Field hockey teams from Bel Air, Fallston and Patterson Mill advanced to respective region finals Monday, each posting shutout victories in section finals.
Region finals will be played Wednesday at sites and times to be determined.
John Carroll also won Monday in an IAAM B Conference quarterfinal.
In Edgewood, Bel Air continued its run in defense of its Class 3A state crown won a year ago. The Bobcats scored early and rolled to a 7-0 win in the 3A North, Section II final.
Brianna Fleischmann got the Bobcats scoring started just over seven minutes in, putting the ball past Edgewood keeper Angelina Palmer with assist from Brooke Steg. Steg's day was just getting started.
With 14:18 to play in the first half, Megan Keller made it 2-0 after a wild scramble in front of the Edgewood goal. Palmer turned away a shot or two, but with Steg and an Edgewood player laying across the goal line, Keller somehow got the ball into the goal.
Edgewood was able to keep the game at 2-0 at the half and it stayed that way until Holly Willhide scored unassisted for the Bobcats with 20:06 left in the second half.
It was then, seemingly, all Steg. With 11:23 left, Steg took control of a long, high lob off the stick of Peyton Hale. Steg took a dribble, beat one defender and then slipped the ball past Palmer.
Three minutes later Steg scored again, with Julian Vazquez adding the assist. And four minutes after tat, Steg finished off the hat trick with an unassisted goal, her third.
"Once you score one, it's kind of like you don't want to stop," Steg, a sophomore, said. "It was a pretty good win."
The Bobcats added their seventh and final goal with just 40 seconds to play. Hale did the honor, unassisted.
"Today's win was important to our team to remain focused mentally and work on passing and our simple fundamentals of the sport to collect the 'W' at the end of the game," Bobcats coach Emma Gryglewski said.
Bobcats goalie Chelsea Gostomski made one save, but it was a good one, batting down a high, hard shot in the second half. Edgewood keeper Palmer had a much busier day, finishing with 15 saves.
Bel Air had 11 corner opportunities; Edgewood had none.
The Bobcats will seek a third region crown in Wednesday's battle with Towson.
Cougars edge Elks
Fallston had the tightest finish of Monday's winners, edging host Elkton, 1-0, in 2A North, Section II.
The Cougars winning goal was scored with 17:36 left in the opening half. Sarah Dudick scored with assist from Kylie Ryan.
Fallston goalie Lindsay Nichols made three saves. The Cougars, owners of 14 state titles, will face Hereford on Wednesday.
Huskies blank Cobras
Patterson Mill's win came at Harford Tech, where the Huskies cruised to an 8-0 win over the Cobras in 1A North, Section II.
Molly Egan, Sarah McCollum and Sydney Beck scored two goals each to pace the Huskies. Maggie Egan and Elise Alders had a goal each.
Julia Fankis dished out three assists, while Jasmine Sabol and Julianne Gabor had an assist each.
The Huskies will battle Perryville in Wednesday's final. The Panthers won the Section I final, beating host Bo Manor, 4-1.
Patriots advance
John Carroll's win came over visiting St. Paul's, 2-0.
Freshman Ellie Bruggeman scored on a penalty corner, assisted by Charlotte Haggerty, to give the Patriots a 1-0 edge late in the first half.
Solid midfield play by Ashlee Kothenbeutel, Haggerty and Emily Stancliff kept the team on offense, allowing the Patriots to get off 19 shots. Sammi Edwards secured the victory with an insurance goal with 12:50 remaining in the game.
Emma Gromacki secured the shutout making one save, while Allie Taylor, Kate Gromacki, Claire Pika and Alyssa Kraus provided strong defensive play.
The Patriots will host a semifinal game at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Opening round
Thursday was a wet, dreary day in Harford County, but a day for field hockey as regional playoffs moved into the section semifinal round.
Teams from Bel Air, Edgewood, Fallston, Harford Tech and Patterson Mill were all winners.
Bel Air, the 2015 Class 3A state champion, started its title defense with a gritty 1-0 win over neighbor and host C. Milton Wright in 3A North, Section II play.
Bobcats senior Anna Farley scored the game's lone goal, unassisted, in the first half.
Rams beat Eagles
Edgewood was also a 1-0 winner, beating Aberdeen in the other 3A North, Section II semi.
Hailey Fisher scored the goal for Edgewood with Abigail Quinn adding the assist.
Edgewood goalie Angelina Palmer did not register a save, while Aberdeen goalie Gwyneth Steel made seven saves.
The loss ends an Eagles season that was a winning regular season for the first time in a number of years at 6-5-1.
Cougars beat Hawks
Fallston was yet another 1-0 winner, shutting out visiting North Harford in 2A North, Section II play.
Junior Kelly Emge scored the game-winning goal with 14 minutes left in the game. Junior Kylie Ryan had the assist.
Cougars goalie Lindsay Nichols made one save on the lone North Harford shot.
Huskies, Cobras advance
Patterson Mill and Harford Tech were both winners in 1A North, Section II play.
Patterson Mill blanked visiting Joppatowne, 10-0.
Jasmine Sabol (two assists) scored three goals to lead the Huskies and Maggie Egan scored the first goal with assist by Juls Gabor.
Molly Egan, Sydney Beck, Lindsay King, Juls Gabor, Lauren Golczewsi and Julia Frankis each had single goals.
Golczewski and Cait McCarthy each had an assist.
Tech shut out visiting Havre de Grace, 4-0. Warriors goalie Micah Jacobs made 15 saves in the loss.