a team," Schnell said. "That night they beat us they weren't as talented, but they have heart and soul. They stood up to everything. We had 16 corners and didn't score. That shows me something (about both teams)."

Her squad also lost to Perry Hall and Fallston. "We played better, but they scored," Schnell said.

Schnell reflected that in our current society many expect the motivation to come from the coach, "but the reality is it has to come from the players on the field and on the sidelines.

"Players on the sidelines have to support their team on the field. When they cheer in support that motivates their teammates, who may need the support to motivate themselves. I've been sugar-coating it. But I was point blank with them before our last game, [saying] 'Your lack of desire is the difference.'

"I told them they could continue as they have been and leave their fate in the hands of other teams or they could take control. It was up to them. And I saw a different team against Harford."

Schnell hopes the revelation sticks.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Many area teams have been raising funds to help the fight against cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All are to be commended.

Four schools reported the results of their efforts, with coaches for all teams voicing their surprise and regard for the work put in by their teams to reach beyond their goals.

The Archbishop Spalding and Seton Keough field hockey teams raised more than $4,000, more than double what was raised in past years, for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, while the Bel Air and Patterson Mill varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams raised $4,096 for breast cancer awareness and research at their "Dig Pink" event.

"Our original goal was to raise $2000 so we far exceeded our goal," said Bel Air girls varsity coach Tim Markland. "Our sources of income included online donations at www.side-out.org, corporate sponsors, selling of pink t-shirts and pink wrist bands, raffle of door prizes from local businesses and Chili's pre-game dinner night."

Spalding, Seton Keough, Bel Air and Patterson Mill coaches all stressed their thanks to the JV and varsity programs at the schools, parents, volunteers and all those individuals and businesses who donated to make such successful events.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

USA Field Hockey has announced the 2010-2011 Futures Elite team and seven Maryland players have been selected from those who compete in the Under-14, 16 and 19 age groups from across the country.

Christina Conrad from Fallston, Christine Galligan from Archbishop Spalding, Danielle King from C. Milton Wright and Alyssa Parker from Glenelg were the local picks. Dana Allaband, Rising Sun, Anna McQuaid, Sts. Peters and Paul and Taylor West from Pocomoke round out the Maryland selections.

The Futures Elite players are identified and selected based on their performance at each year's National Futures Championships or the AAU Junior Olympics and represent the best high school field hockey athletes in the country.

Being a member of the Elite group allows each player to try out for the team that will compete in the June 2011 Junior Women's National Championship.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

At the end of the field hockey season, Mercy's team will go to the home of its leading scorer and captain Jenna Parr and celebrate this season's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland C Conference Championship with a team dinner.

But the Magic aren't waiting to celebrate their third C Conference crown in four years -- this one won Oct. 31, by a 2-1 margin over Annapolis Area Christian. Eagles goalie E. Ferguson had five saves, while Mercy's Abby Baker made two.

K. Latney scored the initial goal in the game for Annapolis, but then Jenna Benje scored off an assist from Parr, who would also go on to score the winning goal.

"It was so exciting," Parr said. "Oh my gosh!. We played Annapolis twice in the regular season and they beat us both times. After losing those two games, to win this one, to come back from a goal down, it was unbelievable."

For Parr it was the exclamation point at the end of an amazing career. The senior has insulin-dependent diabetes and Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome type 2, which means she is susceptible to many autoimmune diseases. But nothing has stopped her from being at the top of her game. Over four seasons she has scored 52 goals and recorded 25 assists.

This year, her tally was 17 goals and 12 assists. She had one goal and one assist against AACS, despite the fact that her blood sugar levels swung from a dangerous morning low of 45 to an undesirable high of more than 400 by the end of the game.

Mercy coach Alex Chambers was impressed by the effort of her entire team.

"We really turned it on," said Chambers, whose team finished the season 13-2-1. "It was amazing to see the transformation in our team from one half to the next. The chemistry. The continuity.

"I think Annapolis thought they had it won when they scored that first goal."

But Saturday's game did not go the way the first two meetings between these two did.

AACS was playing its third game in about 36 hours because of weather and religious issues, but also found itself playing against an inspired Mercy team that would not give up.

"It was a beautiful way to end the season," Chambers said. "I think if we had lost I wouldn't have minded because my team used everything they had."

Posted by Sandra McKee at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Mount de Sales athletic director Gene Williams reports that a water main break forced the school to close at 10:30 this morning, but that all playoff games will go on with a few adjustments:

The IAAM A Conference volleyball semifinal game to be hosted by Mount de Sales with McDonogh has been moved to McDonogh. The starting time remains 4:15 p.m.

The IAAM B conference semifinal field hockey game, also with McDonogh, will be played at St. Paul’s at 2 p.m.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association field hockey playoffs get under way Tuesday with 11 games being played before the regional quarterfinals Thursday.

The nice thing about the MPSSAA is that every team gets to play – everyone from undefeated Westminster to Havre de Grace, which has yet to win a game or even score a goal this season. Each team gets to enter the playoffs and enjoy for a little while, at least, the anticipation that something wonderful could happen.

Here is the Oct. 29 quarterfinal matchups in The Baltimore Sun’s local circulation area:

1A North: Patterson Mill, Harford Tech and Sparrows Point byes; Loch Raven at Joppatowne, 3:30.

1A West: Owings Mills and Carver A&T byes; Manchester Valley at Pikesville, 3:30 p.m.

1A South: Havre de Grace at St. Michael’s, 4 p.m.

2A North: Bel Air or North East-Cecil at Fallston, 3:30; Edgewood at Rising Sun, 3:30; Elkton at Lansdowne, 6 p.m.; Dundalk at Eastern Tech, 3:30.

2A West: Wheaton or Francis Scott Key at Century; North Carroll at Winters Mill, 3:30; Rockville or Walkersville at South Carroll.

2A South: McDonough or Southern-AA at Glenelg, 3:30; Long Reach at Marriotts Ridge; Oakland Mills at Calvert, 3:30; Hammond at Patuxent, 6 p.m.

3A East: Wilde Lake at Howard, 3:30 p.m.; Centennial at Atholton, 3:30; Northeast-AA at Reservoir, 3:30; Mt. Hebron at River Hill, 3:30.

3A North: Aberdeen or North Harford at Hereford, 4 p.m.; Patapsco at Towson, 3:45; Catonsville at C.M.Wright, 3:30; Franklin at Parkville, 3:30.

4A East: Annapolis at Leonardtown, 6 p.m.; Great Mills at Severna Park, 5 p.m.; North Point at Broadneck, 6 p.m.; Arundel at South River, 6 p.m.

4A North: Glen Burnie at Dulaney, 3:30; North County at Perry Hall, 3:30; Chesapeake-AA at Old Mill, 3:30.

4A West: Thomas Johnson at Westminster, 6 p.m.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Field hockey
        

My first regular season covering field hockey is now behind me, but before moving into postseason play, here are a few of the things I’ve noticed.

Determining a Top 15 poll is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Games played on turf between two good teams look a lot like a Foosball game on a felt table.

Corner plays that are supposed to be a major advantage to the team that gets them often are not. Bryn Mawr, however, is adept at making opportunities count and has what might be the best corner play among private schools and possibly of any school in the state.

Roland Park’s Sally E. Nyborg Invitational Tournament is a wonderful way to see some of the best teams in public and private schools play -- even on a rainy day. Not to mention it also raises money for Lupus research.

Broadneck’s Courtney Tomchik is an outstanding ballhandler on a team that plays a beautiful long-ball game.

Fans at field hockey games get just as excited as football fans.

Once positioned in the Top 15, it is difficult to move up the poll when the teams above you keep winning.

Fallston senior forward Caitlin Dempsey, South River senior midfielder Brooke Griffin, Dulaney senior forward Hannah Whiteley, Westminster senior forward Lauren Keffer and Bryn Mawr senior forward Paige Hanson are Energizer bunnies.

Once positioned in the Top 15, it is difficult to move up even if you win and another team loses if they’re ranked higher and then start to win again before your team can reach their ranking.

No. 2 Westminster (13-0) knows that feeling, sitting behind No. 1 Garrison Forest (14-1-2).

Hidden inside Severna Park’s goalie -- well, maybe not so hidden -- must be the heart of an artist with a large color palette. Senior Ashley Dalisera comes to play in an array of colors. Her inside leg pads are maroon. Her pants dark blue. Her vest lime green. And topping it all off -- a baby-doll-pink helmet.

High schools generally need to improve their press box facilities that serve not only field hockey but also football team announcers and statisticians besides the media.

Field hockey is a touchy sport. A lot of whistles. Several Fallston football players showed up at the Cougars’ first game of the season. After watching for about 10 minutes, one of them shook his head. “This game has too many rules!” he said.

Garrison Forest, whose team is not often populated with freshmen, has several dynamic ones. Among them, Brooke Adler and Cody Magness.

The Westminster defense could rival the famous Steel Curtain of the NFL’s 1972-1974 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Owls have eight shutouts and have given up only five goals while going 14-0. Take a bow, Emily Cauliflower, Michelle Hodiak, Kara Evans, Carlyn Thompson and Ashley Franklin.

Hereford’s defense, which has seven shutouts, and Fallston’s, which also has seven and an 11-game winning streak since opening the season with three straight losses, are also impressive.
A team can have a wonderful season like B Conference competitor McDonogh (13-2) and still have difficulty getting the attention it deserves.

Field hockey players are tough. They play through torrential downpours, biting cold and wind.

They do it in short skirts and knee socks, while their fans sit bundled in multiple layers of warm clothing, under blankets with umbrellas.

All of it is pretty impressive.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

South Carroll midfielder Briannah Smith will be working hard Monday, trying to help her team get to double-digits in the win column. The Cavaliers are 9-3, and Briannah leads the team in assists.

Her efforts earned her the Ravens' Athlete of the Week honors for her consistency, dedication and leadership abilities.

"I thought she was deserving of the award," said South Carroll coach Ashley Bacon, who has nominated players in past years but saw Smith become the team's first winner. "She's a very well-rounded player and an exceptional athlete. She's always pushing herself and her teammates to get better."

Smith is usually the first player at practice and the last to leave and leads by example.

"I've played for nine years," said Smith, who was chosen from hundreds of nominations. "I work well with my teammates and I felt very honored to receive the award. I really appreciate my coach nominating me."

Smith will receive a Ravens jersey, tickets to a home game, a hat and the Ravens will donate $500 to her field hockey team.

The Cavaliers host Winters Mill at 4 p.m. Monday.

- Sandra McKee

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Broadneck senior forward Courtney Tomchik has surpassed Brigitte Strother as the leader in total points in Bruins field hockey history. She currently has 49 goals and 33 assists for her career (82 points). Tomchik has also taken the lead as the school's all-time assist leader.

When Strother left two years ago, she had 54 goals and 15 assists (69 points). The former Bruin is now a sophomore at the University of Maryland, where she is playing for the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Terrapins, getting good playing time coming off the bench.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

The Baltimore County girls field hockey championships scheduled for Thursday have been postponed to Monday, Oct. 19. The JV game will be played at 4 p.m.and the varsity game at 7 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be played at Lansdowne High.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Archbishop Spalding field hockey coach Leslee Brady e-mailed on Tuesday to say two of her former players are being inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame on Friday.

"It's not often that field hockey players are inducted," Brady said. "It's a rather obscure sport."

The two former players being inducted during the school's homecoming game are defender Maureen Brady Doran from the 2003 team and forward Erin Kelly, who graduated in 2004.

Brady said both players were captains of their teams, all-county, all-metro, all-conference and all-state players.

What she didn't say until much later, when asked just how rare it is for a field hockey player to be inducted, was that Doran is her married daughter, who is joining her older sister and brother in the Spalding Hall of Fame.

Before Doran and Kelly, the last field hockey player named to the hall was Kat Brady Nepp, who graduated in 1998 and was inducted in 2002. Maureen's and Kat's brother Matt, a 1996 graduate, is also in the Spalding Hall of Fame for his performances on the baseball and basketball teams.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

When it comes to tough luck, Severn’s field hockey team knows how to give and receive.

The Admirals are 6-7 this season. Four of those wins — including victories over then-No. 2 Severna Park and No. 15 St. Mary's — and five of the losses were by one goal.

In fact, those five one-goal losses were all to Top 15 teams.

The score book reads like a trip through field hockey’s version of Murderers’ Row: a 1-0 loss to No. 1 Broadneck, a 1-0 loss to No. 2 Garrison Forest, 2-1 to No. 7 Notre Dame Prep, 2-1 to No. 11 Archbishop Spalding and, Monday, a 1-0 loss to NDP, again.

Now comes Wednesday’s 4 p.m. home game against No. 6 Bryn Mawr followed by Friday’s trip to No. 2 Garrison Forest for another rematch.

Sooner or later, you would think the Admirals would have to break free of the one-goal string and go on a scoring binge.

Posted by Sandra McKee at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

At the start of this field hockey season, Fallston was believed to have a very good team. But as three straight losses piled up, no one seemed sure anymore. Cougars coach Megan Grant just kept saying her team had to learn to finish their chances.

In Fallston's fourth game, a comeback victory over No. 7 Hereford, Grant's team finished what it started, beating the bulls, 4-3. Since, they’ve outscored opposing teams 17-2 with four of their past five games being shutouts.

"We played a really tough schedule out of the block," Grant said. "We were working really hard, but we just weren't getting results and we were having a hard time scoring goals. The girls continued to work hard despite our 0-3 record. And then we had a huge come-from-behind first win against a strong Hereford team, and this was the turnaround point for us.

"The girls gained a lot of confidence in themselves and as a team."

Fallston is led by Caitlin Dempsey (nine goals, four assists) and Jenn Ward (six goals, two assists), and has strong leadership in the backfield with Leah Perrotta and Sammi Mosketti and Anne Morgan Milchling in goal.

"The girls are working very hard and will continue to work hard because we have a lot of tough games ahead of us," Grant said. "Our main focus is to keep improving."

Fallston will try to keep its winning streak going Friday against North Harford.

-- Sandra McKee

Posted by Steve Gould at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

One of the best neighborhood rivalries in the entire metro area can be found in Anne Arundel County, where Severna Park and Broadneck have maintained excellent athletic programs throughout the years.

In the next couple days, the rivalry will add new layers with the schools battling it out in a number of sports.

On Thursday, the No. 3 Broadneck volleyball team will travel to No. 5 Severna Park for a 5 p.m. match.

Later on Thursday, Broadneck's newly-anointed No. 1 field hockey team also visits Severna Park to take on the No. 3 and defending Class 4A state champ Falcons at 7 p.m.

On Friday, boys soccer takes center stage when the No. 2 Falcons travel to No. 4 Broadneck at 7 p.m.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Boys soccer, Field hockey, Volleyball
        

The No. 1 Garrison Forest field hockey team responded like champions after its first loss of the season, when it beat a determined No. 10 Archbishop Spalding team, 4-1, Wednesday. And Spalding, in defeat, also demonstrated its good character.

The Grizzlies felt the sting of its first defeat Monday in a 2-1 loss to No. 11 Fallston, but coach Traci Davis saw her precocious freshman Brooke Adler score three goals Wednesday and the rest of her team settle down after the upset loss.

"We talked about some things that had to improve," Davis said, declining to reveal most of them. "One thing was our passing. Fallston took us out of our game and out of our rhythm."

Against Spalding, Davis had her team return to basics: completing passes; keeping the ball low. "Making each other look good," she said. "And having fun."

Ah, yes. Fun. It's a game, after all. But the desire to win can sometime become as intense as it is on higher levels.

"Sometimes you forget to have fun," Davis said. "Against Spalding, everyone had fun."

You could see it in their faces -- even in the faces of the Spalding players, who laughed after hard hits, and got to celebrate a goal near the end of the 4-1 affair, demonstrating they would not give up.

And when it was all over, the sound of sportsmanship sounded like the buzz of happy bees, as the two teams walked past each other clasping hands and saying in repetitious unison, "Good game!', Good game!', "Good game!'

Posted by Sandra McKee at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

The Friends field hockey team (0-4-1) is still looking for its first victory of the season, and for goalie Hannah Gartner, a win can't come soon enough.

Friends coach Judy Turnbaugh said her goalie "is totally awesome", but Gartner, a 16-year-old junior in her third year as the varsity team's goalie, said she isn't finding much joy in being a standout player when her team doesn't win.

"When I make a lot of saves, it means the other teams are dominating, and that's not good," said Gartner, who has recorded 91 saves in five games this season, with the high a 27-save performance in a 3-0 loss to No. 13 McDonogh. "Sometimes I feel the pressure down at our end because I want us to win."

Gartner has been a goalie since she was in sixth grade and acknowledges that she might have gotten bored with the position had her teams totally dominated play and left her to idly man the net with little to do. But that's not the way her playing days have gone. There has always been action around her net.

Which might explain why she is so very good at stopping shots.

"I try to be aggressive," Gartner said, "and I think one of my strengths is making quick decisions. Of just knowing when to stay up and when to go down. Talking to the girls around me helps, too. My defense really helps me."

Gartner said her team is getting better. After an 0-3 start in which Friends allowed eight goals, the team has played its past two opponents very tough, playing to a 2-2 overtime tie with John Carroll and then losing in overtime to Park, 1-0.

Friends will try again for its first victory tomorrow at Seton Keough.

"In the past I've always liked the action in goal," she said. "But now, on varsity, I love when we're dominating play because what I want most is for us to win."

— Sandra McKee

Posted by Sandra McKee at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey
        

Roland Park will host its annual Sally E.Nyborg Field Hockey Invitational Saturday, an event which has drawn some of the best field hockey teams in the Baltimore-Washington area since it began in 1998. Teams will play for a good cause -- to raise money for lupus research.

Nyborg, a Reds field hockey player, died of complications from lupus in the spring of her junior year of 1998 and the tournament began the following fall.

Competition opens at 9 a.m. with Roland Park taking on No. 6 Westminster followed by No. 2 Severna Park vs. No. 10 Fallston at 11:15, Bethesda-Chevy Chase vs. St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes at 11:30 and Fallston vs. Westminster at 12:45. Two games will be played simultaneously at 2:15 to cap off the day: Severna Park vs. BCC and Roland Park vs. St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes.

The four public school teams -- Severna Park, BCC, Fallston and Westminster -- have won 48 state championships among them with Severna Park taking a record 18. Roland Park has won three IAAM A Conference titles since 2002 and St. Stephen's/St. Agnes,f rom Alexandria, Va., is a perennial Washington, D.C. private schools powerhouse.

Here is more information about the tournament. This news release comes from Roland Park’s communications department:

On May 17, 1998, Sally Elizabeth Nyborg, a varsity field hockey player and a member of the Class of 1999 at Roland Park Country School, died from complications caused by lupus. A very bright and energetic teenager, Sally challenged herself in all aspects of her life, including field hockey - her passion. She participated in the U.S. Futures Program and relished the challenge of learning and competing with some of the area’s best high school athletes. Sally also loved to run and to help others, demonstrated by the $1,800 she raised for the Leukemia Society by running in the Marine Corps Marathon in October, 1997. All who knew Sally marveled at her work ethic and her dedication to academics, sports and all that she pursued. In Sally’s memory, and as a fundraiser for the Hopkins Lupus Research Fund, Sally’s parents, grandparents, friends and classmates established an endowment to underwrite the annual Sally E. Nyborg Invitational Field Hockey Tournament.

Anyone wishing to respond to the fight against lupus should contact:
Hopkins Lupus Research Fund
1830 East Monument Street
Suite 7500
Baltimore, Maryland 21205

*An earlier version incorrectly reported the percentage of concession proceeds to be donated.

Posted by Katherine Dunn at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Field hockey