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For the first time in her 16-year tenure as Bethesda-Chevy Chase's field hockey coach, Amy Wood saw a senior class finish its career without winning at least one state championship.

Despite that, Wood — who has won 10 state crowns during that time — walked away from a 2-0 3A state semifinal loss Nov. 5 to Fallston with a sense of pride and satisfaction normally reserved for those squads lofting trophies high into the air.

Why? This year's squad overcame a brutal start to win its 15th regional championship under Wood's direction. After opening with a 5-1 win against Holton-Arms, the Barons (13-5 final record) dropped a 2-1 decision to Good Counsel before losing a pair of tournament matches to St. Stephen's/St. Agnes (3-0) and eventual Class 4A state champion Severna Park (4-0) to begin the season 1-3.

B-CC's record stood at an uncharacteristic 4-4 following a 2-1 setback to Damascus on Sept. 24, but it finished the season by winning nine of its final 10 matches. The only loss came to Harford County's Fallston (19-1), which went on to capture the 3A state crown for the second-straight year and 11th overall Saturday at Washington College Saturday.

"We weren't very good at the beginning of the year," Wood said. "I think [our finish] is a tribute to the girls. This is my first senior class not to win a state championship in my 16 years, but I'm tickled to death because they became a team and we did make it back to the state tournament. The kids earned it this year. It's one of my most satisfying years."

Keeping the team together in the beginning while flourishing in the end were Clare Becker (16 goals, 20 assists), Catherine Mirsky (7 goals, 16 assists) and Mimmy Wenzel (13 goals), a transfer from Holton-Arms.

"We may not be .500 without [Mirsky]," Wood said. "She instills confidence in her teammates, which is really nice to see."

Fallston, however, was just a little bit better in the state semifinal, punching in a penalty-corner goal in each half to end B-CC's season with a loss for the second-straight year. The Cougars defeated the Barons, 1-0, in double overtime in last year's 3A state final.

"They were good; they were very aggressive," Wood said. "I told my girls they had a little more experience than us and it showed. Both their goals were great. It wasn't like last year when the [winning shot] barely crossed the line. … I told the girls we lost to a really good team tonight."