When a girls lacrosse team averages 13 goals per game, its defensive players sometimes get overlooked. But there was no ignoring Bel Air sophomore goalie Molly Loughlin in the Bobcats' 12-11 victory over Catonsville in the Class 4A-3A South regional championship Wednesday at Catonsville High School.
Loughlin made 15 saves, including eight in the final 17 minutes to help Bel Air advance to its first state semifinal appearance in school history.
The Bobcats play Walt Whitman, an 8-6 winner over Wootton, at Northeast High either Friday or Saturday.
"She killed our momentum," Catonsville first-year coach Cantey Evans said of the LaSalle University recruit. "It's all about stepping up at the right time and the right place. She is the best we have seen all year."
Catonsville (12-6) had trouble with Bel Air's offensive players, too.
Junior attacker Bekah Riley totaled five goals and three assists, junior attacker Emily McQuay had three goals and sophomore attacker Anna Farley had two goals and two assists.
Junior defender Kelsey Scott led Catonsville with four goals. Senior attackers Lauren McDonald and Anderson Gill and senior midfielder Jenn Nonn each contributed two goals.
Bel Air hit Catonsville with three consecutive goals in the final two minutes of the first half to take a 9-5 lead at intermission. Riley scored two of the goals.
McQuay boosted the Bobcats' lead to 10-5 when she scored 1:35 into the second half.
Catonsville, however, came roaring back. The Comets went onto a 4-0 run over the next six minutes to trim the advantage to 10-9 as Scott found the back of the goal twice.
"Unfortunately, we have put ourselves in holes before," Evans said. "These girls are extremely resilient. They never gave up. There's no lead that's too big against them."
Loughlin started to take over in the final 11 minutes, often leaving her spot to stuff a Catonsville shot.
She made six consecutive saves wrapped around goals by McQuay and freshman Shannon Williams. Those tallies gave Bel Air a 12-9 lead.
"She just thrives in big situations," Bel Air coach Kristen Barry said of Loughlin. "She is always there to make that big save."
The Bobcats went to a stall game in final seven minutes, burning about five minutes off the clock.
Catonsville managed to cut the deficit to 12-10 with 4:10 left when Scott got a blistering shot to the upper corner past Loughlin.
In the final 1:30, Loughlin stopped shots from McDonald and Scott before senior midfielder Jenn Noon scored on a low shot from about five yards out with 12.7 seconds left.
Noon won the ensuing draw, but was called for a charge. The Bobcats got the ball, ran out the clock and started celebrating their final four berth.
"All the credit goes to the girls," Barry said. "From Day one, we told ourselves, 'We had the talent to do it.' We just had to believe in ourselves and execute. They did."