Field hockey Player of the Year Varga does it all

A strong vocal leader on the field, Russo said she'll always remember bonding with the team off the field.

"We're close on the field, but off the field is where we got all our chemistry," said Russo, who has committed to play basketball for UMBC next year. "You can tell how we play that we have good general team chemistry."

Defense

Sheila O'Malley, Atholton senior. After leading the Raiders to their first state field hockey championship this fall, O'Malley was selected by her teammates as Atholton's MVP.

"This is my favorite team. We had the best chemistry on and off the field," she said after making a huge defensive save with less than five minutes left in the Raiders' 2-1 championship win.

The co-captain was a defender that didn't mind pushing up into midfield territory when the situation presented itself. According to Dyer, she was very good at stealing the ball on the defensive end and delivering passes up the field.

Last year, O'Malley subbed in on the forward line.

"I moved her to defense and she never had a bad game," Dyer said. "She was a standout in every single game."

Rylie Whiting, Marriotts Ridge senior. According to coach Stacie Gado, Whiting came into her senior year with determination to succeed.

"She was serious about the game, played a lot in the off-season, and took on the challenge of stepping up on the field to be a threat to other teams," Gado said.

A versatile player, Whiting played where her team needed her on defense, sometimes left back, sometimes sweeper, depending on the contest.

"Rylie was confident in herself, moving to the ball, being patient with the rival offense, and taking the ball away when the offense showed a weakness," Gado said.

Whiting led a defense that recorded eight shutouts, and plans on continuing her field hockey career at Lynchburg College.

Goalkeepers

Sarah Bates, Glenelg Country senior. As a senior, Bates had to do something that she had never done before: share playing time. But she didn't mind.

"Getting to work with Kelly [Johnson] has been really nice because I have someone to push me," she said. "We both have the same mentality that you have to earn your position. We encourage each other but we also compete with each other."

A four-year starter, Bates also participates in both the Futures Elite program and the Junior Olympics. She has been named an IAAM B Conference All–Star each of the last four years.

This year she made 113 saves against only nine goals allowed for a .926 save percentage.

"She is the best goalkeeper that I've ever seen in my tenure as a coach or player," coach Jessica McAdams said.

Amanda Hoyt, Glenelg, junior. As a freshman in 2010, Hoyt was thrust into the spotlight unexpectedly when an injury forced her to fill in for seven games. Her steady performance until the starter returned prior to the playoffs showed what she was capable of.

The two-year starter showed poise and maturity in a position that is often self-directed.

"When the keeper coach is not working directly with them, Amanda is in charge," Kincaid said. Hoyt plays year-round and has learned to be very vocal in the cage. She led her defense to eight shutouts, did not allow a goal in 12 of the 18 games she played and finished with a save percentage of 85.7 (48/56).