Back on the attack
Broadneck tops defending state champ Severna Park in first AACPS game since 2019
For Broadneck, there could be no better statement to send across Anne Arundel County on Day 1 than taking down the defending Class 4A state champions.
The Bruins handily defeated Severna Park, 14-6, in the first varsity girls lacrosse game on Anne Arundel County public school grounds since May 2019, breaking the break caused by the pandemic’s arrival in March 2020.
The Bruins didn’t know what to expect, junior attack Julia Sokolowski said, after 700 days without playing.
Broadneck certainly felt proud of what it showed.
“I think beating the state champs, that shows a lot of teams that they’ve got a lot coming for them when we step out on that field,” Sokolowski said.
Likewise, Broadneck coach Katy Kelley had concerns a long preseason over the last month with no scrimmages would be a hindrance.
“To watch them come out like that just proves they’re competitors,” Kelley said.
With four goals, Sokolowski led a deep Bruins squad. Anyone who had the ball in her stick became a possible scorer. Sophomore Lilly Kelley followed with three goals.
“I think our offense is multifaceted,” Katy Kelley said. “People are driving, people are moving, dishing, finishing. I think that’s the threat — that multiple people can compete.”
Bruins Lexi Dupcak, Alexis Abe and Mary Moore helped control 15 of 23 draws.
“We have a lot of options on the draw, a lot of people that can take it and be on the circle,” Katy Kelley said. “That’s a huge asset to have, that we can continue to roll people in and out.”
The first three draws were pulled in by the host Bruins and twice made their safe flight to the goal.
Having a long layoff between seasons affected Severna Park more, coach Kaitlyn Hines reckoned. Her Falcons are young.
“It’s something we weren’t ready for,” Hines said. “I told them, a lot of it fell on us. A lot of mistakes were made tonight, which also a good thing. It’s something we can fix.”
But sophomore attack Charlotte Diez, though she’d yet to play a varsity game in her high school career, circled the net like a hawk, netting the Falcons’ first goal off a turnover then converting the first Severna Park draw into a goal to tie the score at 2.
The Bruins reacted swiftly. Once again, the hosts ruled the draw. Kelley whirled with a fury to the goal to reestablish the Broadneck lead, 3-2, and Sokolowski bookended either side of a Falcons reply goal with two of her own. Broadneck remained a step ahead of the defending champions from then on.
“Our goal was, even if we drop a ball, miss a shot, we’re the first one after it, first one to get the ground ball, all 50-50s,” Sokolowski said. “I think that really put it in our favor.”
Turnovers hurt Broadneck, leading to two Falcons scores in the first half. When Severna Park did eke out draws, it twice preceded fortune and kept the visitors in play.
But Broadneck held firm and carried an 8-4 lead into halftime.
Severna Park did strike first in the second half, a bullet from senior Kaila Stasulli, but what it could do was not enough against Broadneck’s bounty.
Sokolowski and Kelley continued their success from the first half while additional scorers who had been trying to poke in all evening, such as Dupcak and Abe, padded Broadneck’s lead, too.
Severna Park tried double-teaming, and the Bruins cut through them, up an open middle of the field and scored and scored. That’s when Sokowloski really felt like the Falcons could not come back.
“There was really nothing they could do at that point,” she said.
Severna Park’s offense was flustered under the pressure of Broadneck’s defense that continued to force the Falcons to surrender the ball.
“They’re young — I’ve got one returning starting defender. I think they just communicated,” Kelley said of her defense. “They wanted it.”
Severna Park emerged from a late timeout down 12-6 to win three draws — and surrender more goals. Mostly, turnovers of all kinds — ground balls, interceptions, saves — hampered the Falcons’ chances.
“I think it’s handling the ball better, handling that pressure, keeping composure on the offense,” Hines said. “We’ve got a young group out there. I think there’s only two seniors that started play for us. Our leadership has to build from that underclassmen group.”
GOALS: BN — Julia Sokolowski (4), Lilly Kelley (3), Alexis Abe (2), Reagan Baldwin (1), Mary Moore (1), Lexi Dupcak (1), Tobin Chambers (1), Sam Lavorini (1); SP — Charlotte Diez (2), Theresa Bragg (1), Hailey Betch (1), Kaila Stasulli (1), Sophia Miller (1)