Bruins flip the script
Defense does the job to help Broadneck defeat Arundel
“If at first you don't succeed” might as well have been written for Broadneck.
It would take 11 penalty corners, 58 minutes of scoreless, back-and-forth play and a game careening toward overtime for the Bruins to finally find an opening in Arundel goalkeeper Tia Lysse's defense. But by game's end, it was Broadneck celebrating its 1-0 victory on the field.
“One-hundred percent, that was the best game we've seen them play in a very long time,” Bruins coach Jen Plack said. “That's the effort that we're looking for.”
It was a reversal of the last time Broadneck was home, when it had suffered its only defeat of the season, a 2-0 loss to South River.
“Honestly, this is the opposite of what happened to us at South River,” Plack said. “South River, they were down on our defensive end; we wanted to flip the script, but we didn't play very well in that game and we know it.”
From the start of play, it looked like Broadneck (5-1) had a top-heavy advantage, earning not one, not two, but four back-to-back penalty corners in the first five minutes — three just seconds apart.
In the Wildcats' net, Lysse squared up and swatted balls away, keeping the Bruins off the board. The junior goalie was under attack all evening, racking up 24 saves by game's end.
“She's been quite solid for us,” Arundel coach Carrie Vosburg said. “She's taken some hard shots and has been able to save almost all of them. A solid leader for us.”
Finally, the Wildcats earned a corner of their own, but their attempt to strike first would be quickly swept away by Broadneck defenders.
For three minutes, the Bruins contained the ball in Arundel territory, twice earning fruitless corners. Wildcats freshman Lana Hamilton broke the monopoly, speeding upfield with a pass to sophomore Malia Walker, which led to another Arundel corner.
Within seconds, though, Bruins midfielder Haley Palmer stole the ball away and swept it downfield.
It was as if the two canceled each other out. Broadneck would earn a corner, and Lysse would save. Arundel would earn a corner, and the Bruins would pick it away.
Hamilton once again broke away to try and score, but by halftime, the Wildcats and Bruins were at a 0-0 stalemate, thanks to impermeable backfields on either end of the field.
“Oh my God, our defense demolished,” Broadneck forward Anna Feick said. “If it wasn't for them, I don't think we would have won the game. They killed it.”
Said Vosburg: “Meghan [Malone], Sara [Pique], Emma [Jeffries] and Tia [Lysse] had great games and have been a huge asset to us. … I think they kept us in the game all day and probably did the
majority of the work.”
If the first half was being played on normal speed, the second half was twice as fast. After a corner for each team, Wildcats senior Delaney Norr wheeled the ball up field. No one could touch her; the Wildcats screamed on the sidelines.
Her shot, one of only four Arundel shots on goal, went wide.
“Sophia Hartman and Olivia Abe were everywhere,” Plack said. “Alex [Clough] didn't have to make many saves because they kept the ball up.”
Arundel earned a corner, and Broadneck's Clough blocked the shot. Then, it was the Bruins' turn. Hamilton reached out with her stick to try and stop it, and the ball skipped toward a scrum at the goal. Lysse lost sight of it, but
Feick did not.
“That's Anna Feick for you,” Plack said. “She's a diehard in there. She will go in there and she will get the job done.”
She flicked it in. The Broadneck offense erupted in screams.
“It's just unfortunate we fell on that one corner,” Vosburg said. “I just don't think we were in the right position for that, and that's why they were able to score.”
There were two minutes left on the clock, but it was over. Broadneck assumed possession again with its last corner with 30 seconds left and fired its 25th shot on goal.
And yet, Vosburg was far more satisfied with what she was seeing than she had been Monday, when Arundel chased Glenelg into double overtime and lost.
“It was a little different on Monday, I felt like not everyone gave ‘212' — that's our new motto thing — everyone did give ‘212' today,” Vosburg said.
“But someone has to be a winner, and unfortunately it was just not us.”
Margot Lawn netted two first-half goals and Katie Fichtner tallied a goal in the second half to lead the Cavaliers to a narrow victory over the Grizzlies.
Lindsay Beadmore assited on two of the goals and Keely McNemar also recorded an assist, while Sophie Somerville made four saves for Spalding (6-2).
ST. MARY’S 3, MOUNT DE SALES 1:
Emma Legacy, Gracie Driggs and Kaitlyn Panebianco each notched a goal to lead the Saints over the Sailors.
Emma Driggs recorded an assist and Reagan O'Toole made eight saves for St. Mary's (5-1).
Other scores
Wilde Lake 6, Meade 0
Golf
Sofia Zafiropulos won in straight sets at No. 1 singles and Paige Gunning also won in straight sets at No. 2 singles to lead the Cavaliers over the Warriors.
The doubles pairs of Audrey Zarzuela and Kate Woyneroski, Grace Bledsoe and Julia Jennings, along with Kyra Farley and Allison Braatz won their matches, also in straight set for Spalding (2-0).
SPALDING 5, BETH TFILOH 0: Volleyball