Dulaney field hockey dominates Perry Hall in Class 4A playoff game

The Dulaney field hockey team started to weave a winning path through the Class 4A regional tournament Thursday afternoon. The Lions dominated visiting Perry Hall with a 7-1 victory in the quarterfinal playoff game in Timonium.

It's the type of performance Dulaney coach Kellie Fialcowitz and her players craved after getting embarrassed in a 4-0 setback to Hereford in the Baltimore County championship game a week earlier.

“We have had a lot of intense practices since the county championship game,” said Dulaney Maura Pezzulla, who had two goals against Perry Hall. “We just really wanted to come back strong after that loss.”

The Lions certainly did and outplayed the Gators for most of the game.

Dulaney (13-3) unleashed 17 shots compared to 4 for Perry Hall and scored five goals in the first half, including two in the first four minutes.

Sophomore attacker/midfielder Emma Klein poked a rebound past senior goalie Sam Schiano only 1:50 into the game.

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The Lions made it 2-0 about two minutes later when Maddie Stuckey took a crossing pass from Klein and knocked the ball into the cage from a yard out.

“I told them, ‘They needed to score right away to take some of the pressure off of them,” Fialcowitz said. “The came out ready to fight and play. They needed to prove to themselves that they were a better team than last Thursday.”

Reese Span converted a pass from Claire Podles on a penalty corner to make it 3-0 in the middle of the half.

Pezzulla notched consecutive goals to finish the first-half scoring. She has 10 on the season.

“Today was exciting,” Fialcowitz said. “We have struggled with scoring all season. Most of our games have been one-and two goal games. I want them to score in the playoffs. I am not going to tell them to back off.”

It took the Lions only 50 seconds to find the back of the goal in the second half as Calli Iouannou scored.

Sydney Parker had Dulaney’s final goal and senior forward Julianna Wergrzecki scored for Perry Hall (2-8).

Dulaney advances to play Catonsville in a regional semifinal Monday.

Perry Hall coach Kristen LaPlume Arseeau knows her Gators caught the Lions at the wrong time.

“It seemed to light a fire in them,” she said of the championship-game loss. “They just wanted the ball more today.”

Dulaney field hockey dominates Perry Hall in Class 4A playoff game

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