Catonsville High junior Brittany Stevens didn't score any goals in the Comets' 3-2 victory over host St. Paul's, but there was no doubt she was the most valuable player in the field hockey game Thursday evening.
"She is our number one in assists and probably like an MVP on our team," Catonsville coach Carrie McKenna-Wilson said. "She is great."
Stevens set up all three goals with a pair of assists in the first half and an insert pass on a penalty corner that led to the game-winning goal from senior Allison Campbell with 17:14 left in the second half.
The corner play started when Stevens passed to Kelsey Jones.
She dumped a pass to Ashlyn Cunningham and Cunningham's shot was rejected by goalie Carson Stephenson, but Campbell deposited the rebound.
"Our corners are looking good this year," McKenna-Wilson said. "We are a team that has struggled in the past getting a lot of offensive corners, but I feel like they are working pretty good."
Penalty corners were the Gators best friend in the first half when they scored on a pair of them to erase one-goal deficits.
The Comets took a 1-0 lead with 27:39 left in the first half when Cunningham scored off Stevens' assist.
St. Paul's evened the score less than three minutes later on a goal by Cole Zaharris off a penalty corner started by Caroline Pearce.
St. Paul's sophomore goalie Carson Stephenson made a tough stop on a hard shot by Campbell moments later, but with 20:55 left Stevens sent a cross that freshman Sydney Keagle converted for a 2-1 lead.
"I trust my teammates all the way," Stevens said. "They are always in those spots, so I can blindly just send it in and I know exactly where they are."
The Gators tied it with 15:30 left in the half when Leighton Eber assisted Zaharris after a penalty corner.
"We were thrilled with our corner pieces," St. Paul's coach Ann McKenzie said. "We are constantly adapting and shifting and changing. Today, I said to the girls, let's come out strong and we tried the more challenging offensive corner play and it was beautiful. It was so exciting."
After the Gators evened the score, the Comets peppered the goal and nearly got the lead with under a minute left in the half.
Another cross by Stevens led to a shot by Keagle that got stuck in traffic and back to back salvos on goal by Cunningham were saved by Stephenson.
"Their goalie was phenomenal," McKenna-Wilson said.
Catonsville's goalie, sophomore Maddie Manalansan, was also impressive after coming in with 12:52 left in the first half and holding the Gators scoreless the rest of the way.
She was supported by center back Madison Jones and wing backs Molly Buetnner and Zoe Waddell.
Senior midfielder Ashley Bates and sophomore Jones were also stellar in transition.
Stevens, Bates and Campbell are tri-captains and Stevens knows what the team expects.
"I think it's all about team worth and I don't care who gets the credit as long as we all work together as a team," Stevens said. "I think that's what really matters."
Catonsville improved to 2-3 after opening the season with losses to quality foes Atholton, Chesapeake, of Anne Arundel County, and South Carroll.
"We made our early schedule tough this year," McKenna-Wilson said.
St. Paul's had big wins over St. James, of Hagerstown, and Indian Creek, sandwiched around a 4-1 loss to Roland Park.
Catonsville was the closest game of the season and a tough test for a defense learning on the fly.
"They put a lot of pressure on and we have a young defense," McKenzie said.
That defense includes senior Rachel Baeck, sophomore Emma Gitters and freshman Maggie Norton.
Baeck played varsity field hockey at Mount de Sales as a freshman, but didn't play the next two seasons before transferring to St. Paul's.
"She came to St. Paul's and I literally stalked her," McKenzie said. "I had never seen her play, but I knew she played varsity that one year. She is doing really well. She was sick yesterday so she didn't start and she wasn't at her peak, but she is a game changer."
Against the Comets, it was a relentless attack that changed the game.
"We talked afterwards about losing our intensity a little bit and just being a little sloppy at the end," McKenzie said.