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After subpar ’05, county teams look to make a state-ment

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo file photo The bad news: Springbook lost nine seniors from last year’s 4A state finalist team. The good news: 13 seniors return, including All-Gazette first-team selection Hanh Nguyen (left) as the Blue Devils take another crack at a state title.

The failure to win a state title has only happened three times since the 1987 season. The county has won a total of 24 state titles since the tournament’s inception in 1975.

Also 2005 saw the end of Bethesda-Chevy Chase’s 18-year run of regional titles. The Barons have won 13 state titles since 1988 but dropped a 1-0 decision to South Carroll in the 3A West Region final. Poolesville and Churchill did reach the Class 1A and 4A state semifinals, respectively, but did not go further. With the return of some solid lineups at B-CC, Quince Orchard, Springbrook, and Poolesville among others, a second straight disappointing year on the field hockey field for the county is not likely.

On the private-school level, Good Counsel did have a good 2005 season winning its second consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship.

Here’s how the teams in this area stack up:

Springbrook had the best season, in terms of playoff success, of any public-school field hockey team in 2005, reaching the 4A state final before losing, 3-0, to South River.

The Blue Devils (14-3 last year) lost nine seniors from that squad but 13 seniors will step up to take their place, including All-Gazette first-team selections Lauren Kessler and Hanh Nguyen.

Kessler, who poured in 17 goals with five assists on attack a year ago, will transition to become the team’s starting goalkeeper. She is anything but green at the position, having manned the goal during Junior Olympic competition. Nguyen returns to anchor the team’s defense

‘‘We have several people in new positions,” said Springbrook coach Kearney Francis, who guided the program to its first state title in 2003. ‘‘We’ve been somewhat creative. It’s going to be an interesting season. We’ll do a lot of playing around and see what works.”

Other key players are center midfielder Danica Gordon, senior forward Yuri Sin (9 goals, 6 assists in 2005) and senior defender Carly Gordon, Danica’s twin sister.

While Springbrook came up just short of capturing its second state title, Good Counsel defeated St. John’s, 2-1, to secure its second consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship. Just two key seniors graduated off that squad, meaning the Falcons should once again challenge for WCAC supremacy this fall. Leading the way will be junior midfielder Mary Swarthout, senior forward Ashley Stodter, junior forward Lauren Wilson, junior midfielder⁄forward Mary Ann Kuzma, senior forward Lizzie Kusbit and sophomore defenders Julianne Grothe and Monica Baumgartner.

‘‘I think we’re coming in very strong,” head coach Kelly Stodter said. ‘‘We have a lot of good athletes who are in very good shape. Physically and mentally, they’re ready to play. Our defense should be tenacious.”

Holy Cross will look to challenge Good Counsel’s run for a three-peat after a successful season that ended with a disappointing loss in the WCAC tournament semifinals. The Tartans (9-7, 7-1 WCAC), guided by long-time county coach Candy Thurman, won the regular-season title and gained the tournament’s top seed, but was upset by fourth-seeded St. John’s (5-8) in the semifinals.

Several players return from last year’s squad, which was denied its third straight trip to the WCAC final, including junior forward⁄midfielder Christina Benedetti, senior midfielder Lizzie Whisman and senior forward⁄midfielder Meghan Squier.

‘‘We’re in far better shape than last year,” Thurman said. ‘‘They worked hard during the off-season and went to camp. They’re excited. We’ll be real competitive in the WCAC.”

The Tartans won their first WCAC title in 2003 and then fell on penalty strokes to Good Counsel in the 2004 final.

Of all the teams in the area, Einstein had perhaps the most surprising season in 2005. The struggling program, which had not won a playoff game since 2000, compiled an 8-6 record and reached the 3A West Region semifinals before falling to B-CC.

The Titans will be hard-pressed to continue that success this season, despite returning two of its best scorers in senior forward Alycia Papa (12 goals) and senior midfielder⁄forward Madelyn Giblin (8 goals).

‘‘This is a rebuilding year for us as we graduated the entire defense and leading midfielder from last year’s squad,” Einstein coach Suzanne Murray said. ‘‘The team is very new, and thus trying to find its own identity. We will need to generate a lot of offense to win games, as well as play good fundamental hockey.”

Besides Papa and Giblin, Murray returns senior defenders Kerry Bowen and Samantha Frank, senior midfielder Rachel Kopilow and senior goalkeeper Hannah Turner.

Public-school Division II rivals Magruder and Paint Branch are also looking to rebuild from some heavy graduation losses, but both head coaches feel each team will remain competitive.

Of the two squads, Magruder (11-5 in 2005), which reached the 4A South Region final, has the best chance of bouncing back with the return of some key senior leaders in forwards Jane Cook and Kristie Blumer, midfielder Allison Kimball and senior defender Eileen Keller.

‘‘We graduated some strong seniors but we’ve got some good seniors coming right back,” long-time Colonels coach Kathleen Mulholland said, ‘‘and we have good players filling in.”

Paint Branch dropped below .500 at 5-8 after compiling an 8-6 record the year before, but coach Dan Feher believes a formation change could help spark the team offensively.

‘‘We’re not very deep, carrying 15 players through the preseason, but will be looking to have a more offense-minded approach,” Feher said. ‘‘We’ve switched to a new alignment that should help us utilize strong midfield skills and help create more scoring opportunities.

‘‘We’ll continue to maintain our foundation of defense first, but look to push the offensive end a little more aggressively. We’re looking forward to the new season and are holding ourselves to high expectations.”

Paint Branch’s fortunes rest on the shoulders of veterans Stacey Markham, Christine Craddock and Molly Hubscher, the team’s goalkeeper.

Blake looks to cope with life after head coach Shella Burch and last year’s talented senior corps of seniors Rachel Schexnayder, Samantha Hanagan and Megan Hanagan, along with 12 others. But the leader of the transition does have a familiar face in former junior-varsity coach Janis Maloney.

Maloney inherits a squad that compiled 21 wins the past two seasons under Burch, the only coach in the program’s brief eight-year history. She, of course, is familiar with the players, having coached them at the junior-varsity level in recent years. Senior co-captains Molly Wannen (midfield) will guide the Bengals, along with Lauren Shuman (defense) and senior forward Sammy Allen.

‘‘I know them very well,” Maloney said. ‘‘We do have some very talented athletes. It’s a young team but I still think we’ll have a very good year.”

Sherwood took some key hits through graduation but second-year coach Amy Morse brings back a strong core of seniors in Carly Willson, Staci Berkheimer, Sheelagh Bates, Amanda Burton, Maggie Veith, Jill Kurnot and Jennie Laing.

‘‘I have extremely high expectations for this team,” Morse said. ‘‘There are so many strong athletes on this team who deeply understand the game and see the big picture ... on the field.”

Wheaton looks to rebound from a tough season that included being shut out in the win column and on the scoreboard, while Northwood, returning to the varsity scene for the first time since 1983 (the school was shut down after the 1983-84 school year and reopened for the 2004-05 school year with only a freshman class, playing a JV schedule for two seasons) reached the state semifinals in 1979 during the school’s first go-around, joins the varsity ranks this season. Kennedy has a new coach in Jaime Ambrosio, a former assistant at Lackey High in Charles County. ‘‘I believe the team has a lot of talent, and the county will get a chance to see it as the season progresses,” she said.