Crofton storms through strong first half
Kylie Corcoran contributes 2 goals in win as veteran squad displays its depth
If not for Severna Park’s Amanda Giebels, Crofton field hockey could’ve walked out with a 29-1 win — a testament not only to the prolific keeper but to just how dominant Crofton has become.
Two storms rolled toward Severna Park’s grounds Monday — the one that delayed play by a half hour and the one that pelted three dozen shots at the perennial power, two-thirds of which had to be stopped and three that hit the back of the cage for a 3-1 Crofton win.
Crofton, the defending Class 3A state champion, comes armed with a roster teeming with All-County, three-year varsity starters, and it’s a far cry from the team that couldn’t beat the Falcons two years ago, or needed overtime to do it in 2022.
“Everyone’s two years older. They played together for two years,” Cardinals coach Amy Skrickus said. “It shows how hard they’ve worked and how much they’ve worked to improve their game as a unit and not just individually.”
The Cardinals (3-0) knew Severna Park (1-1) would give them a feisty competition, and that’s just how it started. Truthfully, said senior Kylie Corcoran, who scored twice, the nerves just don’t leave her squad alone in those first few minutes, no matter how seasoned they get.
The objective was to cut off the Falcons’ passes in the midfield and put the ball in the circle. From there, the tallest figure on the turf, Corcoran imposed her will from Crofton’s first possession, from drawing the first three corners to slamming one of them between the pipes for the first Cardinals goal.
“Our goal is always scoring the ball in the first five minutes,” Corcoran said. “Going down and doing that brought our momentum.”
Severna Park deployed its offense in brief sparks, expiring against Crofton’s defenders or turning over in the midfield to the likes of midfielders Jackie Kerner or Olivia Feeley. The scarcity of Falcons possessions
a team for the day on the way out to the racecourse then switched into game time mode.”
Love credited Doug Stryker with providing advice on boat setup and praised her team’s ability to steadily pick off boats whenever a subpar start left Mayhem in the middle or back of the pack.
“We learned on our straight line speed and Marie’s tactics to put the boat where we needed and were able to climb back into the mix,” she said.
Following a two-hour delay onshore to allow the southerly sea breeze to fill in, principal race officer Sandy Grosvenor completed three races in 8 to 12 knot winds. Grosvenor said numerous finishes were so close that video review was required to sort out placements.
“We were impressed by how close the racing was, especially given that most crews do not normally sail together and many of the drivers, while experienced sailors, were not necessarily that experienced with the J/105,” said Grosvenor, speaking on behalf of the race committee as a whole.
A fleet of more than 30 spectator boats gathered on the water to watch the racing and show support for the female sailors. Jonathan Bartlett, manager of the North Sails Chesapeake loft, was an interested observer and felt the racing was top-notch.
“The starts were aggressive and the weather mark roundings were tight,” he said. “That tells you right there how well sailed the boats were.”
Love, well known around Annapolis and beyond as announcer for the T2PTV sailing video productions, felt fortunate her team came out on top in a talent-laden field. Love has recently led several teams to podium placements at the Corinthian Yacht Club’s National Women’s Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Cup.
“The starting lines were competition in big current, the short legs kept mark roundings condensed and skilled boat-handling had the fleet crossing the finish line overlapped,” she said. “There was never a dull moment and our team stayed dialed in and fighting for every inch.”
Maddy Ploch, a senior member of the Naval Academy varsity offshore sailing team, organized the Velvet Hammer team. She tabbed older sister Megan Ploch, winning skipper of the 2017 International Women’s Keelboat Regatta, to serve as driver and the team closed the regatta by getting the gun in Race 3.
Canadian transplant Alexandra Wardell Clary skippered third-place Champagne Puppy, which posted a pair of second-place results. She had Stepanie Bacon, commodore of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in British Columbia and a former member of the Canadian national sailing team, aboard as mainsail trimmer.
A total of 97 sailors ranging in age from college students to retirees participated in the regatta with experience levels ranging from former Olympic campaigners to weekend warriors. Molly Wilmer, who skippered Mirage to fifth place, is founder and lead organizers of the J/105 Women’s Regatta. She was grateful to the 14 owners from J/105 Fleet 3 for loaning their boats.
Love said momentum for the second J/105 Women’s Regatta has been building ever since the success of the inaugural edition with the word spreading among female sailors throughout the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. Two teams traveled from Buffalo and Charleston to compete in the regatta. Midshipmen Renee Bonner led an entry fielded by the Navy varsity offshore sailing team.
Veteran professional Scott Nixon from the Annapolis loft of Quantum believes the J/105 Women’s Regatta has a bright future.
“It was really fun to watch and see how high the level of women’s sailing has gotten here on the Chesapeake Bay,” Nixon said. “Seeing a handful of the teams train in preparation for this event shows how serious the regatta has become. I’m sure this event will be even more competitive next year.”
J/105 WOMEN’S REGATTA (14 BOATS)
1, Mayhem, Ashley Love, 1-3-2=6; 2, Velvet Hammer, Maddy Ploch, 4-4-1=9; 3, Champagne Puppy, Alexandra Wardell Clary, 2-2-6=10; 4, Crash, Sara Morgan Watters, 10-1-3=14; 5, Mirage, Molly Wilmer, 8-5-4=17