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)
        

Kristen Schmidbauer, an All-Metro midfielder and 2010 Glenelg graduate who helped lead the Gladiators to two girls soccer state championships, has transferred to Maryland after spending her freshman season playing at UNC-Greensboro. She will have three years of eligibility with the Terps. Schmidbauer enjoyed an impressive freshman season at UNC-Greensboro, leading the Southern Conference with 10 goals and six assists for 26 points, earning second-team all-league status. At Glenelg, where she was on the honor roll for all four years, she played a major role in state championship seasons in 2007 and 2008.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The Chesapeake Charge is set to begin its second season in the Women's Premier Soccer League on Saturday. They will host Pennsylvania-based FC Bucks at Arundel High. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

The Charge, guided by former Mercy coach Albert Oni, will play a 10-game regular-season schedule that includes five homes games. Among the area standouts on the rosters are midfielder and captain Kelly Hammond (St. Mary's/Virginia), forward Brittany Hadaway (Institute of Notre Dame/Towson), forward Lily Boleyn (Centennial/Clemson), defender Annesia Faulkner (St. Vincent Pallotti/Maryland), defender Jessica Hnatiuk (John Carroll/Johns Hopkins), forward Kristen Schmidbauer (Glenelg/North Carolina-Greensboro). Newcomers include defender/midfielder Alexa Quaranta (Perry Hall), forward Alexis Prior-Brown (Mercy) and goalie Kristen Mumby (Marriotts Ridge).

Visit the team's official website at http://www.chesapeakecharge.com for more information.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Maryvale Prep senior soccer standout Gabrielle Tana has signed to play at Loyola University.

Tana, a four-year starter at midfield, earned second-team All-Metro honors after finishing with seven goals and six assists in the fall.

Tana also was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) 2010 Girls High School Scholar All-America Team. To be selected, players must be seniors with a minimum 3.75 cumulative grade-point average and have exhibited excellence in high school soccer.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

High school soccer fans have plenty of options to find some fine games with a number of championship games slated on Tuesday.

Here's a look:

Baltimore County Championships at Franklin High: Boys -- No. 6 Perry Hall vs. Loch Raven, 5 p.m.; Girls -- No. 10 Perry Hall vs. Dulany, 7.

District V Championships at Meade High: Boys -- No. 1 Wilde Lake vs. No. 2 Arundel, 5; Girls -- No. 5 Severna Park vs. No. 6 Marriotts Ridge, 7.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference at Bel Air: Girls -- No. 4 C. Milton Wright vs. Patterson Mill; Boys -- No. 13 Bel Air vs. No. 15 Patterson Mill.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Boys soccer, Girls soccer
        

Maryvale Prep and Institute of Notre Dame will square off in a girls soccer game set for 4 p.m. Friday at Loyola College's new Ridley Athletic Complex.

It's the first part of a high school/college doubleheader with the Loyola's women's team hosting Mount St. Mary's at 7 p.m.

For the high school players, it's a great opportunity to play in a college atmosphere and also showcase their skills as the head coaches for both colleges will be on hand to scout the talent.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

It doesn't happen often -- when two opponents square off have the same team nickname -- but it can provide some entertaining and interesting reactions when it does.

On Tuesday afternoon, Perry Hall was hosting Reservoir in a well-played girls soccer game.

When the home team was all together in its huddle preparing to take the field for the start of the game, the players enthusiastically chanted 'Gators!' in unison. It was funny to see a couple Reservoir players look over in astonishment before realizing the teams shared the nickname.

Seconds later the Reservoir players roared "Gators' and took to the field. As for the fans in the stands, one of the visitors supporters cheered 'Go blue Gators!' while a home team fan played along, saying 'Our Gators are better!' Turns out, the visiting Gators went home happy with a 5-2 win.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

There have been plenty of standout performances in the girls soccer playoffs so far, but Reservoir senior forward Stephanie Zaycer stood out in the crowd this weekend as she helped the Gators advance to their first Class 3A state championship game.

In the team's 2-0 semifinal win over Hereford, Zaycer battled hard to win a ball in the right corner before sending a perfect pass in front that led to the game-winning goal early in the second half. Later in the half, she headed home a header in front for insurance.

What's special about Zaycer's performance was the work she put in long before the second half of Saturday's win. The senior barely saw playing time in the beginning of the season at midfield, but when coach Josh Sullivan was looking for some help at striker midway through, Zaycer jumped at the chance.

"In the middle of the season, I was working my butt off at practice and I started getting more playing time as the season went on. And then finally near the end of the season, I really picked it up and for the playoffs I've started," she said.

After creating some fine scoring chances in the first half only to see shots go off the post or stopped by Hereford goalie Kelsey Wirtz, Zaycer stayed with it in the second half to find a big reward at the end of the day.

"Steph is a great story because she didn't play a whole lot at the beginning of the year and about halfway through I was searching for another striker," Sullivan said. "The last six or seven games, she's been unbelievable. She's the workhorse."

The Gators will play Tuscarora in Thursday's state final set for 5 p.m. at UMBC. The teams met in a season-opening tournament and the Gators came away with a 2-1 win. Zaycer didn't see any time in that game, but she will certainly be a factor this time around.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The Mercy girls soccer team battled through adversity all through the year but still managed to be playing on the season’s final day — losing valiantly to defending champ and No. 1 Archbishop Spalding in Sunday’s Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game.

The No. 3 Magic (12-5-3) learned two standout players had transferred just before the start of the season and then overcame various injuries and illnesses along the way. One thing that was never missing from the team was leadership, thanks to senior center midfielder and captain Jordan Stenger.

Over the summer, Stenger’s father got a job in San Diego, but instead of moving away immediately, she and her mother, who had a baby a few weeks ago, stayed in Baltimore so she could play her last season at Mercy. Stenger played a pivotal role in the Magic’s playoff run, helping control the middle of the field in a 1-0 upset of then-No. 2 McDonogh in the quarterfinals before doing the same in a 1-0 shootout win over Notre Dame Prep in the semifinals. After giving 100 percent in a 2-0 loss to Spalding on Sunday, she was packed and ready to go to San Diego, leaving Tuesday.

“The family separated so Jordan could play the season for the team. She led us all season long, and it was unbelievable to watch,” Mercy coach Albert Oni said.

-- Glenn Graham

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The IAAM girls soccer championship games this weekend have been changed from their previously scheduled times. The C Conference championship between Annapolis Area Christian School and St. Timothy's will now take place at 4 p.m. Saturday at Archbishop Spalding with the A and B title games set for Sunday at Gerstell Academy in Finksburg. The A Conference championship between Spalding and Mercy will now start at 1 p.m. with the B title game -- St. John's vs. Bryn Mawr -- to follow at 3 p.m.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Archbishop Spalding junior goalkeeper Jocelyn McCoy, The Sun's female athlete of the week, was named the ESPN RISE magazine girls soccer player of the week. McCoy is 17-0-1 with 14 shutouts this season for the No. 1 Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN RISE. Spalding, the defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champions, are set to play host to No. 10 John Carroll in Thursday's semifinal round. Game time is 3:45 p.m.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Crammed in its own end for the first 15 minutes of Tuesday's Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference quarterfinal against No. 2 McDonogh, you wouldn't blame the Mercy girls soccer team for surrendering as shot after shot was directed at its goal. After all, the Eagles had beaten the Magic, 3-0, less than a week ago and also eliminated it in last year's playoffs.

Instead the Magic showed poise, making some slight adjustments to even the playing field and have a chance.

After sophomore midfielder Lexie Niedoba cleanly struck a free kick from 25 yards, inches past the McDonogh wall and just inside the near post, the Magic had a 1-0 lead with 20 minutes to play. More strong defense protected the lead and the Magic moved on to Thursday's semifinal round at Notre Dame Prep.

Mercy coach Albert Oni, who praised the play of center midfielder Jordan Stenger, said last year's playoff experience against McDonogh, a 1-0 semifinal setback that was decided late in the game, played a big role in Tuesday's outcome.

"I think it shows the character of our kids," he said. "The experience last year is what has driven us all season. Win, lose or draw you can't take away that experience we gained and the kids knew they could play with McDonogh."

Posted by Glenn Graham at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The District V soccer championships -- originally scheduled to be played today at Long Reach -- have been moved to Arundel High; the times have not changed. The girls game -- Severna Park vs. Reservoir -- will take place at 5 p.m., followed by the boys game -- Severna Park vs. Marriotts Ridge -- at 7.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It is often said that defense wins championships, whatever the sport. The No. 5 Reservoir girls soccer team can thank two defenses for helping it win its first Howard County championship last week.

The Gators have been in a season-long battle with Glenelg and River Hill for county bragging rights that continued to the regular-season's final game.

As it turned out, fellow county foes Centennial and Marriotts Ridge also had a big say. On Thursday, Centennial tied Glenelg, 0-0, through 100 minutes of play. On Friday, Marriotts Ridge proved stingy in a 0-0 double overtime tie against River Hill.

With those two 0-0 results, Reservoir (11-2-1) finished first with a 9-2 county mark, while Glenelg and River Hill were a tad behind with 8-2-1 records. The Gators earned the right to take on Anne Arundel County champ Severna Park in the District V championship at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Long Reach.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The girls soccer game between No. 7 Mercy at No. 2 McDonogh has been postponed. The Magic will meet the Eagles on Tuesday.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

With an ideal blend of experienced players and impact newcomers, the City girls soccer team is on the verge of capturing the Baltimore City championship.

The Knights, under second-year coach Sedrick Smith, are 7-1-1 this season after winning just three games last year. A win against WEB Dubois on Monday would wrap up the league championship with perennial powers Western and Poly each having two losses.

Smith said a number of things have factored in the team's successful turnaround. First and foremost was newfound interest. He had 40 players try out for the team this year.

"I also teach at the school and I just passed along feelers. Any girl I would see, I would ask if they were interested in playing soccer," he said.

Continue reading "City girls soccer aims high" »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Alexis Prior-Brown has been clutch for the Mercy girls soccer team all season with 10 goals, but her effort last week was even more timely. In three games, Prior-Brown provided two game-winning goals and a key insurance goal in three Mercy wins.

She started the week with a game-winning goal with five minutes left in a 2-1 win over St. Mary's; then scored an overtime goal in a 1-0 win over Dulaney before closing out the week with an insurance goal in the closing minute of a 2-0 victory against Fallston.

The three wins boosted the Magic's record to 6-3-3 this season. Earlier in the year, Prior-Brown enjoyed a thee-goal, one-assist effort against Loch Raven in a 4-3 win.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Turns out the McDonogh boys soccer team had a short run as the nation's No. 1 team.

After taking over the top spot in the ESPN Rise and NSCAA polls last week -- the first time the program has ever reached No. 1 in either -- the Eagles were upset, 2-1, by Mount St. Joseph on Friday.

McDonogh dropped to 13th in the ESPN poll and 17th in the NSCAA. Today's game against visiting Archbishop Curley, set for 4 p.m. at McDonogh, was postponed until tomorrow with the game time set for 4:15.

The Archbishop Spalding girls also were ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA, but dropped to fourth after a scoreless tie against Good Counsel last week. The Cavaliers are No. 10 in the ESPN rankings.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Boys soccer, Girls soccer
        

With goals hard to come by in the first few games for the Notre Dame Prep girls soccer team, senior midfielder Laura Dalesio approached coach Chris Lopez one day before practice with a simple suggestion: Move me to forward.

Soon after, a steady flow of goals were coming and so were the wins. And with a senior-laden team beaming with confidence, the Blazers are in the midst of a 7-2-1 season that includes a 4-2-1 mark in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference going into Tuesday's game against Seton Keough.

Dalesio has brought tireless energy up front, scoring five goals to lead a balanced attack. The switch moved Jade Petrucci to midfield, where she is providing sound technical play to connect with the front line.

"The transition between the midfield and our forwards has really been the difference and our senior leadership has come to the front," Lopez said.

Midfielder Gabby Herman and forward Kirkland Locey -- two of 10 seniors -- also have played a big role in the team's strong play.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champ Spalding and last year's runner-up McDonogh -- ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively throughout the season - have slightly seperated themselves from the deep and talented league.

John Carroll would like to join the party. The No. 4 Patriots (7-1-2) have that chance in the next week. They first visit McDonogh on Friday and then play host to Spalding on Wednesday.

What's it going to take? "Divine intervention," John Carroll coach Gary Lynch joked. On a more serious note, Lynch added: "We'll need to bring our A game back-to-back. It's an exciting opportunity."

The Patriots have a mix of experienced players with talented newcomers who immediately blended playing a different style from year's past. They like to rattle opponents with pressure on the ball and -- when they have it -- stay poised in getting up the field with short passes. Veterans Colleen O'Connell (eight goals, five assists) and Mel Lookingland (five goals, seven assists) have been providing most of the scoring.

Lynch said he has a handle as to where his team is and knows what they are capable of. The key will be how well the young players respond to the pressures of the big games.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Friday's showcase girls soccer game -- No. 1 Archbishop Spalding at No. 2 McDonogh -- lived up to its potential and more. It had everything: creative play on offense, tight marking on defense and some fine play from the goalies.

The visiting Cavaliers, defending Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champs, came away with a 1-0 win when midfielder Francesca Springer neatly placed a shot to the far post from a tough angle with five minutes to play.

It was a rematch of last year's title game -- a 2-0 Spalding win. While John Carroll, Mercy and some other quality IAAM foes would like to have a say, it would be no surprise to see the same two teams in this year's title game.

Just how big was Friday's game? A Direct TV blimp was hovering above for a few minutes in the first half.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The No. 1 Archbishop Spalding girls soccer team, the defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champions, has already had its share of tight games in its 6-0 start.

Both No. 5 South River and Eastern Tech took the Cavaliers to overtime, their opener against No. 8 Severna Park was scoreless at the half before a 3-0 win, and in their league opener at No. 7 Mercy on Wednesday, the champs earned a 2-1 win.

Spalding coach Bob Dieterle said this early season has been reminiscent of last year when the Cavs won a number of overtime games.

"It's a good thing and that's what I tell the kids," Dieterle said. "It builds character and mental toughness, and helps you prepare for the bigger games later in the season."

In this week's ESPN RISE Top 50 poll, Spalding moved from No. 5 to No. 3, while IAAM foe McDonogh cracked the top ten at No. 8. The Eagles, who were ranked No. 14 last week, made the jump after knocking off then-No. 3 Pennington Prep (NJ), 2-0, at the McDonogh Tournament on Saturday.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

When the referee at Monday's Glenelg-Reservoir girls soccer game didn't have a quarter for the pre-game coin toss, he used a pencil as a replacement.

He threw it up and the direction it landed determined which team got to choose taking the ball.

Turns out the referee put the pencil to good use the rest of the game as he issued five yellow cards, mostly for language, with no serious issues developing.

The host and No. 6 Gladiators came away with a sturdy 3-0 win over upstart Reservoir, which came into the game ranked sixth.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

Today's girls soccer game between No. 9 Reservoir and No. 7 Glenelg has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game has been rescheduled for Monday at Glenelg at 5:30 p.m.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

South River girls soccer coach John Sis, along with most other coaches, loves to challenge his team with a tough early season schedule. Of course, he would like to win every game, but he feels there's much more to be gained from seeing how his team stacks up against a quality opponent.

This past weekend, the Seahawks took defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champ Spalding to overtime before falling, 1-0. On Wednesday, the Hawks traveled to Class 3A runner-up Fallston and were able to sneak away with a 1-0 win.

"The quality of our players are basically due to them, their club coaches and parents. So basically, what we're trying to do is just maybe find weaknesses and see where we can maybe tweak things a little bit to improve on things," Sis said.

Continue reading "Early-season soccer tests proving worthwhile" »

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The Baltimore Bays youth soccer club has established itself as a national power, consistently winning national championships in a number of age groups in recent years.

The club's success also paid dividends for a number of area high schools as 37 freshmen players -- girls and boys -- have earned varsity roster spots from 24 schools.

Here's a look at the Bays' players looking to make an immediate impact for their respective high schools.

Girls

Notre Dame Prep

Casey Clarke - U15 Bays Chelsea

Simona Parravano - U14 Bays Chelsea

Catholic 

Alexis Siejack- U14 Bays Chelsea

John Carroll

Kiana Wright - U14 Bays Chelsea

Mercy

Alex Pryor - U15 Bays Chelsea

Dulaney

Olivia O'Brien - U14 Bays Chelsea

Northeast

Jessie Smith - U14 Bays Chelsea

North Harford

Meaghan Root - U15 Bays Chelsea

Rising Sun

Brooke Thompson - U15 Bays Chelsea

Haley Wisner- U15 Bays Chelsea

Maryvale

Darcy Wood - U15 Bays Chelsea

Kenwood

Brianna Gilliam - U14 Bays Chelsea

Allison Tarr - U14 Bays Chelsea

Boys

McDonogh

Jacob McHugh - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Matt Sanchez - U15 Bays Chelsea

Matt Barth - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Loyola

Michael DeGraffenreidt - U15 Bays Chelsea

Jeremy DeGraffenreidt - U15 Bays Chelsea

Tony Butta - U15 Bays Chelsea

Gilman

Tanner Vosvick - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Anthony Kim - U15 Bays Chelsea

Archbishop Curley

Anthony Driscoll- U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Michael Sauers - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Kyle Hunt - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Christian Kershaw - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

PJ Koscher - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Brad Warenicz - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

John Carroll

Caleb Anderson- U15 Bays Blues

Friends 

Connor Finn- U15 Bays Blue Lions

Urbana

Paul Windsor- U15 Bays Chelsea

Howard

Wesley Furr- U15 Bays United

Mount Hebron

Lucas Rose- U15 Bays Blues

Centennial

Peter Vorel - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

St John's College

Sam Davis - U14 Bays Chelsea Academy

Bullis

Jonathan Barron - U15 Bays Chelsea

Edmund Burke

Romy Hernandez- U15 Bays Chelsea

Bel Air

Nat Hand - U15 Bays Blues

Posted by Glenn Graham at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Alexa and Preslie Quaranta, who enjoyed standout freshmen seasons at Mercy last year, will be playing soccer at Perry Hall this fall.

The two gifted midfielders, who earned All-Baltimore City honors last season, will provide a big boost to the Gators' offense, while Mercy has to try to fill in the blanks.

Mercy coach Albert Oni said he learned just around practice first began this season that the two were moving on. The Magic made an impressive run to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference semifinals last season and now have six returning starters instead of eight.

The addition of the Quaranta sisters could put already-solid Perry Hall over the top in Baltimore County and a force in the Class 4A ranks.

The Quaranta sisters are cousins of D.C. United's Santino Quaranta, a former Archbishop Curley standout.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer
        

The ESPN RISE national girls soccer rankings are out, and defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champ Archbishop Spalding and league runner-up McDonogh both placed in the top 20. Spalding, with a dominating defense and plenty of depth everywhere, comes in ranked sixth, while the Eagles, under first-year coach Harry Cannellakis, are No. 19.

Posted by Glenn Graham at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Girls soccer