South River girls lacrosse tried to pull off a miracle in the final two minutes of the Class 3A East Region I final.
After trailing Severna Park by seven goals with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks notched one score a minute to race toward a tie game. The Falcons remained stoic through every diminishing blow, up until senior Savannah Stallings ripped the 13th Seahawks goal into the strings to make it a one-goal game. .
For one nanosecond and a sullen dip of the head, Severna Park senior Bella Van Gieson thought she might lose. But the girl who netted the double overtime game-winner the last time the two teams played shook those thoughts quickly.
“You’re looking to the person on your left and right and say, ‘We have this,’” Van Gieson said, who scored three goals with two assists, said.
And sure enough, Van Gieson and the Falcons held on to the 14-13 win.
The key was the draw circle. Seahawks senior Adella Norton had been making good use of it on those six-straight scoring drives, scoring three of her own. But with about 30 seconds to go and no shot clock to worry about, all Severna Park needed was one draw.
Severna Park junior Maria Bragg always tends to provide when her team needs her most.
“Run!” coach Annie Houghton screamed after the fastest girl on the field. Seahawks defenders dogged her, but it was too late. The moment the buzzer sounded, Bragg slammed the turf with her stick in celebration as Falcons let out cheers laced with relief.
Severna Park (15-1) will host either Linganore or Wootton in the 3A state quarterfinals on Wednesday, continuing their quest for their 17th state title.
“Our theme tonight was just to play our lacrosse: play smart, don’t force things and have fun,” Houghton said. “This is a stressful time of year, but remember, you’re out here with your friends.”
Houghton warned her players that South River could stage that sort of comeback. While the Seahawks were beginning to pressure on attack, Severna Park’s defense was losing its edge.
It’s no surprise the Seahawks were capable of that scoring flood, given how the game began.
Bragg won the first three possessions for Severna Park from the draw circle, which Erin Hussey, Gracie Ciuba and Ava Deegan all converted for goals within two minutes.
Deegan, who ultimately recorded a team-high four goals, took her first start against Marriotts Ridge on March 25. In the weeks since, Van Gieson said Deegan has become the one the Falcons look to now to turn the tide.
“I’ve just been building confidence in myself,” Deegan said.
A South River timeout interrupted the Falcons onslaught. Senior Raegan Ogle burst out of the pause to snatch up the draw and flip it to Stallings for the Seahawks’ icebreaker.
For 10 minutes, it was just as likely players were waiting for the result of another draw control as actually moving about the field. Both teams padded as much as possible, quickly eclipsing their last meeting’s combined scoring total by the first quarter’s buzzer, a 6-4 Falcons lead.
Norton assumed the starring role at the circle, feeding her teammates – and even herself – enough shots to keep within two goals. A seemingly endless stream of free positions empowered both teams to pile on.
“As soon as they switched into zone defense, we adjusted really quickly,” Van Gieson said. “Our patience kept us in the game. As long as we have possession, we can shift momentum back to us.”
When Falcons keeper Lucy Davis christened the second frame with a save off an 8-meter shot, she signaled a shift.
It took six minutes for anyone to score again, but from there, it was all Severna Park with little interruption from the other side (until the final six minutes at least).
Van Gieson, senior Erin Hussey and Deegan combined for four straight goals before halftime and picked up where they left off in the third to score another. Just when Norton, Kelly Webber, Stallings and Ayla Zlupko teamed up to get three goals back for South River, Bragg, Hussey and Deegan countered with their own.
Ciuba might’ve buried South River’s rally before it peeked out of the ground, had her three goals not been called back by two whistles and one crease violation.
“We’re having people step up that are starting to peak at the right time of the season,” Houghton said. “We’re playing unselfish and our drives are fast. That was just a hiccup at the end.”
Have a sports tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at [email protected] or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
SOUTH RIVER – 4 0 3 6 – 13
SEVERNA PARK – 6 4 3 1 – 14
GOALS – SR: Adella Norton 5, Savannah Stallings 3, Ayla Zlupko 3, Kelly Webber 2, Annabella Burke 1; SP: Ava Deegan 4, Bella Van Gieson 3, Erin Hussey 3, Gracie Ciuba 2, Molly Koistinen 1, Maria Bragg 1
ASSISTS – SR: Adella Norton 1, Kelly Webber 1; SP: Bella Van Gieson 2, Erin Hussey 2