For Broadneck?s field hockey team, just getting to the state tournament may be harder than winning it.
The top-ranked Bruins (14-1) are the second seed in the highly competitive Class 4A East region, meaning they likely have toget past two of the following teams: No. 4 Severna Park (11-3), No. 5 Chesapeake (11-3) and No. 2 South River (12-1) to win their first region title in five years.
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Broadneck coach Jen Parks said her team is up for the challenge, especially after winning its first Anne Arundel County title game on Tuesday by posting a 2-1 victory over previously undefeated South River.
“It could be anybody?s year but we definitely think we have a good shot,” Parks said of her team, which hosts seventh-seeded Old Mill in a quarterfinal game today. “We?ve proven we can beat all the teams in our county and region and with that comes the confidence we?ll need to propel us through playoffs.”
In the 3A bracket, the North Region is very intriguing as top-seeded Catonsville could get rematch against second-seeded Towson, which beat the Comets, 1-0, in the Baltimore County championship.
But, to get to that point, Towson must first get by North Harford on Thursday to set up a potential showdown against nine-time state champion Fallston in the semifinals. Catonsville?s road to the region final includes hosting Franklin Thursday with a potential game at Hereford, which won the 2A title last season, in the semifinals.
In 2A, Loch Raven, which just missed playing for the Baltimore County title, is the third seed in the 2A North Region, and is expecting to make a deep run in the playoffs. The Raiders? toughest game likely would be a region final, especially if they have to face Rising Sun, which won the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference championship.
“In order to make a deep run toward a title we need to play our game and hustle by being first to the ball,” Loch Raven coach Danielle Grzebien said. “We need to work together as a team and have good communication as well.”
In the 1A bracket, Glenelg, the top seed in the West Region, is the favorite to win its first state title. A 2A finalist in 2006,the Gladiators have a bye until the semifinals, and are looking to rebound after being upset by Centennial in the Howard County championship. However, only one Howard County team ? Centennial in 1995 ? has won a state field hockey title in any classification.
