By Calvin Cobb
The 2009 B-CC field hockey season ended on a cold November 5th evening, at Westminster. The Barons failed to overcome the 90-minute drive up Georgia Avenue, an unfamiliar field, unhelpful referees, and a brilliant second-half goal by the 17-0 Westminster Owls, who prevailed, 2-0.
The Owls are a very good field hockey team – uniformly fast, aggressive, and talented. They swarmed the ball and exuded athleticism. But that does not mean the Barons could not win this game.
The Barons did many things well – blue shirts worked hard to get open on free hits, moved without the ball to support their teammates, overloaded the circle on defense, sprinted forward on offense, challenged the ball all over the field and backed each other up. They were ready to play and there was no shortage of effort.
But the Barons took some time to adjust to the unusually severe crown in the field, the slick and bumpy surface, the sections of dirt. It fell to the seniors to carry the early load -- Lauren Serpan was terrific in goal; Ruth Andrews was tough, tough, tough from the get go, and played perhaps her best game of the year. Meredith Storm and Sunny Cobb were all over the field – and they had to be. Charlotte Kettler, Paige Donnelly, Kelsey Kiser, and Rachel Ruda hustled all the way back on defense and then hustled all the way forward on offense, supporting the defense and working hard on offense.
In the first half, the offense generally coughed and sputtered – managing only one penalty corner, at times because the referees missed foot violations in the Owls half of the field. The Barons had many fewer free hits than their opponents, and as a consequence were unable to load up in the offensive end of the field and generate some sustained offense, shots and/or penalty corners. As the game wore on, the Barons got into the flow, and having fought through some close calls in front of their own net and a number of Owl penalty corners, and the game was evening out. There was reason for optimism when the score at halftime was 0-0.
The second half began with the Barons carrying the play more evenly – but remaining unable to generate any sustained offensive pressure. Cobb and Andrews were reduced to trying to spring Donnelly, Jenn Dewey and Kiser by blasting the ball down the field. Danielle Harkaway and Julie Michon offered additional offensive support. But our forwards were unable to meaningfully penetrate the Owls defense and Owl defenders were repeatedly able to gather the ball and carry it out of harm’s way by beating several Barons with their stickhandling and speed.
The Barons faced a number of penalty corners, but seemed to handle them with relative ease, until a scramble developed in front, the ball bounced off Serpan’s pads to a spot just outside the goal post, and the nearest Owl backhanded a slice shot from an acute angle up and over Serpan’s shoulder just inside the short side goalpost – a truly terrific shot – to make the score 1-0 with 19 minutes to play.
The Barons surged offensively but really could not get a break – very uncharacteristically they did not get more than a handful of free hits in the offensive zone in the entire second half. When the Owls scored on a blazing shot from the corner (the Barons defenders let up on a ball that had gone out of bounds over the end line but remained in play for lack of a whistle) to make it 2-0, it was all over but the crying. The Barons bravely fought on until the final whistle, but the Owls will move on and will likely make it to the State finals to face Severna Park.
It was a long season full of interesting lessons – the heartbreaking loss to Broadneck, followed by the exciting victory over St. Stephens St. Agnes, followed by the loss to Severna Park, followed by 11 straight wins, then the loss to Westminster. This team won the games it was supposed to win, several in overtime, and lost only to elite teams.
Under the close supervision of Coach Amy Wood, the girls worked hard, got better every day, and learned that they could trust each other because inside each one of them is a strong competitor. There is no shame here – to the contrary, there is much to be proud of. The kids laid it on the line and left it on the field. 2009 was a great team. 2009 was a great season. Congratulations to Coach Wood. Congratulations to each girl. I can hardly wait until 2010.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
PLAYOFFS: B-CC 2, Walter Johnson 1
By Calvin Cobb
In a battle for the right to play in the 4A West Regional finals, on a sunny fall November 3rd afternoon at B-CC, the Lady Barons asserted themselves early against Walter Johnson and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. But the Wildcats surged late, scored on a penalty corner to make it 2-1, and fought hard to the final whistle. In the end, the Barons prevailed, winning their 11th straight game and improving to 12-2.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., the Barons will play Westminster, the No. 1 regional seed, in Westminster. The winner will go to the State 4A semi-finals.
Unlike earlier in the year, when the Barons fell behind to Walter Johnson but came back to win in overtime, the Barons thoroughly dominated the play in the first five minutes. Rachel Ruda opened up the scoring when Charlotte Kettler centered the ball to Sunny Cobb, who immediately sent it across the field inside the circle to Ruda. Ruda made a fine shot from just inside the circle through two defenders and beat the goaltender on the far post to give the Barons a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game.
Two minutes later, the Barons earned a penalty corner. Meredith Storm made a fine insert to Cobb, whose shot bounced off the goalie’s pads straight onto the stick of Jenn Dewey, who lifted it halfway up the net to make it 2-0. The Barons earned five more penalty corners in the first half and generated some close calls in front, but could not increase their lead.
The Wildcats found some rhythm, and gave themselves some fast break opportunities, but Lauren Serpan made it look easy, turning aside several shots in a row from in close. In all the Wildcats earned three corners of their own and, on one of them, the ball got behind Serpan and made it to the goal line, where Ruth Andrews simply out-muscled several Wildcats to knock the ball back and out of harm’s way.
The play went back and forth – the Barons had a number of scoring chances but could not finish; the same went for the Wildcats. Serpan was excellent in goal. In addition, Andrews and Storm had plenty of opportunity to show their moxie when the chips were down, and the Barons were tested defensively in a way they had not been since early in the season. Offensively they were out of sync – they were not able to carry the ball effectively, and their passes were close but just errant enough to slow things down. But the Barons held together, used their depth and mustered enough effort to pull through, earning the right to defend their regional title.
Andrews received Amy's Apple for her strong defensive play throughout the game.
In a battle for the right to play in the 4A West Regional finals, on a sunny fall November 3rd afternoon at B-CC, the Lady Barons asserted themselves early against Walter Johnson and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. But the Wildcats surged late, scored on a penalty corner to make it 2-1, and fought hard to the final whistle. In the end, the Barons prevailed, winning their 11th straight game and improving to 12-2.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., the Barons will play Westminster, the No. 1 regional seed, in Westminster. The winner will go to the State 4A semi-finals.
Unlike earlier in the year, when the Barons fell behind to Walter Johnson but came back to win in overtime, the Barons thoroughly dominated the play in the first five minutes. Rachel Ruda opened up the scoring when Charlotte Kettler centered the ball to Sunny Cobb, who immediately sent it across the field inside the circle to Ruda. Ruda made a fine shot from just inside the circle through two defenders and beat the goaltender on the far post to give the Barons a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game.
Two minutes later, the Barons earned a penalty corner. Meredith Storm made a fine insert to Cobb, whose shot bounced off the goalie’s pads straight onto the stick of Jenn Dewey, who lifted it halfway up the net to make it 2-0. The Barons earned five more penalty corners in the first half and generated some close calls in front, but could not increase their lead.
The Wildcats found some rhythm, and gave themselves some fast break opportunities, but Lauren Serpan made it look easy, turning aside several shots in a row from in close. In all the Wildcats earned three corners of their own and, on one of them, the ball got behind Serpan and made it to the goal line, where Ruth Andrews simply out-muscled several Wildcats to knock the ball back and out of harm’s way.
The play went back and forth – the Barons had a number of scoring chances but could not finish; the same went for the Wildcats. Serpan was excellent in goal. In addition, Andrews and Storm had plenty of opportunity to show their moxie when the chips were down, and the Barons were tested defensively in a way they had not been since early in the season. Offensively they were out of sync – they were not able to carry the ball effectively, and their passes were close but just errant enough to slow things down. But the Barons held together, used their depth and mustered enough effort to pull through, earning the right to defend their regional title.
Andrews received Amy's Apple for her strong defensive play throughout the game.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
PLAYOFFS: B-CC 4, Churchill 0
By Calvin Cobb
After days of rain, the skies cleared and on a pleasant but cool October 28th evening at B-CC, the Lady Barons overcame a wet field and the Churchill Bulldogs to advance to the second round of the 2009 playoffs, prevailing 4-0.
The first half was characterized by the Barons possessing the ball, but not quite being able to complete their passes with enough regularity to control the play. Churchill was not able to sustain any offensive pressure, but was able to fill the passing lanes and break up the Barons’ offensive rhythm. The Bulldogs did manage two or three quick forays down the field and managed one or two serious scoring threats. But on the other end, the Barons earned a dozen penalty corners and had a number of quality scoring chances, many barely thwarted by the Bulldogs goaltender’s acrobatic saves and goal-line stands by Bulldog defenders.
The Barons appeared to open the scoring early in the game when Meredith Storm made a perfect insert to Sunny Cobb, who blew the ball past the Bulldog goaltender from the top of the circle. But the goal was disallowed and the score remained tied. The Barons finally broke through on a penalty corner, when Storm knocked in a rebound with about ten minutes left in the first half. The half ended with the Barons leading 1-0.
The second half was more of the same – the Barons dominating possession, earning penalty corners, getting shots, but failing to score. The Bulldogs managed to get the ball into the Barons circle and forced goaltender Lauren Serpan to make three big saves. The lone Bulldog penalty corner resulted in what appeared to be the tying goal – but the goal was disallowed and the score remained 1-0. A timeout by Coach Amy Woods and some enthusiastic constructive criticism seemed to breathe life into the Barons offense; as a team the Barons started letting the ball do the work and completing passes in series. Jenn Dewey finished a penalty corner, lifting the ball half-way up the net to beat a laid-out and supine Bulldog goaltender to make it 2-0. Storm then tapped in her her second goal of the game. Kelsey Kiser made it 4-0 by out-working the crowd in front, converting a pass from Cobb.
The Barons finished with 22 penalty corners, to 1 for the Bulldogs, and all of the corners but 3 ended up with strong shots on goal. Dewey and Storm earned Amy’s Apple.
The score did not reflect the many offensive opportunities the Barons earned for themselves. Cobb had multiple shots on corners, including a powerful waist-high push shot that was turned aside by the goaltender. Rachel Ruda had a great scoring chance, Ruth Andrews and Charlotte Kettler had close calls, as did Paige Donnelly and Danielle Harkaway. The Bulldogs did a good job of packing the circle and working to keep the ball out of the goal – no fewer than five saves were made at the goal line by Bulldog defenders. But the Barons’ offensive machine broke through in the end. The only cause for concern was defensive – the Barons did not perform well on the only Bulldog corner and have not had to withstand the type of constant pressure inside their circle that is likely to be a part of the next few games. Hopefully when it comes they will be able to rise to the challenge.
After days of rain, the skies cleared and on a pleasant but cool October 28th evening at B-CC, the Lady Barons overcame a wet field and the Churchill Bulldogs to advance to the second round of the 2009 playoffs, prevailing 4-0.
The first half was characterized by the Barons possessing the ball, but not quite being able to complete their passes with enough regularity to control the play. Churchill was not able to sustain any offensive pressure, but was able to fill the passing lanes and break up the Barons’ offensive rhythm. The Bulldogs did manage two or three quick forays down the field and managed one or two serious scoring threats. But on the other end, the Barons earned a dozen penalty corners and had a number of quality scoring chances, many barely thwarted by the Bulldogs goaltender’s acrobatic saves and goal-line stands by Bulldog defenders.
The Barons appeared to open the scoring early in the game when Meredith Storm made a perfect insert to Sunny Cobb, who blew the ball past the Bulldog goaltender from the top of the circle. But the goal was disallowed and the score remained tied. The Barons finally broke through on a penalty corner, when Storm knocked in a rebound with about ten minutes left in the first half. The half ended with the Barons leading 1-0.
The second half was more of the same – the Barons dominating possession, earning penalty corners, getting shots, but failing to score. The Bulldogs managed to get the ball into the Barons circle and forced goaltender Lauren Serpan to make three big saves. The lone Bulldog penalty corner resulted in what appeared to be the tying goal – but the goal was disallowed and the score remained 1-0. A timeout by Coach Amy Woods and some enthusiastic constructive criticism seemed to breathe life into the Barons offense; as a team the Barons started letting the ball do the work and completing passes in series. Jenn Dewey finished a penalty corner, lifting the ball half-way up the net to beat a laid-out and supine Bulldog goaltender to make it 2-0. Storm then tapped in her her second goal of the game. Kelsey Kiser made it 4-0 by out-working the crowd in front, converting a pass from Cobb.
The Barons finished with 22 penalty corners, to 1 for the Bulldogs, and all of the corners but 3 ended up with strong shots on goal. Dewey and Storm earned Amy’s Apple.
The score did not reflect the many offensive opportunities the Barons earned for themselves. Cobb had multiple shots on corners, including a powerful waist-high push shot that was turned aside by the goaltender. Rachel Ruda had a great scoring chance, Ruth Andrews and Charlotte Kettler had close calls, as did Paige Donnelly and Danielle Harkaway. The Bulldogs did a good job of packing the circle and working to keep the ball out of the goal – no fewer than five saves were made at the goal line by Bulldog defenders. But the Barons’ offensive machine broke through in the end. The only cause for concern was defensive – the Barons did not perform well on the only Bulldog corner and have not had to withstand the type of constant pressure inside their circle that is likely to be a part of the next few games. Hopefully when it comes they will be able to rise to the challenge.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
B-CC 3, Magruder 1
By Calvin Cobb
On a temperate afternoon at Magruder, the Barons took their time shaking off the drive over, but once they got going they showed again why they are the class of Montgomery County, turning in a workmanlike performance and ultimately prevailing 3-1. It was the Barons final regular season game, finishing 10-2.
In stark contrast to the Damascus game two days ago, when the Barons came out flying, the Barons seemed to lack energy in the opening minutes – they did not quite move themselves into the open spaces to create passing lanes, they did not quite put enough on the ball to complete their passes, they consistently mis-hit free hits and shots in the open field; they were out of sinc.
Magruder, a good team, made it difficult for the Barons, but there was a clear sense that the malaise was self-inflicted. As the game went on, however, the Barons seemed to find the proper rhythm. After five minutes of sustained pressure in the offensive end, Danielle Harkaway helped break the game open by jumping on a loose ball in the circle and passing across to Rachel Ruda, who buried it for a 1-0 Barons lead.
But Magruder did not get to eight wins by accident – they were particularly adept at knocking down hard passes and controlling the ball on a bouncy surface, and managed a serious scoring threat of their own. Goaltender Lauren Serpan faced several shots in quick succession from point-blank range, holding her ground and making save after save until her defenders – Ruth Andrews and Meredith Storm in particular – could assert themselves and clear the ball. After a close scoring opportunity on a corner, in which Josie Lopes held the ball in the circle by stick-handling around three different defenders, the half ended 1-0, with the Barons having had the better of the play but with the game still in the balance.
After some gentle advice from Coach Amy Woods, the Barons came out full bore in the second half. Magruder was big and physical, but the Barons did not back down. A large player leaned heavily on Andrews in front of the goal during a long corner, trying to assert herself in front of the goaltender, but Andrews got lower and stronger and gave up not an inch. Paige Donnelly went under, around, or through her mark consistently; Jenn Dewey kind of prefers the contact; and Charlotte Kettler was scary intense – winning every confrontation regardless of the circumstances. The senior leadership rose to the fore – Andrews, Storm, Ruda, Sunny Cobb, and Kelsey Kiser joined in with Donnelly and Kettler to make sure this game turned in a positive direction.
The Barons extended their lead to 2-0 when Cobb passed across to Ruda who finished the play with a hard shot for her second goal of the game. Five minutes later the Barons scored again. Storm inserted to Kettler, who froze the defenders by looking back to Storm before passing across to Cobb. Given extra time and room by Kettler’s deception, Cobb stepped into a blistering shot that left the defenders with no chance.
Magruder tried to turn up the temperature but the Barons stepped up it up as well and the game went back and forth. Kiser and Dewey and Harkaway generated a number of near breakthroughs, but were unable to convert. In one close-net, pressure situation, Kettler made a goal-saving stop and cleared the ball in one quick motion.
Magruder worked the ball down field on a couple of occasions, and in one sequence earned several consecutive penalty corners. The last corner lead to a goal, and with five minutes to play the score was 3-1.
Amy's Apple went to Ruda for her strong play throughout the game.
Overall, this was not the Baron’s best game, but the sign of a great team is the ability to beat a good team even on an off day. The Barons stuck together, turned up the temperature when they needed to, and dominated the game more than the 3-1 score would indicate. If there is a message, it is that the Barons need to get themselves ready to play when they have to travel – Westminster will not be waiting around for them to warm up come playoff time, and the margin for error will shrink each round in the playoffs. But the Barons have many weapons, strong coaching, senior leadership, and a powerful tradition. It is time to unleash the fury.
On a temperate afternoon at Magruder, the Barons took their time shaking off the drive over, but once they got going they showed again why they are the class of Montgomery County, turning in a workmanlike performance and ultimately prevailing 3-1. It was the Barons final regular season game, finishing 10-2.
In stark contrast to the Damascus game two days ago, when the Barons came out flying, the Barons seemed to lack energy in the opening minutes – they did not quite move themselves into the open spaces to create passing lanes, they did not quite put enough on the ball to complete their passes, they consistently mis-hit free hits and shots in the open field; they were out of sinc.
Magruder, a good team, made it difficult for the Barons, but there was a clear sense that the malaise was self-inflicted. As the game went on, however, the Barons seemed to find the proper rhythm. After five minutes of sustained pressure in the offensive end, Danielle Harkaway helped break the game open by jumping on a loose ball in the circle and passing across to Rachel Ruda, who buried it for a 1-0 Barons lead.
But Magruder did not get to eight wins by accident – they were particularly adept at knocking down hard passes and controlling the ball on a bouncy surface, and managed a serious scoring threat of their own. Goaltender Lauren Serpan faced several shots in quick succession from point-blank range, holding her ground and making save after save until her defenders – Ruth Andrews and Meredith Storm in particular – could assert themselves and clear the ball. After a close scoring opportunity on a corner, in which Josie Lopes held the ball in the circle by stick-handling around three different defenders, the half ended 1-0, with the Barons having had the better of the play but with the game still in the balance.
After some gentle advice from Coach Amy Woods, the Barons came out full bore in the second half. Magruder was big and physical, but the Barons did not back down. A large player leaned heavily on Andrews in front of the goal during a long corner, trying to assert herself in front of the goaltender, but Andrews got lower and stronger and gave up not an inch. Paige Donnelly went under, around, or through her mark consistently; Jenn Dewey kind of prefers the contact; and Charlotte Kettler was scary intense – winning every confrontation regardless of the circumstances. The senior leadership rose to the fore – Andrews, Storm, Ruda, Sunny Cobb, and Kelsey Kiser joined in with Donnelly and Kettler to make sure this game turned in a positive direction.
The Barons extended their lead to 2-0 when Cobb passed across to Ruda who finished the play with a hard shot for her second goal of the game. Five minutes later the Barons scored again. Storm inserted to Kettler, who froze the defenders by looking back to Storm before passing across to Cobb. Given extra time and room by Kettler’s deception, Cobb stepped into a blistering shot that left the defenders with no chance.
Magruder tried to turn up the temperature but the Barons stepped up it up as well and the game went back and forth. Kiser and Dewey and Harkaway generated a number of near breakthroughs, but were unable to convert. In one close-net, pressure situation, Kettler made a goal-saving stop and cleared the ball in one quick motion.
Magruder worked the ball down field on a couple of occasions, and in one sequence earned several consecutive penalty corners. The last corner lead to a goal, and with five minutes to play the score was 3-1.
Amy's Apple went to Ruda for her strong play throughout the game.
Overall, this was not the Baron’s best game, but the sign of a great team is the ability to beat a good team even on an off day. The Barons stuck together, turned up the temperature when they needed to, and dominated the game more than the 3-1 score would indicate. If there is a message, it is that the Barons need to get themselves ready to play when they have to travel – Westminster will not be waiting around for them to warm up come playoff time, and the margin for error will shrink each round in the playoffs. But the Barons have many weapons, strong coaching, senior leadership, and a powerful tradition. It is time to unleash the fury.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
B-CC 5, Damascus 0
By Calvin Cobb
On a cool, clear, lovely October 20th evening at B-CC, on Senior Night and the last regular-season home game for the team’s 13 seniors, the Lady Barons opened up strong and finished strong, dominating the Damascus Hornets 5-0 to improve to 9-2.
It was seven minutes into the game before the Hornets managed to cross midfield. In the early going, Charlotte Kettler took over the game on the right wing, moving around a Hornet, working quick, crisp, accurate passes with Paige Donnelly, Ruth Andrews, and Jenn Dewey, and stealing the ball back immediately when a Hornet was able to gain possession. A sense of inevitability built up in the first half, with the Barons constantly working the ball into the circle and the Hornets narrowly avoiding giving up a score, aided by an unusually relaxed referee whose “let ‘em play” attitude caused him to overlook a number of violations that would normally have led to penalty corners for the Barons.
As happens sometimes, the Barons were pressuring the Hornets goal and got drawn into the circle in an attempt to finish the play, and the Hornets were allowed one serious foray into the Barons’ end – a quick counterpunch fast break downfield with a number of Hornets hurtling toward the Barons’ net. That foray very nearly led to a goal and 1-0 Hornet’s lead – the ball was out front, on a Hornet stick, with nothing but goaltender Lauren Serpan between the ball and the net. Serpan was equal to the task, however; the shot was blocked, the Barons defensive cavalry came pouring back in support, and the ball was quickly removed from harm’s way.
Other than that, the Hornets were consistently and thoroughly suppressed; it seemed like every ball that was pushed downfield was sucked up by the vacuum-cleaner – Meredith Storm – who quickly picked up loose balls, stole back balls that happened to be in the possession of a Hornet, and calmly redirected the ball to the proper place within the Barons’ offensive machinery so that the onslaught inside the Hornet’s circle could continue unabated..
At about the 20-minute mark in the first half, the Barons were awarded a penalty corner; Rachel Natoli made an excellent inserting pass to Sunny Cobb, who came up with her now familiar rocket shot from 15 yards that resounded off of the backboard and gave the Barons a lead they would not relinquish, 1-0.
Three minutes later on another penalty corner, Cobb’s shot was blocked in front but Donnelly got there first and converted to make it 2-0. Rachel Ruda made it 3-0 with a fine push shot from 10 yards out, beating the Hornet’s goaltender (who was superb) and several defenders in the process.
The second half was more of the same – the Barons offense dominating the play, the midfield stealing the ball back, and the defense picking up any and all loose change and sending it back upfield. Senior Lindsay Chan was particularly effective at forward, putting herself in good position for several scoring chances and converting on a fine cross-cage pass from Donnelly to make it 4-0. After several close scoring opportunities on corners, in which Cobb used the threat of a big shot to draw defenders and create scoring opportunities that were narrowly thwarted for Andrews and Kettler, Storm made a perfect inserting pass, Cobb returned the ball to Storm on the corner of the goal and the poor Hornet’s goalie who had come out to close off the shooting angle had no chance. Storm scored easily and made the final score 5-0.
The Barons played well as a team and there is a lot of credit to go around, but particular kudos goes to Andrews, Storm, and Kettler, each of whom simply dominated her part of the field. Ruda showed speed and deft stickwork, especially on her scoring play, and Kelsey Kiser was very effective both handling the ball and when she sped ahead of the play and rotated up to the right wing – keeping the ball alive when it was otherwise going out of bounds and giving Donnelly and Dewey some passing options in the corner. Josie Lopes consistently moved herself and the ball into the right position at the right time, and ably fed the ball into the circle to create several scoring chances. Amy’s apple went to Lydia Marks, who showed speed, effective play, and hustle throughout, and Katie Bazyluk, who in addition to turning the ball back at midfield was a powerful force in the Barons’ defensive circle, working hard to win and clear two particularly dangerous balls to preserve the shut out.
Assuming the Poolesville game cannot be rescheduled, the Barons have a final regular season game away Thursday at Magruder, which to date has won eight games and would sorely like to knock off the Barons. Now is the time for the Barons to raise their game and start their playoff run, and this game with Damascus was a positive strong step forward.
On a cool, clear, lovely October 20th evening at B-CC, on Senior Night and the last regular-season home game for the team’s 13 seniors, the Lady Barons opened up strong and finished strong, dominating the Damascus Hornets 5-0 to improve to 9-2.
It was seven minutes into the game before the Hornets managed to cross midfield. In the early going, Charlotte Kettler took over the game on the right wing, moving around a Hornet, working quick, crisp, accurate passes with Paige Donnelly, Ruth Andrews, and Jenn Dewey, and stealing the ball back immediately when a Hornet was able to gain possession. A sense of inevitability built up in the first half, with the Barons constantly working the ball into the circle and the Hornets narrowly avoiding giving up a score, aided by an unusually relaxed referee whose “let ‘em play” attitude caused him to overlook a number of violations that would normally have led to penalty corners for the Barons.
As happens sometimes, the Barons were pressuring the Hornets goal and got drawn into the circle in an attempt to finish the play, and the Hornets were allowed one serious foray into the Barons’ end – a quick counterpunch fast break downfield with a number of Hornets hurtling toward the Barons’ net. That foray very nearly led to a goal and 1-0 Hornet’s lead – the ball was out front, on a Hornet stick, with nothing but goaltender Lauren Serpan between the ball and the net. Serpan was equal to the task, however; the shot was blocked, the Barons defensive cavalry came pouring back in support, and the ball was quickly removed from harm’s way.
Other than that, the Hornets were consistently and thoroughly suppressed; it seemed like every ball that was pushed downfield was sucked up by the vacuum-cleaner – Meredith Storm – who quickly picked up loose balls, stole back balls that happened to be in the possession of a Hornet, and calmly redirected the ball to the proper place within the Barons’ offensive machinery so that the onslaught inside the Hornet’s circle could continue unabated..
At about the 20-minute mark in the first half, the Barons were awarded a penalty corner; Rachel Natoli made an excellent inserting pass to Sunny Cobb, who came up with her now familiar rocket shot from 15 yards that resounded off of the backboard and gave the Barons a lead they would not relinquish, 1-0.
Three minutes later on another penalty corner, Cobb’s shot was blocked in front but Donnelly got there first and converted to make it 2-0. Rachel Ruda made it 3-0 with a fine push shot from 10 yards out, beating the Hornet’s goaltender (who was superb) and several defenders in the process.
The second half was more of the same – the Barons offense dominating the play, the midfield stealing the ball back, and the defense picking up any and all loose change and sending it back upfield. Senior Lindsay Chan was particularly effective at forward, putting herself in good position for several scoring chances and converting on a fine cross-cage pass from Donnelly to make it 4-0. After several close scoring opportunities on corners, in which Cobb used the threat of a big shot to draw defenders and create scoring opportunities that were narrowly thwarted for Andrews and Kettler, Storm made a perfect inserting pass, Cobb returned the ball to Storm on the corner of the goal and the poor Hornet’s goalie who had come out to close off the shooting angle had no chance. Storm scored easily and made the final score 5-0.
The Barons played well as a team and there is a lot of credit to go around, but particular kudos goes to Andrews, Storm, and Kettler, each of whom simply dominated her part of the field. Ruda showed speed and deft stickwork, especially on her scoring play, and Kelsey Kiser was very effective both handling the ball and when she sped ahead of the play and rotated up to the right wing – keeping the ball alive when it was otherwise going out of bounds and giving Donnelly and Dewey some passing options in the corner. Josie Lopes consistently moved herself and the ball into the right position at the right time, and ably fed the ball into the circle to create several scoring chances. Amy’s apple went to Lydia Marks, who showed speed, effective play, and hustle throughout, and Katie Bazyluk, who in addition to turning the ball back at midfield was a powerful force in the Barons’ defensive circle, working hard to win and clear two particularly dangerous balls to preserve the shut out.
Assuming the Poolesville game cannot be rescheduled, the Barons have a final regular season game away Thursday at Magruder, which to date has won eight games and would sorely like to knock off the Barons. Now is the time for the Barons to raise their game and start their playoff run, and this game with Damascus was a positive strong step forward.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
B-CC 5, Whitman 1
By John Donnelly
On a brisk fall night, the Lady Barons on Wednesday rallied from an early 1-0 deficit against arch-rival Whitman to score five straight goals, winning convincingly 5-1 and retaining the coveted Queens of Bethesda title.
Senior captain Sunny Cobb led the scoring with two goals, including one on a penalty stroke, while the other scorers were junior Jenn Dewey and seniors Rachel Ruda and Ruth Andrews – for Andrews, a senior defense player, it was the first goal of her high school career.
For coach Amy Wood and her players – now 7-2 on the season – the key moment of the contest, and perhaps a defining moment of the season so far, happened just five minutes into the game.
Whitman had just opened scoring off a penalty corner from a defensive lapse – a Whitman player, alone at the goal mouth, tapped in a rebound for an easy goal – when B-CC stormed back. The team made several crisp, quick passes and then playmaker and senior captain Charlotte Kettler passed to Cobb, who directed the ball to Ruda. Ruda, 12 feet from the goal, sent a low scorcher into the goal to tie the game. It came just one minute after Whitman’s score.
``That’s what I liked most from the game,’’ Coach Wood said afterward. ``What they did was impressive. They moved the ball and scored right away. It was a sign of confidence that they didn’t have at this time last year. It was fun to watch – a lot of fun.’’
For the next 20 minutes, the Lady Barons dominated. Kettler controlled the midfield, deftly maneuvering in and around the defenders; Cobb sent long hard shots 20 or 30 yards repeatedly downfield; senior captain Paige Donnelly outran defenders and helped control the right side of the field despite spraining her ankle early in the game; defenders Meredith Storm, Rachel Natoli, Rebecca Natoli, and Andrews stifled Whitman’s offensive attempts, and, in the net, goalie Lauren Serpan, while rarely tested, shouted directions that kept her defense well-positioned throughout.
And for long periods of the game, players made one-touch passes to teammates, expertly moving the ball down the field.
Two other Lady Baron goals completed the scoring in the first half. First, Dewey tapped one in near the goal mouth, and then, off the fourth penalty corner in a four-minute span, Dewey controlled a rebound and passed to Andrews who fired off a low shot in the right corner to score just before time ran out.
In the second half, Whitman exerted pressure on the Lady Baron’s defensive end for the first nine minutes, but the Lady Barons then took control. In one impressive sequence, Ruda sent a long ball down the right sideline, Donnelly pushed it ahead in a dash 30 yards down the field before making a cross-field pass to junior Julie Michon. Only an excellent leg save by Whitman’s goalie stopped Michon from scoring.
Cobb then scored twice – the first on one of her patented hard shots from the top of the key off a penalty corner, assisted by Rebecca Natoli, and the second on the penalty stroke after the Whitman goalie sat on the ball.
Amy’s apple went to Donnelly and Ruda for their hustling play.
After the game, although excited about her first career goal, Andrews focused on the quality of the team’s play.
``We had a lot of good one-time passes,’’ she said.
Ruda, standing next to her, added, ``We had a lot of give-and-gos.’’
``And we were communicating really well,’’ Andrews said. ``Lauren (Serpan) was doing a good job of talking with the defenders. We communicated much better in this game.’’
Wood also was pleased with the teamwork. ``It was just touch-touch-touch,’’ she said of the ball movement. ``Especially down the right side of the field. We controlled the right side. It was really good to see them really believe in themselves as we go forward into the last part of the season.’’
On a brisk fall night, the Lady Barons on Wednesday rallied from an early 1-0 deficit against arch-rival Whitman to score five straight goals, winning convincingly 5-1 and retaining the coveted Queens of Bethesda title.
Senior captain Sunny Cobb led the scoring with two goals, including one on a penalty stroke, while the other scorers were junior Jenn Dewey and seniors Rachel Ruda and Ruth Andrews – for Andrews, a senior defense player, it was the first goal of her high school career.
For coach Amy Wood and her players – now 7-2 on the season – the key moment of the contest, and perhaps a defining moment of the season so far, happened just five minutes into the game.
Whitman had just opened scoring off a penalty corner from a defensive lapse – a Whitman player, alone at the goal mouth, tapped in a rebound for an easy goal – when B-CC stormed back. The team made several crisp, quick passes and then playmaker and senior captain Charlotte Kettler passed to Cobb, who directed the ball to Ruda. Ruda, 12 feet from the goal, sent a low scorcher into the goal to tie the game. It came just one minute after Whitman’s score.
``That’s what I liked most from the game,’’ Coach Wood said afterward. ``What they did was impressive. They moved the ball and scored right away. It was a sign of confidence that they didn’t have at this time last year. It was fun to watch – a lot of fun.’’
For the next 20 minutes, the Lady Barons dominated. Kettler controlled the midfield, deftly maneuvering in and around the defenders; Cobb sent long hard shots 20 or 30 yards repeatedly downfield; senior captain Paige Donnelly outran defenders and helped control the right side of the field despite spraining her ankle early in the game; defenders Meredith Storm, Rachel Natoli, Rebecca Natoli, and Andrews stifled Whitman’s offensive attempts, and, in the net, goalie Lauren Serpan, while rarely tested, shouted directions that kept her defense well-positioned throughout.
And for long periods of the game, players made one-touch passes to teammates, expertly moving the ball down the field.
Two other Lady Baron goals completed the scoring in the first half. First, Dewey tapped one in near the goal mouth, and then, off the fourth penalty corner in a four-minute span, Dewey controlled a rebound and passed to Andrews who fired off a low shot in the right corner to score just before time ran out.
In the second half, Whitman exerted pressure on the Lady Baron’s defensive end for the first nine minutes, but the Lady Barons then took control. In one impressive sequence, Ruda sent a long ball down the right sideline, Donnelly pushed it ahead in a dash 30 yards down the field before making a cross-field pass to junior Julie Michon. Only an excellent leg save by Whitman’s goalie stopped Michon from scoring.
Cobb then scored twice – the first on one of her patented hard shots from the top of the key off a penalty corner, assisted by Rebecca Natoli, and the second on the penalty stroke after the Whitman goalie sat on the ball.
Amy’s apple went to Donnelly and Ruda for their hustling play.
After the game, although excited about her first career goal, Andrews focused on the quality of the team’s play.
``We had a lot of good one-time passes,’’ she said.
Ruda, standing next to her, added, ``We had a lot of give-and-gos.’’
``And we were communicating really well,’’ Andrews said. ``Lauren (Serpan) was doing a good job of talking with the defenders. We communicated much better in this game.’’
Wood also was pleased with the teamwork. ``It was just touch-touch-touch,’’ she said of the ball movement. ``Especially down the right side of the field. We controlled the right side. It was really good to see them really believe in themselves as we go forward into the last part of the season.’’
Thursday, October 1, 2009
B-CC 4, Churchill 1
By Calvin Cobb
On a lovely, sunny Indian Summer October 1st afternoon, the Lady Barons convincingly beat Churchill High, 4-1, improving their record to 6-2.
The Barons dominated the first ten minutes of the game, and Kelsey Kiser opened the scoring assisted by Jenn Dewey. A short time later, Dewey knocked in the rebound of a Sunny Cobb shot off a penalty corner to make it 2-0. Dewey made a strong (perhaps too strong) pass cross-cage to Julie Michon, and even though Michon was in perfect position, the ball was going so fast on the bouncy field that she couldn't tap it into the open net.
But then, leading 2-0, the Barons seemed to lose their competitive edge. Players stopped moving to get open, the passing became more difficult, Barons started mis-hitting the ball on free hits and, overall, the Barons’ level of play generally deteriorated. The Bulldogs sensed the diminution in the Barons’ effectiveness, and seized the initiative. The Bulldogs took advantage of a defensive lapse on the part of the Barons – inexplicably on a long corner the Barons defenders failed to cover in front of their own net, with most of the Barons’ defenders set up outside the circle. When the free hit went all the way from the sideline to the goal, rebounded off the goaltender, and went onto the stick of a Bulldog offensive player, she was left alone in front, and there was no Baron defender in sight. In a one-on-one wth the goaltender, the Bulldogs scored.
The Bulldogs overloaded the offensive end in a strong effort to score the equalizer, but the Barons were unable to take advantage until Ruth Andrews drove the ball downfield to start a four-on-one fast break. Danielle Harkaway, Paige Donnelly, Kiser, and Dewey had clear sailing in on the lone Bulldog defender, but the opportunity for a sure goal evaporated when time expired in the first half, with the score 2-1.
The Barons came out strong in the second half, dominating the play to the point that they ended with 10 penalty corners in the second half alone, to 3 for the Bulldogs. Donnelly, Charlotte Kettler, Dewey, Josie Lopes, Linsay Chan, Michon, Kiser, Harkaway, Cobb, Rachel Ruda, and Rachael Keeling clearly turned up the energy level and swarmed the Bulldogs, generating a series of offensive chances. But the Bulldogs found a way to outwork the Barons in the scrums in front of the net, and chance after chance went for naught.
The Bulldogs tried to counterpunch with fast breaks – but their various forays were broken up by Meredith Storm and notably, Rebecca Natoli, who was the last Baron back on two occasions but turned the ball around and fed it back up front. When they had a penalty corner, flyer Donnelly and her co-defenders made sure the Bulldogs did not get off a shot. Finally, at the 19-minute mark in the second half, Cobb took a clever pass from Kettler and blew the ball past the defenders to make it 3-1. Storm fed Keeling for another score, but the goal was disallowed for unclear reasons. A short time later, Storm inserted on a penalty corner to Kettler, who passed across to Cobb, whose shot on goal bounced in front until Ruda beat a swarm of players to the ball and knocked it in to make the score 4-1.
The Barons finshed the game strong, with Alicia Vieth, Abbie Frank, and Lydia Marks taking up where they left off –the offense kept generating chances and there was no drop off in talent or intensity when they came into the game.
In all, this game was a step forward. In the first half, the Barons were satisfied with their 2-0 lead and suffered when they let up. They became slow to surge on offense and slow to get back on defense – several times allowing the Bulldogs to outnumber them inside the circle. But to their credit they recognized the error of their ways (with some assistance from Coach Amy Woods) and in the second half were noticeably more energetic – flying back on defense and flying forward on offense.
The Barons seemed to realize that they each really could be everywhere, each could contribute on offense and defense, if only they worked hard enough. When that message got through, the passing lanes opened up, the ball found its way to open players, and the Barons simply overwhelmed the Bulldogs. By turning up the temperature and making the additional effort, the Barons blew open what could have been a close game.
On a lovely, sunny Indian Summer October 1st afternoon, the Lady Barons convincingly beat Churchill High, 4-1, improving their record to 6-2.
The Barons dominated the first ten minutes of the game, and Kelsey Kiser opened the scoring assisted by Jenn Dewey. A short time later, Dewey knocked in the rebound of a Sunny Cobb shot off a penalty corner to make it 2-0. Dewey made a strong (perhaps too strong) pass cross-cage to Julie Michon, and even though Michon was in perfect position, the ball was going so fast on the bouncy field that she couldn't tap it into the open net.
But then, leading 2-0, the Barons seemed to lose their competitive edge. Players stopped moving to get open, the passing became more difficult, Barons started mis-hitting the ball on free hits and, overall, the Barons’ level of play generally deteriorated. The Bulldogs sensed the diminution in the Barons’ effectiveness, and seized the initiative. The Bulldogs took advantage of a defensive lapse on the part of the Barons – inexplicably on a long corner the Barons defenders failed to cover in front of their own net, with most of the Barons’ defenders set up outside the circle. When the free hit went all the way from the sideline to the goal, rebounded off the goaltender, and went onto the stick of a Bulldog offensive player, she was left alone in front, and there was no Baron defender in sight. In a one-on-one wth the goaltender, the Bulldogs scored.
The Bulldogs overloaded the offensive end in a strong effort to score the equalizer, but the Barons were unable to take advantage until Ruth Andrews drove the ball downfield to start a four-on-one fast break. Danielle Harkaway, Paige Donnelly, Kiser, and Dewey had clear sailing in on the lone Bulldog defender, but the opportunity for a sure goal evaporated when time expired in the first half, with the score 2-1.
The Barons came out strong in the second half, dominating the play to the point that they ended with 10 penalty corners in the second half alone, to 3 for the Bulldogs. Donnelly, Charlotte Kettler, Dewey, Josie Lopes, Linsay Chan, Michon, Kiser, Harkaway, Cobb, Rachel Ruda, and Rachael Keeling clearly turned up the energy level and swarmed the Bulldogs, generating a series of offensive chances. But the Bulldogs found a way to outwork the Barons in the scrums in front of the net, and chance after chance went for naught.
The Bulldogs tried to counterpunch with fast breaks – but their various forays were broken up by Meredith Storm and notably, Rebecca Natoli, who was the last Baron back on two occasions but turned the ball around and fed it back up front. When they had a penalty corner, flyer Donnelly and her co-defenders made sure the Bulldogs did not get off a shot. Finally, at the 19-minute mark in the second half, Cobb took a clever pass from Kettler and blew the ball past the defenders to make it 3-1. Storm fed Keeling for another score, but the goal was disallowed for unclear reasons. A short time later, Storm inserted on a penalty corner to Kettler, who passed across to Cobb, whose shot on goal bounced in front until Ruda beat a swarm of players to the ball and knocked it in to make the score 4-1.
The Barons finshed the game strong, with Alicia Vieth, Abbie Frank, and Lydia Marks taking up where they left off –the offense kept generating chances and there was no drop off in talent or intensity when they came into the game.
In all, this game was a step forward. In the first half, the Barons were satisfied with their 2-0 lead and suffered when they let up. They became slow to surge on offense and slow to get back on defense – several times allowing the Bulldogs to outnumber them inside the circle. But to their credit they recognized the error of their ways (with some assistance from Coach Amy Woods) and in the second half were noticeably more energetic – flying back on defense and flying forward on offense.
The Barons seemed to realize that they each really could be everywhere, each could contribute on offense and defense, if only they worked hard enough. When that message got through, the passing lanes opened up, the ball found its way to open players, and the Barons simply overwhelmed the Bulldogs. By turning up the temperature and making the additional effort, the Barons blew open what could have been a close game.
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