The Severna Park girls lacrosse team wasted little time in taking the drama out of its Class 4A/3A final against Catonsville.
The Falcons yielded the first goal of the game, but exploded to take a double-digit lead into halftime and cruised to a 17-6 win over the Comets at UMBC Stadium on Wednesday night for their second straight state title.
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“It?s definitely the same great feeling to go undefeated,” senior midfielder Theresa Zichelli said. “But this year we are the seniors and leaders and to bring the team to another state title is more special.”
The Falcons finished 20-0 for the second straight season and haven?t lost since an 11-9 defeat to Dulaney in the 2006 state final. Severna Park has won eight state titles ? second-most in the state behind Mount Hebron?s national-record 15.
Catonsville (11-7) tried to take control early behind an opening score from junior attackerAbby Sneeringer a little more than three minutes into the game. But the Falcons scored 11 straight goals to end the half and take an 11-1 lead into intermission.
Senior midfielder Julie Gardner scored four of her six goals in the first half.
“We worked really hard to get here,” Catonsville senior midfielder Jessica Nonn, who finished with two goals, said. “That?s why we deserve to be here, because we had to prove ourselves.”
Catonsville, however, regained a spark after Severna Park extended its lead to 12-1 on a goal by senior midfielder Hayley Rausch. Sneeringer scored her second goal of the game off of a free position shot and junior midfielder Amelia Garman rattled a shot off the post and into the net to cut the lead to nine with 20:32 remaining.
The teams traded goals, but Gardner slipped the ball past between Catonsville senior goalie Devon Nolan?s legs to give her team a 14-4 lead and end any threat of a comeback with 17:24 remaining.
Severna Park junior attacker Jaci Gassaway finished with four goals and two assists and Rausch added two goals and an assist.
“We knew we could take control of the game and that?s what we did,” said Gardner, who will play next season for Virginia. “When we are all playing together you can?t stop us.”
