Broadneck field hockey heading to state final
Nothing, not even a missing speaker on the bus ride, could knock Broadneck field hockey’s confidence as they headed into its Class 4A state semifinal on Wednesday. The Bruins had dreamt of, spoken of making it to the state championship so many times that they’d manifested it into reality.
But now that it’s happening, senior Arden Hunteman doesn’t know how to feel. Maybe there isn’t a word for the joy she experienced after the final buzzer cemented No. 1 Broadneck’s 3-0 victory over No. 3 seed Walt Whitman at Paint Branch. It hadn’t truly sunk in yet, but how could she and her teammates truly know how state finalists are supposed to feel? No Bruin had made it this far since 2002.
“It is so fun to have the longest season possible,” Hunteman said. “That’s the goal, and especially as a senior, you just don’t want it to end. We got the full season. It’s amazing.”
The Bruins (19-0) will face No. 1 seed Winston Churchill, which defeated Dulaney, 2-0, in the other semifinal, at 11 a.m. Saturday at Stevenson University, aiming to finish their perfect season with the program’s first title in 20 years.
Coach Shannon Hanratty has relished every extra day she’s gotten to spend with her “special” team. And it’s a pride that’s flowed to the rest of the community.
Members of the athletic community stopped by her classroom throughout the day to wish her squad luck. Texts flowed to her phone, loading up the team with good vibes. Half of Paint Branch’s bleachers filled with fans, too, despite the hour, traffic-ridden commute from Cape St. Claire.
“We have so much pride in Broadneck athletics and so much support,” Hanratty said. “It’s exciting and it’s special to now be the ones who’ve earned that front-running spot. We can finish it off.”
When it quickly became clear how wily Whitman’s defense would play, the Bruins aimed to strike early.
Though Whitman defended the Bruins’ first corner, the Vikings took their first blow as Faith Everett’s cross met Hunteman’s stick, and then the back of the net.
“Getting that goal early on, I think that alters everything,” Hunteman said. “It gives us confidence, one, and it belittles them a little bit.”
With just three minutes gone, Broadneck assumed momentum — but not control.
Whitman was not some meek meal the Bruins feasted on all season. Its defenders limited shots amd stopped Broadneck’s advances that would easily outsmart another
team. What did eke through, Vikings keeper Abby Tummonds blocked. Whitman’s crafty carving kept Broadneck from scoring again in the first quarter.
While the Vikings did smuggle a few breakaways across the midfield, Broadneck defenders swiftly snuffed them out, shifting play in the other direction. That kind of pressure-filled environment could only breed another goal.
Tummonds fended off the charge as best she could, but on a third consecutive shot, sophomore Kaitlyn Kearns lashed it, increasing the lead to 2-0 midway through the second quarter.
This seemed to empower the Vikings’ forwards into action. Drawing their first corner, sophomore Maya Raphael arced a shot toward the net, but it never made it there. Defenders attacked just before senior Safiya Stimely, who made her commitment to St. Mary’s College field hockey official earlier in the day, shoved it back across the field.
Hunteman recalled what teammate Maya Everett said earlier in the season: a good defense will make a good offense.
“A lot of times, if a team has a weak defense, they can’t do what they need to do
because they’re gassed, they have to keep coming back,” Hunteman said. “Us, on the forward line? We’re like midfield when it’s in our circle because we’re so confident in our defense.”
When you’re playing win-or-go-home games in the playoffs, Hanratty said, you can’t let up in the fourth quarter. It’s why their slogan is, “All gas, no brakes.” Even as the Vikings struggled to gain time of possession, a two-goal lead kept Whitman in play. Three goals sealed its doom.
Hunteman, Jessica Koepernick and others pelted shots at the defense and goalkeeper. They would not stop Maya Everett. The Maryland-bound senior struck before Tummonds could flinch.
“If there was hope lingering, that [finished it],” Hanratty said. “I think the way it was scored, too, one of those ‘ugh.’ I can understand. We’ve been that team on the other side. It’s hard to keep fighting when the clock’s running.”
The Bruins couldn’t help themselves. They shouted the countdown with the clock before sprinting out to the field for a 19th win this fall. But winning a state semifinal? Without any previous experience, they have no choice but to treat the next one like any other game.
“We’ve never been in this position before. It’s completely new,” Hunteman said. “We got another game and that’s it.”