Last season, some of the most compelling action in the fieldhockey playoffs came in the Class 3A bracket, where upsets, overtime and close games were prevalent in the later rounds. This could be the case again this year as the playoffs get underway today with a few first-round contests before a full slate of regional quarterfinal games are played Thursday.
One of the top local story lines is whether Fallston (13-1), the top seed in the 3A North, can take the next step and win its 10th state title after falling to Severna Park in the finals last year.
Fallston coach Alice Puckett said the Cougars? difficult regular-season schedule helped prepare her team for the postseason.
“We felt like we matched up well with all of the teams we played this year,” Puckett said. “We know if we can play our best, we know we can win. But in the playoffs, we know anything can happen.”
In Maryland?s top classification, the 4A East bracket provides a lot of intriguing matchup possibilities, as Broadneck (9-1-1) earned the top seed after tying Severna Park (10-0-1) last week. Two-time defending champion South River (11-2) is the second seed despite beating the Bruins in the regular season. Broadneck is in search of its first state title since 2002.
“Tying Severna Park really motivated us for the playoffs,” said Bruins first-year coach Jen Parks. “That game reminded us that we have to play hard for 60 minutes, because if we don?t, any team can step up and beat you.”
One team to keep an eye on in the 2A is Century, which went 11-1 en route to the Carroll County and Monocacy Valley Athletic League Chesapeake Conference titles. However, to get out of the 2A West, the top-seeded Knights will have to get past a number of familiar foes ? six of the seven Carroll County schools are in their bracket. The seventh, North Carroll, plays in the 3A West and hopes to improve upon last year?s state semifinals appearance.
“Having home-field advantage will be even more important to get out of the region,” Century coach Gayle Taylor said. “It wasn?t easy getting through our schedule, and in the playoffs, the team that makes the best adjustments are going to win.”
