Previewing the 2015 Maryland state girls’ soccer tournament
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Version 0 of 1. The postseason has begun for many of the Washington area’s girls’ soccer teams, and the most exciting time of the fall promises plenty of twists, turns and memorable moments. Earlier this week, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association released the brackets for its state tournament, which begins in full Friday. Let’s take a look at how things could shake out. Scroll to the bottom of the story for the latest Top 10 rankings — the final installment before the season-ending rankings are posted at the end of the month. Maryland 4A vital stats • 44 teams (Bracket) • State semifinals: Nov. 14, 12/2:30/5/7:30 p.m. at Richard Montgomery • State finals: Nov. 19, 20 or 21 at Loyola University • Defending champion: Whitman (Defeated Howard, 1-0) No. 1 sectional seeds: Arundel, Broadneck, Whitman, Northwest, Eleanor Roosevelt, Parkdale, Howard, Sherwood Local favorites: Broadneck, South River, Whitman, Churchill, Howard, Leonardtown Potential games to watch: Bethesda-Chevy Chase at Churchill — 4A West Section I semifinals — Nov. 3 North Point at Eleanor Roosevelt — 4A South section semifinals — Nov. 3 South River at Broadneck — 4A East Section I finals — Nov. 6 Northwestern at Parkdale — 4A South section finals — Nov. 6 Breakdown: The 4A bracket will be extremely competitive, starting with the 4A West side. Churchill and Bethesda-Chevy Chase, two teams with legitimate state championship aspirations, will meet Tuesday in the second round of the tournament, barring an unexpected upset when the Barons begin the playoffs against Northwood Friday. The winner will then likely have to fend off two-time defending state champion Whitman to just make it to the region finals, where a game against Wootton or Northwest could be looming. . . . The 4A East region features a similarly challenging road. South River and Broadneck, the two favorites to emerge and advance to the state semifinals, will likely face one another in the sectional finals. Arundel could be a dark horse here simply because it will only have to beat one of those two Anne Arundel juggernauts to make the state semifinals. . . . Howard looks poised to make another trip to the state finals coming out of the 4A North region, although a potential matchup with Sherwood in the region finals would be no cake walk. . . . The 4A South region features a couple new names with Leonardtown and North Point, the two division winners in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference, joining the fray with the usual collection of Prince George’s County teams. Both are in the same section as defending region champion Eleanor Roosevelt. Parkdale, in the midst of an undefeated season, or Northwestern could await in the region finals. Maryland 3A vital stats • 43 teams (Bracket) • State semifinals: Nov. 14 at 12/2:30/5:7:30 at Linganore • State finals: Nov. 19, 20 or 21 at Loyola University • Defending champion: River Hill (defeated Linganore, 2-1) No. 1 sectional seeds: Huntingtown, Stephen Decatur, Magruder, Linganore, Atholton, City, Bel Air, Parkville Local favorites: Huntingtown, Atholton, Magruder Potential games to watch: Centennial at Reservoir — 3A section semifinals — Nov. 3 Northern at Huntingtown — 3A East section finals — Nov. 6 Urbana/Linganore at Magruder — 3A North region finals — Nov. 10 Breakdown: New classifications for many schools this year means a new-looking bracket for the Maryland 3A soccer tournament. For instance, 3A North top seed Magruder, in the midst of its best season in years, will have to get past Frederick County powers Linganore and Urbana to make a run to the state semifinals. . . . In the 3A East bracket, Huntingtown looks poised to make a long postseason run after losing just one game during the regular season. A potential matchup with Northern in the section finals will be the Hurricanes’ biggest threat. They beat Northern, 2-1, on Oct. 20. . . . With three-time defending 3A state champion River Hill now in the 2A bracket, the door could finally be open for Atholton to make a state title run through the 3A South region. No. 2 seed Reservoir had been playing its best soccer over the past few weeks before a loss to Centennial, its first opponent in the playoffs, to close the regular season. Maryland 2A vital stats • 43 teams (Bracket) • State semifinals: Nov. 13, 5/7:30 at Wilde Lake • State finals: Nov. 19, 20 or 21 at Loyola University • Defending champion: Calvert (Defeated Fallston, 1-0) No. 1 sectional seeds: Damascus, Wilde Lake, Calvert, Gwynn Park, Century, Queen Anne’s, Fallston, Chesapeake (Balt.) Local favorites: Wilde Lake, River Hill, Damascus, Calvert Potential games to watch: Oakdale/Poolesville at Damascus — 2A West section finals — Nov. 6 River Hill at Wilde Lake — 2A North section finals — Nov. 6 Southern at Calvert — 2A South region finals — Nov. 10 Breakdown: The biggest story line in this bracket is whether River Hill, winners of the past three 3A state championships, can make it a four-peat after moving down to 2A this year. The Hawks have had to overcome season-ending injuries to some of their top players, and already lost to 2A South top seed Wilde Lake earlier this month. The Wildecats won’t have to play away from home until the state finals since this year’s 2A state semifinals will take place at Wilde Lake. . . . Damascus had an undefeated record before a loss to Walter Johnson in its regular season finale, but the path to a state title won’t be easy in the 2A West bracket. A matchup with either defending region champion Oakdale or Poolesville, who the Hornets beat 1-0 earlier this season, looms in the section finals and the winner could have to deal with top-seeded Century in the region finals. . . . Defending 2A state champion Calvert finished fourth in its division in the SMAC this season, but might be the conference’s best bet to make the state semifinals again. The Cavaliers beat potential 2A South section final foe La Plata, 9-1, earlier this year. Southern, which lost to Calvert, 1-0, in the region finals last year, will again present a challenge. Maryland 1A vital stats • 41 teams (Bracket) • State semifinals: Nov. 14, 12/2:30/5/5:30 at Northeast • State finals: Nov. 19, 20 or 21 at Loyola University No. 1 sectional seeds: Surrattsville, Manchester Valley, Bohemia Manor, Kent County, Mountain Ridge, Smithsburg, Western STES, Sparrows Point Local favorites: Surrattsville, McDonough, Douglass Potential matchups to watch: Douglass at McDonough — 1A North section semifinals — Nov. 3 Douglass/McDonough at Surrattsville — 1A North section finals — Nov. 6 Breakdown: Only one section of the 1A North region contains Washington area teams, and it should be an intriguing bracket. Top-seeded Surrattsville should have an easy path to the section finals, but Douglass or McDonough are both capable of making runs to the region finals, where defending 1A North champion Manchester Valley could await. Spalding defeated John Carroll, 6-1, on Tuesday and advanced to an IAAM A semifinal matchup against Notre Dame Prep Thursday. . . . Wilde Lake beat Atholton, 2-1, for its 10th win in a row last week and captured the Howard County regular season title as a result. . . . Elizabeth Seton enters the rankings for the first time after a 2-1 win over O’Connell Tuesday. . . . Wilson played to a 1-1 tie against both Maret and National Cathedral last week and will begin its quest for a seventh straight DCIAA title Wednesday. 1. Broadneck (11-0-3) LW: 1 2. Good Counsel (8-1-4) LW: 2 3. Churchill (10-1-1) LW: 3 4. Whitman (11-1) LW: 4 5. South River (11-1-2) LW: 5 6. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (10-1-1) LW: 6 7. Spalding (11-4-3) LW: 7 8. Wilde Lake (12-1-1) LW: 8 9. Elizabeth Seton (8-2-4) LW: NR 10. Wilson (10-0-5) LW: 10 Dropped out: No. 9 Atholton (11-3) On the bubble: Atholton, Bishop Ireton (7-4-3), Leonardtown (11-0-2), Potomac School (11-2), Walter Johnson (10-4) Records through Tuesday. |