CORRECTION: In Barthelme, Stevenson has found another power source for offense
With Steve Kazimer departing through graduation and Richie Ford hampered by eligibility issues and then a pulled hamstring, the question around Stevenson was which player would pair with senior Jimmy Dailey to power the attack.
The top-ranked Mustangs (15-1) found their answer a long time ago in senior Neal Barthleme Barthelme, who leads the team in goals with 56 and ranks second in points with 71. Barthleme, a Towson native and Dulaney graduate, scored 34 times and assisted on nine others as a midfielder last season.
“Neal’s had a great year,” coach Paul Cantabene said Monday. “He had a great year for us last year, coming off the bench. This year, he’s just made the most of his opportunities. He leads the country in goals scored, and he’s second in the country in points. He’s really made the most of his opportunities, and we really needed someone to step up after the graduation of Kazimer last year, and Neal’s been able to step into that role.”
Barthleme Barthelme, who registered four points on three goals and one assist in the team’s 16-12 victory over No. 3 Salisbury on Saturday, is just three goals shy of the school record set by Ford, who scored 59 times in 2008.
“We knew that he could score,” Cantabene said. “We knew that if we got him to the right spots, he could put the ball away. He has better eyes than most people think, and he’s a better dodger than most people think. I think he got Salisbury one or two times while showing his dodging abilities. So we thought that he could have a big year, and he’s really lived up to what we thought he could do this year.”
Speaking of the aforementioned Kazimer, he lost one school record on Saturday when Dailey scored three goals against the Sea Gulls. Dailey, a Westminster native and Winters Mill graduate, now has 98 points this season, passing the old mark of 96 set by Kazimer.
Senior faceoff specialist Ray Witte, an Annapolis native and St. Peter and Paul graduate who collected 11 ground balls on Saturday, has scooped up 301 ground balls, which is 44 shy of Matt Smoot’s school record.
CORRECTION: I misspelled Neal's last name because I used an incorrect spelling found in the team's media guide. Thanks to Marty Barthelme, Neal's uncle, for pointing out the error. My apologies to Neal, his family and Stevenson.
