Blake field hockey studies history and hopes to repeat it
|
Version 0 of 1. With afternoon showers expected to muck up the Bermuda grass at Blake, field hockey Coach Patrick Howley has prepared a special screening during Wednesday’s practice period. The young Bengals will get a chance to see what their coach has been going on about all season. They will watch film from the Silver Spring school’s 2009 squad, a team that carried Crowley to the Maryland 3A state championship game in his first year. “There’s something about them,” Howley said of the team that beat Northern, 6-0, in the state semifinal before losing to Hereford, 1-0, in the title game. “They went out and did their thing.” With two byes to begin the postseason, Howley wants top sectional seed Blake (9-5) to keep an eye on how the most successful team in school history executed corners and implemented skilled stick work. But more than anything, he wants the Bengals to see how region champions hustle. [Previewing the 2015 Maryland state field hockey tournament] Not that Blake has had a problem in that department this year, putting together a winning record with five sophomore starters who gained experience on last year’s 3-10 team. “It’s such a competitive group,” Howley said. “I feel really lucky as a coach to have a group that’s so focused on coming out and playing their best. They just come out with so much energy.” Howley particularly credited the girls on their grit. The group challenges each other in physical practices, at one point bringing a blocking pad over from the football department to work on playing through pressure. Blake has already made statements with overtime wins over Blake and Damascus and one-goal losses to Montgomery County powers Poolesville and Springbrook. The Benglas are scheduled play the winner of Wheaton and Kennedy in a 3A South region semifinal next Monday. Senior defender and three-year starter Ali Kerner thinks the team will be one for Howley to remember. “Maybe we can give him something to talk about next year,” she said. Erin Shanahan scored two goals and Margot Lawn added another in Spalding’s 3-1 IAAM A quarterfinal win over Bryn Mawr. . . . Westfield took the Virginia Conference 5 title with a 3-0 win over Herndon on Monday. . . . Leanne Duncan tallied four goals and three assists in Glenelg’s regular season finale, a 12-0 win at Oakland Mills. . . . South River drops a spot after a 2-0 regular season finale loss to rival Severna Park. The Seahawks open the playoffs at home against Leonardtown. . . . T.C. Williams beat W.T. Woodson, 3-0, to claim a conference title. The Titans haven’t lost since August. . . . Fairfax replaces Madison in the rankings after beating the Warhawks, 2-1, in the Conference 6 final. 1. Spalding (16-0-1) Last week: 1 2. Westfield (16-2) LW: 2 3. Glenelg (13-1) LW: 3 4. Wootton (12-2) LW: 4 5. St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes (13-2-1) LW: 6 6. South River (9-4-1) LW: 5 7. Springbrook (10-2) LW: 7 8. T.C. Williams (18-1) LW: NR 9. Chesapeake (11-2-1) LW: 9 10. Fairfax (13-4-1) LW: NR Dropped out: No. 8 Madison (17-2), No. 10 Herndon (13-5) On the bubble: Marriotts Ridge (13-1), Broadneck (8-5-1), Poolesville (12-2) Records through Tuesday. More: Maryland state field hockey tournament breakdown |