Doten’s two scores lead River Hill

Hawks win 3-1 in Class 2A boys; Patterson Mills cruises into Class 1A girls state final

River Hill coach Matt Shagogue entered Saturday’s Class 2A state semifinal game against Fallston just hoping his eight seniors got one more chance to take the field on the biggest stage.

The group has been a steady force for the Hawks, guiding the program to the county championship this fall, but the hope all along was to get back to Loyola Maryland to play for another state title.

Behind two goals from senior Evan Doten and another from senior Cory Northrup, No. 7 River Hill beat Fallston, 3-1, to advance to the state championship game for the 11th time in 21 years and the first time since winning the 3A state title in 2014.

The Hawks will face Eastern Tech, 2-1 winners over Century in the other semifinal at River Hill, at Ridley Athletic Complex on Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for the championship, where they have won nine times in their 10 previous appearances.

“They’re seniors. That’s what you hope,” Shagogue said. “You hope that the guys who have been in the program for four years and have worked so hard and quite honestly deserve this opportunity and this moment that they get it, and they made the best of it. Really, really happy for them and happy that they get an opportunity to play another game.”

On the other side, the Cougars fell in the semifinal round for the seventh time in 18 final-four appearances a year after losing in the finals for the 10th time. They will have to wait another year to try to win their first championship since 1992.

“We played well, we just didn’t put them in the net, that’s all,” Fallston coach Drew Bisker said. “They had three shots go in the goal. They’re a good team but I thought we played very well. We just didn’t take the shots we needed to take.”

NO. 2 SEVERNA PARK 2, BOWIE 0: Ryan Muldoon scored in the 38th minute and Drew Belloff converted a penalty kick in the 58th minute, and the Falcons (18-0-1) posted their 11th shutout of the season with a win over the Bulldogs (15-4) in a Class 4A at Henry A. Wise, Jr.

Severna Park will make its 22nd state tournament appearance and will play for their fourth state title, and first since 2013, against Bethesda-Chevy Chase.