Francis Scott Key Eagles
1993 record: 13-1-2. Coach: Mindi Wagner.
Top players: Stacey Greene, Jr., F; Missy Muller, Sr., G; Laurie Ryer, Sr., D; Holly Talbert, Sr., F; Jessica Sutherland, Sr., F; Amy Layman, Sr., D; Jen McDaniel, Sr., F; Jen Gallagher, Sr., D; Robin Day, Sr., L; Kristi Johnson, Jr., L.
Outlook: There just don't seem to be any weaknesses on the defending state Class 1A champions. Eight of 11 starters return, including the high-scoring Greene and stingy goalkeeper Muller. Greene scored 13 goals and had three assists last season. Greene has all the ingredients of any exceptional athlete -- speed, quickness, size, instincts, power, a strong will to win and coolness under fire.
Opponents might even put as many as four players on Greene, but the Eagles are prepared to turn to other players to score. "All our plays don't revolve around Stacey," said Wagner. "My other three forwards can score. Jessica Sutherland is another big girl like Stacey and she has the toughness it takes to play. She's hard-core and rough. She ran me over in practice one day and kept on going, apologizing as she went by me. And Holly Talbert is an acrobat with a stick in her hand."
Sutherland had the assist on the only goal Key scored last year in its 1-0 victory over Pocomoke in the state 1A championship game. Talbert had the goal against Pocomoke, one of eight she scored last season to go along with seven assists.
McDaniel, who also had eight goals, completes Key's outstanding front line that also includes Greene, Sutherland and Talbert -- all returnees.
No wonder Wagner says of her team: "I think when people hear we're the defending state 1A champions, they will shake in their shoes. But we're not perfect. We have to keep Missy Muller healthy. She dislocated her shoulder late last November while playing in a tournament in California, and she's had one health problem after another in the past. She's asthmatic and is constantly pulling something."
The Eagles have experience and talent at all positions, with five players fighting for the final starting defensive position. Junior Carrie Kibler leads the way in that battle with four other juniors -- Kristi Muller, Jen Wildesin, Leslie Plienis and Crystal Martz.
"We're a close team like last season," said Wagner. "We've already been out to breakfast together and we got together election day. It should be an exciting season and it would be wonderful to win another state title."
Liberty Lions
1993 record: 9-6. Coach: Courtney Vaughn.
Top players: Debbi Bourke, Sr., F; Heather Carter, Jr., G; Jessica Horneman, Jr., D; Amy North, Sr., L; Cindy Collins, Sr., L; Ashley Meehan, Soph., D; Jeannie Rainey, Sr., F; Megan Renehan, Sr., D; Danielle Gray, Jr., F.
Outlook: There are a lot of question marks for the Lions as they try to match their surprising march to the state 2A tournament last year.
Bourke, who had eight goals as a sophomore but scored only three last season, has to bounce back with a strong season; the entire offense has to learn how to convert its opportunities, and an unproven defense has to come through in front of Carter.
"Debbie Bourke had an off year last season," said Vaughn. "But )) she is very determined and won't back down. She is one of our smallest players but has the biggest heart on the team."
North, Rainey, Gray and Collins are some of the players who must score if Liberty is to be successful. On defense, the newcomers will have to follow the lead of Horneman, who is a strong hitter and an aggressive player.
"There's no pressure on us this year," said Vaughn, whose team dropped a 2-0 decision to North Carroll in the season opener Monday. "We're just out to play .500 ball. A lot of our players came in out of shape and it's going to take a while for them to get going. But our players all like each other and we had a nice gesture from Megan Renehan, who volunteered to play sweeper for us this year after being on offense last season."
Vaughn said Renehan's presence might allow the defense to surprise some people.
North Carroll Panthers
1993 record: 11-2-1. Coach: Denean Koontz.
Top players: Jill Ballard, Sr., L; Amber Bosley, Sr., F; Laurie Kreseski, Sr., F; Laura Kenney, Sr., F; Mary Ann Oldani, Sr., D; Jen Richards, Sr., D; Beth Moore, Sr., L; Becky Bosley, Soph., G.
Outlook: Koontz said her players will never forget a disheartening upset loss on strokes to Liberty last season in the 2A West Regional final, but they have been looking to the future and another chance to make it to the state tournament.
At least the Panthers gained some revenge for that setback Monday when they defeated Liberty, 2-0, in the season opener for both teams. To no one's surprise, Ballard and Amber Bosley scored the goals. Ballard and Bosley figure to bash a lot of opponents, and if they don't get the job done, look for Kreseski, Kenney or Moore to step forward.
Koontz knows her team always will get off a lot of shots, but she is concerned about converting those opportunities, especially after the setback in the regional finals to Liberty, where the Panthers dominated play most of the game but didn't score.
If North Carroll starts connecting on those shots and sophomore goalkeeper Becky Bosley (Amber's sister) comes through in her first season, the Panthers possibly could make a strong run for a state 2A title. Becky Bosley is a good athlete who has outstanding reflexes, said Koontz.
And what about the defense in front of Bosley?
Koontz isn't worried too much about her backs because they get a lot of help from Ballard, who roams all over the field from link and was one of the main reasons North Carroll allowed only one goal last season.
South Carroll Cavaliers
1993 record: 4-8. Coach: Stacy Stem.
Top players: Carli Benham, Jr., F; April Hall, Sr., F; Katie Rockwell, Sr., L; Jessica Etzler, Jr., D; Kim Foreman, Sr., L; Jaime Moyer, Sr., G.
Outlook: The return of the field hockey season reminds Stem of the only losing season she has had at the school in five years of coaching field hockey and lacrosse. The 1993 Cavaliers went 4-8 and was the only team Stem couldn't turn around by the end of the year. She said that squad was "set in its ways."
Once again Stem isn't blessed with a plethora of talent compared to Francis Scott Key, North Carroll and Westminster. Her top goalkeeper (Kate Bell) gave up field hockey after three days, leaving the goalie duties in the hands of unproven senior Jaime Moyer, who came out for the field hockey team after being cut from the soccer team.
"I'm teaching Jaime everything I know, but I'm not a goalie coach," said Stem. "But Jaime is willing. Overall, I feel good about this team. They are coachable, and that is a start."
Benham and Hall figure to be the top scorers, with Rockwell
getting the ball to them. On defense, Etzler will be a key player as she tries to keep opponents from getting too many point-blank shots on Moyer.
Foreman also will play an important role in the offense from link.
"My goal usually is to make the playoffs," said Stem. "But this year I'm just hoping to have a .500 team. I don't have the athletes, but these kids are trying."
One of the drawbacks for Stem is her new student teaching duties at Friendship Valley Elementary School in Westminster. That job prevents her from making it to practice until 4 o'clock and almost prompted her to give up coaching field hockey.
"I want to make it through the field hockey and lacrosse seasons this year before I quit," said Stem.
Westminster Owls
1993 record: 12-3. Co-coaches: Sue Hooper and Brenda Baker.
Top players: Andrea Kirby, Sr., G; Ann Brennan, Jr., F; Megan Magee, Jr., L; Nikki Cornell, Jr., D; Christine Mace, Sr., D; Kristy Matthai, Sr., F; Carrie Herb, Sr., F; Netia Little, Jr., D.
Outlook: Last season's Carroll Co-Coaches of the Year (Hooper and Baker) don't have as tough a job this season as they did last year when they lost all 11 starters and still went to the state 4A tournament semifinals and almost beat Richard Montgomery before losing, 2-1, in overtime. They have four starters returning in Brennan, Kirby, Magee and Cornell. But the Owls lost three All-Carroll first-teamers in Jen Markowitz, Kristen Lewis and Sara Warner. No other team in the county lost that many first-team selections. Brennan was a second-team All-Carroll choice.
Markowitz, Lewis and Warner expressed confidence from Day 1 last season that the team would make the states and it did. They were driven to prove Westminster could win without the likes of Tinah Houck, Denise Bollinger, Nicole Batten and Aurora Brown.
Hooper said she isn't sure yet if Brennan and company have that same drive. "They're a quiet group, and we have to work on a lot of things. But they know what the game of hockey needs from them before they can be successful," said Hooper.
Hooper knows the other four schools in the county "will be shooting for us, because we're the biggest school."
Baker said she is sure the four returning starters and the other players on the team would like to "carry on the tradition."
"I know they're not afraid of hard work," said Baker. "But we're inexperienced on all the lines and have a lot to learn."