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March 15, 2006
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 As
the start of a new high-school girls lacrosse season in Montgomery County
looms, there is some benefit in looking at the past. Last season, for the
first time in several years, Whitman was not the county’s representative
in a state semifinal game. In fact, the Vikings were defeated in a semifinal
round of the regional playoffs, by Walter Johnson, which then beat Sherwood,
10-9, in double overtime, in the 4A-3A West Region final. Though the Wildcats
lost to eventual state champion Dulaney in a semifinal game in Annapolis
the fact that a new team represented the county illustrated a measure of
parity in the region. ‘‘That was big,” Walter Johnson coach Bill Euler
said. ‘‘Not that it was necessarily us. Quince Orchard, Damascus, there
are other teams in the county that are becoming more skilled. We’re coming
along, and we’re getting closer to [the rest of Maryland]. It’s a baby
step.”
Many girls that play on the more competitive teams around the county are involved in year-round lacrosse programs. Almost every member of Sherwood’s team participated in an indoor lacrosse league at the Rockville SportsPlex this winter. Girls are participating in club programs like the Maryland Stars, and the Jackals, the high-school-level club team of Champions of Tomorrow, coached by Good Counsel’s head coach, Mike Haight. ‘‘The level of the girls in the club programs over the summer versus the girls not in clubs is extraordinary,” he said. ‘‘The only way that the county will catch up is if girls start playing year round.” At Damascus, coach Jodi Hathaway has seen a change. Like Quince Orchard, the Swarmin’ Hornets move to the 4A-3A North Region in the playoffs, and have to play teams from Carroll County, that have junior-varsity lacrosse. Her team needs to have players that are more skilled. ‘‘All the younger girls coming in know that having prior experience makes a difference,” Hathaway said. ‘‘If they come in more skilled, they are going to get playing time early on.” That said, a gap remains between the best that Montgomery County produces and what goes on in other parts of the state. While the private schools support junior-varsity and varsity teams and produce some of the most talented teams in the area, Montgomery County Public Schools only have varsity squads, often with large rosters. The final score of last season’s state semifinal — a 16-1 victory by Baltimore County’s top school over Walter Johnson — is an indication of how far things still have to go. ‘‘The kids are getting more skilled, but these are baby steps,” Whitman coach Mary Pat Veihmeyer said. ‘‘They’re still lacking the game experience. That’s what we still need. Until we get that, I don’t see us winning state’s in the near future.” Last season, Sherwood had an exceptional regular season, setting a school record for wins in a season, only to lose in the regional final to Walter Johnson. Now the goal is to win in the playoffs. ‘‘We felt like we were athletic enough to play in that state semifinal, but things didn’t work out,” coach Mitch Rosenfeld said. ‘‘Our goal is to win the region.” The first step towards fulfilling that will be to replace last season’s leading scorer, Cristin Begley. The All-Gazette first-team selection graduated, and in her absence, it will be up to the 10 seniors that remain to find the net. Leading that charge will be Megan Johnson, who has this final high-school season left before heading off to the University of Vermont. In goal is another NCAA Division-I signee, Samantha DeBow, who will play lacrosse at the University of Oregon next season. Fellow senior Aubrey Mirkin shores up the midfield. Another team trying to build on the momentum from last season is Springbrook. The Blue Devils posted a 9-6 record, and enjoyed a thrilling overtime win over Wootton in a regional quarterfinal game. However, it will be up to All-Gazette honorable-mention pick Leah Arthur to rally the team. Also expected to contribute are Keely O’Tool and goalie Kate Flaming. Blake brings back one of the speediest players in the county in junior Samantha Allen. She will be joined in the attack by Rachel Schexnayder, Kelly Parker and Lauren Yang. Kelly Aguero and Molly Donohue will split time at goalie. ‘‘The competition in practice is good,” coach Nicky Barrett said. ‘‘They are working hard. A lot of them have been playing all winter and they are coming out sharp and fit.” Blair coach Mike Horne comes back for an eighth season, but loses leading scorer Lauren Finkel off last year’s team. However, the Blazers have four seniors that will be contributors. Kiran Belani and Diana Frey will run the attack, Julie Spatz will anchor the defense, and Maddie Driskill will play center. ‘‘Maddie is a strong two-way player that can do it all,” Horne said. ‘‘She’s been starting since her freshman year. She’s confident and ready.” The Blazers struggled with inconsistency last year, but the hope is that an experienced lineup will solve that problem. ‘‘The talent is spread out,” Horne said. ‘‘I think that makes us more dangerous.” At Paint Branch, head coach Jamie Paoloni leads a squad that has many returning players. Seniors Taryn Richards and Katie Miller lead the attack, juniors Christine Craddock and Emily Ulrich will play midfield, and senior Erin Harper will anchor the defense. All of these players started for the Panthers last season. ‘‘The experience raises expectations,” Paoloni said. ‘‘The skill level is better so we are putting in more complicated plays. It changes our system for this season.” At Kennedy, second-year coach Tracy Herling will lead an experienced squad for a change. That may serve the Cavaliers well, as their inexperience last season led to a 0-13 season and a first-round exit in the regional playoffs. ‘‘We have 10 returning seniors that have been on the squad four years in a row,” Herling said. ‘‘We already have stick skills and we can focus on athleticism. They are improved, and that’s great to see.” Kennedy will count on senior goalie Michelle Dadourian on the one end of the field, and her twin sister, Kate, who will play attack. In addition, midfielders Elana Plotkin, Charlie Williams and Chelsea King, all seniors, will have to contribute if the Cavaliers are to get back to winning. ‘‘We’re taking each game at a time,” Herling said. ‘‘We’re going to try to generate at least 10 scoring chances a game, with the goal of scoring as many goals as possible.” At Wheaton, Kim Tabst will take over the coaching duties from Glenn Miller, and inherits a team with many returning starters. Though the Knights enjoyed limited success last year, Tabst gained familiarity with many of her players while coaching them during the field hockey season. Seniors Melody Gannon and Ashley Marca will lead the offense, and senior Liza Del Valle will anchor the defense. ‘‘Our goal is to beat the teams we beat last year and add a few more this year,” Tabst said. In the private-school realm, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rivals Good Counsel and Holy Cross get ready to battle for yet another season. The Falcons are the defending WCAC champs, and lost only three starters from last year’s team. Arguably the most talented team in Montgomery County, Good Counsel will start four players that have already signed Division I scholarships, including attackers Erica Baumgartner (Boston University) and Victoria Chapa (George Washington). Another player to watch will be junior Ashley Stodter, who already has 42 career goals. ‘‘Our strengths are depth and experience,” Haight said. ‘‘We’re maintaining a balance throughout the program so that we’re not dominated by one class or another, but the goals include making back to the WCAC championship game.” Holy Cross, on the other hand, lost 16 players to graduation from last year’s team. However, many talented players move up from the junior varsity, as does the Tartans new coach, Kathleen Lloyd. The former head coach at Bullis, Lloyd coached Holy Cross’ JV squad last year and gained familiarity with them. ‘‘It’s a good time to come in as a new coach,” Lloyd said. ‘‘We’re excited and a little nervous because we don’t know the WCAC well, but at the same time they don’t know us well either.” With only two seniors on the roster, a strong corps of juniors will lead the Tartans. Kristen Coleman will play attack and some midfield, as will Katie Gallagher. Sallie Kimmitt will also provide offense from the midfield. Behind them are 12 sophomores itching for experience. ‘‘I’m impressed with their skill,” Lloyd said. ‘‘I’m hoping we’ll be a surprise for the league.” Fast facts Blair Blazers
Blake Bengals
Good Counsel Falcons
Holy Cross Tartans
Kennedy Cavaliers
Paint Branch Panthers
Sherwood Warriors
Springbrook Blue Devils
Wheaton Knights
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