Calvert Hall soccer coach Rich Zinkand described his team's first seven Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference games as a "roller coaster."
The Cardinals started 4-0 and that stretch included a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over McDonogh and a 2-1 conquest of Archbishop Curley in the Reif Cup.
Then Calvert Hall hit a rough stretch, going 1-2 with one-goal losses coming to both Loyola Blakefield and Mount St. Joseph.
"If we learned one thing, anything can happen in the A Conference this year," Zinkand said. "We are using that for our experience going into the second half. We have to understand we just can't get away with playing individually. We have to play as a team."
When Calvert Hall does that, the Cardinals are almost unbeatable.
Zinkand calls this team his best in five years.
The Baltimore Sun ranks the Cardinals No. 2 in the area behind Mount St. Joseph in its boys high school soccer poll.
"It's a special group," said Zinkland, whose team is 8-2-2 overall and 6-2-1 in league play. "The expectations are high. The boys got to meet it. We have the experience and talent. In all likelihood, we could have four or five guys play Division I soccer."
Zinkland is referring to a group of players that includes seniors forward Brady O' Connor (committed to George Washington University) and Ben Alexander (University of Kentucky) and seniors Chris Carroll and Seth Walker, who play both midfield and forward.
"They are both looking at Division I schools for soccer as well," Zinkand said Carroll and Walker. "
Alexander, Carroll and Walker helped the Pipeline Soccer Club to the Under-17 Youth Soccer National Championship earlier this year.
"It's pretty unique to have three of them that have played together since the end of the high school season last year and throughout the summer," Zinkand explained.
O'Connor played for Calvert Hall as a freshman and sophomore and competed for an Academy team, the Baltimore Armour, last fall.
"He felt for his recruiting purposes his junior year was a big year for him to play Academy throughout the fall," Zinkand said.
Gilman coach Jon Seal has been particularly impressed with Alexander, who lead the Cardinals with 11 goals.
"I think when you have a guy at the top of the team like Alexander, you can make up for any type of off day that you," Seal said.
The Cardinals also boast an outstanding defense, which is spearheaded by seniors John Assaro and Eamon Black.
They protect senior goalie Kyle Cooper.
"They are solid all around," Seal said. "They don't have a weakness."
Zinkand hopes all that talent leads to a MIAA championship.
The Cardinals haven't won one since 2003.
"There is a sense of urgency," Zinkand said. "They understand that."