SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
Two years ago, Mackenzie Noel was a clumsy freshman, the lone ninth-grader on the Middletown High School girls soccer team.
Perhaps showing off a bit too much for her older teammates, the girl everyone called “Freshy” dribbled a ball while returning from a water break and attempted to complete a series of moves by passing the ball to her coach.
Instead, she tripped, triggering laughter.
Noel has grown plenty since that day. She is now one of Frederick County's top players and scored the game-winning goal in last year's Class 2A state championship game.
Still, her coach and older teammates continue to call her Freshy.
After losing graduated forwards Jenna Caudle and Jacky Kessler — both of whom were voted to the Maryland Association of Coaches of Soccer's All-State team — Middletown has room for new habits. That their 2-1 victory over Glenelg on Oct. 18 turned on a goal by a sophomore and assisted by a freshman (Mary Pritts) wasn't lost on Middletown coach Heather Kline.
“In a way, being nostalgic, you sort of look back at that as sort of the passing of the torch,” Kline said. “I do think that that having happened the way it did was a big boost to those kids. ‘We're here, too. We've been here, we've been doing it and now we have to take that next step.'”
The step just doesn't include changing Noel's nickname, though the team tried “Juny” for about five minutes before returning to the old standby. Another option, “Big Mac,” also fell by the wayside.
But for the first time, the third-year starter can't afford to be a tertiary contributor. Seven of her supporting teammates from a year ago have graduated, but starting central backs Emily Losquardo and Brittney George, a senior and junior, respectively, return, along with senior goalkeeper Rebecca Moore.
“We know we're a different team, and we're really OK with that,” Kline said.
Oakdale Bears
Coach: Mitch Rubin
Outlook: Coaching the team of a newly opened school, Oakdale coach Mitch Rubin said he was relatively unknown by the other coaches at the All-State meeting last season, and that another 1A coach asked, “Does anybody know about this team Oakdale? I know they keep winning.”
“Eh, they're not very good,” Rubin joked.
In fact the Bears, composed entirely of freshmen and sophomores, were good enough to go 18-1 and win the 1A championship.
The bad news is that they move to 2A, per the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association's state reclassification. The good news? All 22 players from a year ago return.
Tuscarora Titans
Coach: Mark Wolcott
Outlook: Wolcott thinks his team is capable of winning the program's second state title in three years.
It starts with junior forward Aaran Parry, whose 34 goals for the Titans rank third in their history.
She is joined by junior midfielder Emily Marshall and Frederick High transfer Jasmine Dao. The Titans (12-3-3) return eight starters overall, including five from 2009 3A state championship team. Senior defenders Kelsey Fletcher and Allison Shankle each are three-year starters, and Elizabeth Ulan returns in goal.
Thomas Johnson Patriots
Coach: Craig Muschik
Outlook: Dependable seniors Kerry Knauss and Erin Jeanneret patrol the midfield and back, respectively. Sophomore back Destiny Ferguson could emerge as a third top-end player, as a recent scrimmage showed Muschik.
“She was amazing,” Muschik said. “She can read the field, read the play. She can clear the ball, she can serve the ball. She takes my corner kicks, my free kicks.”
The Patriots went 16-4-1 last season.
“If we can stay healthy, I don't see us not winning,” Muschik said.
Frederick Cadets
Coach: John Bodnar
Outlook: Frederick has six sophomores expected to play regularly, Bodnar said.
“They're good as sophomores; they're very good,” he said.
The Cadets can no longer rely on Dao, the Tuscarora transfer who led the team in goals the past three years. But they do have junior Maggie Boswell, who is “technically our best player, our smartest player, our smartest field player tactically,” Bodnar said.
Brunswick Railroaders
Coach: David Herber
Outlook: The 1A program won six games last year, matching a program high, and striker Dara Demich is the team's all-time leading scorer.
But they're not settling. The Railroaders return 11 players, and Demich — who set the team's single-season record for goals — is just a junior.
“This is probably the most skilled team we've had at Brunswick in the seven I've been associated with the program,” Herber said.
Catoctin Cougars
Coach: Mark Olson
Outlook: Olson scored a lot of goals for Urbana coach Chuck Nichols 30 years ago, and the first-year head man brings a predictable style to his post.
“The game to me is the most exciting, as a player and from a fan's perspective, when there are goals scored,” Olson said.
But surprisingly, Olson began his tenure with the Cougars (5-8-1) by preaching defense. He has four captains to put his plans into action: seniors Caroline Grossweiler in net; inside midfielder Tara Woelfel; central defender Tori Eyle and sophomore captain and midfielder Hayley Crum.
Saint John's Catholic Prep Vikings
Coach: Sheldon Henry
Outlook: As a freshman, Marial Pierce scored a couple of goals in her first varsity match. Playing basketball later that year, she made a pair of game-winning free throws with no time on the clock.
From the onset, nothing phased her ... almost. Speaking to a reporter after her first soccer match, Pierce got rattled answering questions.
Now a senior, Pierce is comfortable leading the Vikings' (10-9) group of eight returning seniors, five of whom started last year.
South Carroll Cavaliers
Coach: Andrew Issaco
Outlook: When senior defender Jessa DiTullo sees Issaco, she always gives him a high-five. It doesn't matter if she's walking down the school halls, coming to practice or recovering from a concussion.
“She's got the most positive attitude of anybody,” Issaco said.
She also leads the Cavaliers' revamped defense.
All-State first-team goalkeeper Erin Quinn graduated, but senior netminder Amy Beyer joins DiTullo and back Julia Baca on a team that went 10-1-2 a year ago.
Linganore Lancers
Coach: Howard Putterman
Outlook: Putterman has a lot to like about his team this year, and most of his satisfaction stems from central midfielder Tiffany Burba, a fourth-year starter.
“She deferred to the seniors from last year for three years,” Putterman said, “and she is out to make it her team this year.”
Tess Johnson and Morgan Cary will start at outside wing, but central backs Meghan Schleimer and Suzanne Kuhrmann will key Linganore's back third and be “the anchor of my defense,” Putterman said. He also expects offensive output from Marcella Fegler and Melanie Woods.
The Lancers finished 10-4-2 a year ago.
Glenelg Gladiators
Coach: Dean Sheridan
Outlook: The Gladiators reached the 2A championship game last season, and Sheridan thinks his team can reach that level again.
Glenelg returns outside midfielder Danielle Burris, backs Megan Patowski and Casey Vantucci and fourth-year starting goaltender Brooke Carey.
“Certainly, we have good pieces to put into place,” Sheridan said. “Whether or not they all function in the right place or not, supposedly that's my job to get that to work.”
Urbana Hawks
Coach: Chuck Nichols
Outlook: For the first time, Nichols gave his team the Cooper test in preseason, which assesses how far someone can run in 12 minutes.
He didn't need previous results to know junior midfielder Jenny Marshall would have fared much worse in the last two years.
She completed 7.25 laps, enough to show she's healthy for the first time with the Hawks. Marshall has produced many special moments, but never an injury-free season.
“She has great vision,” Nichols said. “She understands the rhythm and flow of the game.”
Urbana (11-6) also returns three fourth-year starters: Kelsey Klein, Sarah Micol and Devon White. Marshall could take the Hawks to a different level.
Walkersville
Coach: Bradley Grimes
Outlook: Under first-year coach Grimes, the Lions will attempt to improve on last year's 6-10 record.
sports@gazette.net