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One would be hard-pressed to find more intense competitors than Bethesda-Chevy Chase's Amy Wood and Good Counsel's Kelly Stodter, a pair of championship-winning field hockey coaches.
In fact, it's sometimes more fun to watch them on the sidelines than the match on the field. Each cajoles players and officials alike with flying arms and legs, constructive (and loud) instruction, hair-curling, baby-scaring scowls and even some well-timed leaps in the air.
Such gyrations and continuous instruction are done not to draw attention to themselves, but to push their teams to be the absolute best they can be. For that reason, the pair decided to play rugged non-league schedules every season, including matches against each other two years in a row.
Good Counsel's reason for playing Bethesda-Chevy Chase is obvious, as the Barons have been the standard-bearer for county field hockey teams. They have captured 13 state titles, as Stodter continues to transform her budding program into an area powerhouse.
The Falcons, in fact, have proven to be quick studies. After falling, 5-2, to the Class 3A state runner-up Barons a year ago, Good Counsel worked a 2-1 decision last Thursday in Bethesda behind goals from sisters Shannon and Kelly Lechner. The former, who posted 18 goals a year ago, pushed across the game-winning goal in the second half on a penalty stroke that was awarded when a clear goal was stopped by a defender's body.
"We love to be challenged," Stodter said. "These kids love to be challenged and they rise up to a challenge. That was a very gifted team skill-wise. This will get us ready."
For years, Wood has played private-school teams to better prepare her squad for lengthy postseason runs, as most of B-CC's county games usually result in lopsided victories that don't do much aside from padding the team's individual stats.
The Barons annually play area juggernaut St. Stephen's/St. Agnes (Va.) and Severna Park at the Sally Nyborg tournament at Roland Park — the Barons fell 4-0 to Severna Park Saturday — and in years past, squared off with Baltimore-area powerhouse Bryn Mawr.
Wood's Barons looked poised to pull off another victory against Good Counsel, taking a 1-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the game on a penalty corner goal by senior Catherine Mirsky off a pass from Clare Becker. Mirsky settled the ball quickly and blasted a low shot into the left corner of goal.
The Barons fired off only one more shot the rest of the half, but kept control of the ball for the most part and produced seven penalty corners to their opponents' one. The score was deadlocked at one at halftime, as the Falcons struck on their only shot of the half. Kelly Lechner provided that score, directing in a pass from Julianne Grothe with just less than 10 minutes left in the half.
"We were out-aggressed and out-athleted today," Barons coach Amy Wood said. "We hit the ball around the field, but we had our opportunities and we never took any shots in the circle. They didn't go with the mentality to get every ball and Good Counsel did that. Had they done that, I think, especially in the first half, it would have been a different story but we didn't. …
"I have 15 juniors and three sophomores. We're going to take these lumps as young as we are. They have to have big-game mentality and that's why we play these games."
