Player of the Year
Laurie Schwoy, McDonogh, senior, forward: The numbers -- as staggering as they have grown in the past four years -- are only the start of what Schwoy and her incredible soccer skills have brought to McDonogh, the metro area and the entire state of Maryland.
"She's just a phenom, a once-in-a-lifetime player," said McDonogh coach Maurice Boylan Jr. "Every time she touched the ball something exciting happened. She had the ability to make something out of nothing."
Schwoy earned All-American status for a third straight year as the top player in the state, finishing with 42 goals and 20 assists to lead a young McDonogh team to a 17-3-2 mark. The striker closed out her four-year career with 188 goals and 78 assists. The Eagles had a 74-6-5 record in the four years with two Catholic League titles and became a regular fixture in the national rankings, reaching as high as No. 3 in the country last year.
Her next stop is the University of North Carolina, where she earned a full scholarship to play soccer. Only three other players -- Mia Hamm, Christine Lilly, and Tisha Venturini -- have received full scholarships to the school that has won 13 of the past 14 NCAA Division I women's soccer titles.
So what has separated Schwoy from the rest and included her in such elite company? "She's the most driven athlete I've ever coached," said Boylan. "She's so competitive and has such a tremendous work rate. She has a penchant for perfection."
First team at a glance
Jamie Baier, South Carroll, senior, defense: Whatever South Carroll needed during its 12-0 regular season and run to the region finals, Baier provided it at stopper. A fine defender who also got the Cavalier offense started with her ability to distribute from the back, Baier finished the season with four goals and four assists. When the Cavaliers were awarded a late second-half penalty kick in a tie game against rival Liberty, Baier finished to give the Cavs a 2-1 win and send them on their way to the perfect regular season. The co-captain, a four-year varsity player, simply did everything well with a smooth all-around game. The Cavaliers relied on her leadership as much as her abilities and she always responded.
Beth Blasi, Fallston, senior, forward: When Blasi wasn't scoring, she was finding open teammates, finishing the season with 24 goals and adding 17 assists to lead the Cougars to a 15-1 mark. The Harford County Co-Player of the Year, Blasi had all the attributes of a fine striker -- the ability to settle in traffic, beat a defender and finish strong or set up a teammate. She often made it look easy, overcoming double-teams with her speed, fine ball skills and creativity. Fallston outscored its opponents, 88-2, with Blasi in on almost half of the Cougars' scoring. The three-time All-Harford first-team selection closed out her career with 59 goals and 37 assists.
Shannon Chaney, Severna Park, senior, goalkeeper: The Anne Arundel County Player of the Year, Chaney posted incredible numbers for the Falcons (16-1-2) in her four-year career. She capped it with an 11-save effort against Centennial in a 0-0 double-overtime tie to earn the Falcons a share of the Class 3A-4A state championship. At 5-11, it was difficult enough to get anything past Chaney and she made it tougher by aggressively coming out of the goal when needed. She allowed just three goals the entire season and had 15 shutouts to boost her career total to 49. Chaney was also a fine field player, scoring two goals in limited time up front. She will attend Duke University on a lacrosse scholarship and plans to try out for the soccer team as a walk-on.
Ginny Dye, Oakland Mills, senior, forward: An overwhelming majority of the Scorpions' offense started or ended with Dye, who was able to create for teammates as well as finish on her own. Her nine goals and eight assists led Oakland Mills to the Class 1A-2A state title and earned her All-Metro first-team honors for a second straight year. The four-year starter had an assist in each of the last four playoff games. As a junior, Dye scored 21 goals and had 12 assists. She always seemed to find a way to score when the Scorpions needed it most. It was never more evident than last season when she scored six times in the playoffs to lead the team to the state finals, providing them with valuable experience for this year's state championship.
Nicole Froman, Loch Raven, junior, defense: The Raiders' sweeper has spent plenty of time on the All-Metro page, repeating as a first-teamer from last year after making the second team as a freshman. Her speed and anticipation continually frustrated opposing forwards and, at 5-9, she also was very strong in the air. She often dominated to help the Raiders record eight shutouts. Her excellent field sense and ability to work the ball out of the back got the Raiders' offense started. Froman's long throw and cannon shot were big weapons in the Raiders' attack as she finished the season with four goals and seven assists.
Amy Goetzinger, John Carroll, senior, midfield: The four-year starter brought great athleticism to the soccer field along with a good understanding of the game. At 5-10, Goetzinger was great in the air and also won most of the 50-50 balls that came her way. She finished the season with five goals and seven assists to lead John Carroll to a 10-5-2 season that included a 2-0 upset win over highly touted McDonogh in the semifinals of the Catholic League Tournament. John Carroll improved as the season progressed and Goetzinger's influence was a big reason.
Kate Macfarlane, Hereford, junior, goalkeeper: For the second straight year, Macfarlane carried the Bulls to a Class 1A-2A state playoff appearance, this time reaching the state final. A tremendously gifted all-around athlete, Macfarlane kept busy in goal with 160 saves and earned every one of the Bulls' 10 shutouts. The repeat first-team All-Metro selection has great agility, soft hands and a good feel for the position, doing a great job of directing players in front of her as well as distributing. Macfarlane made her mark last season with a 26-save effort in a shoot-out win against then defending state champ Loch Raven in the region playoffs. When the Bulls needed offense, Macfarlane occasionally moved up front and finished the season with four goals and four assists -- second best on the team.
Jess Miller, Severna Park, senior, defense: A four-year player at sweeper, Miller was the mainstay of a stingy defense that allowed just three goals. She was the unsung hero on a Severna Park team that shared the Class 3A-4A state title with Centennial. The 0-0 double-overtime tie against the Eagles in the state final was classic Severna Park, which relied on Miller and its solid defense. There was nothing flashy about Miller's play as she got the job done in solid, workman-like fashion. A reliable, stay-at-home defender, she had great speed to cover up mistakes and was always where she needed to be.
Lauren Molinaro, Centennial, junior, midfield: No other player in the area dominated the middle of the field quite like Molinaro, who led the Eagles to a share of the Class 3A-4A state title with Severna Park. A repeat first-team All-Metro selection and a two-time Howard County Player of the Year, Molinaro possesses excellent ball skills and a knack for the game few players can match. The flow of a game constantly centers around Molinaro when she's on the field. She finished the season with 10 goals and three assists, but her value to the Centennial team goes far beyond those numbers. The attention she draws from opposing defenses creates opportunities for teammates.
Lindsey Poland, Severna Park, senior, midfield: Whatever Severna Park needed in its state playoff run, Poland provided with solid two-way play at center midfield. She led the Class 3A-4A co-state champion Falcons with eight goals and seven assists and was a steadying influence defensively in the middle. She headed home the only goal in a 1-0 win against Old Mill in the region playoffs to help avenge a loss to the Patriots in the Anne Arundel County championship. Poland handled most of the Falcons' restarts and finished her four-year varsity career with 32 goals and 21 assists.
Tania Riismandel, Centennial, senior, defense: The repeat first-team All-Metro sweeper was like a coach on the field for Dave Greenberg's co-state champion Eagles. Riismandel always seemed a step ahead of opposing offenses and continually shut down attacks with her speed and great ball skills. She had the skills to play anywhere on the field, but was most valuable in back where she took charge as a vocal team leader. She gave Centennial a smooth transition game with her ability to see the entire field and find the open teammate.
Ali Schuch, Dulaney, senior, midfield: A second-team All-Metro selection as a junior, Schuch made the jump to the first team with a fine senior year. She added strength in the summer while maintaining her speed and finesse, making it even more difficult for opponents to knock her off the ball. Her all-around skills and ability to control the middle was a big key to Dulaney's 13-2-1 season. She was quick to react defensively and knew exactly what to do offensively, being equally adept at finding open teammates or finishing on her own with a hard shot that stayed low. She closed out the season with 20 goals and eight assists.
Carina Sonberg, Old Mill, senior, forward: Sonberg scored 18 times, but none was bigger than a double-overtime goal against Severna Park to give the Patriots the Anne Arundel County championship. It came with 23 seconds left in the second overtime and handed Severna Park its only loss. A four-year varsity player, Sonberg showed her offensive potential as a junior -- scoring 15 goals in 11 games after moving up from defense. She picked up right where she left off this season and looked as if she's always played up front. She added five assists this season and finished her four-year varsity career with 40 goals and 15 assists.
Shanna Ziegenfuss, Liberty, junior, forward: Just about any time Ziegenfuss touched the ball, something good happened for the Lions. The Carroll County Player of the Year finished the season with 18 goals and six assists, battling through constant double teams with great finesse and touch. A dangerous threat from anywhere on the field, Ziegenfuss dazzled would-be defenders with fine dribbling skills and a strong shot. The overwhelming majority of the Lions' offense either started or ended with her poise and ability to make things happen. She earned second-team All-Metro honors last season as a sophomore.
Coach of the Year
Jerry Dieter, Catholic: What better way to celebrate 25 years of coaching soccer than winning the Catholic League A Conference Tournament. Dieter, who first began coaching boys soccer at Little Flower in 1970, did just that in his fifth year at Catholic, guiding the Cubs to a 12-5-4 overall record and their first tournament win since 1988. Dieter said it wasn't difficult convincing a young team it had the talent to make it a special year. Among the starters were six sophomores and two freshmen, but they didn't show any signs of inexperience from the start. The Cubs started the season by winning the Christine Doerfler Memorial Preseason Tournament at the College of Notre Dame. After some nagging injuries in the middle of the year, the Cubs finished strong, allowing just two goals in wins over Spalding, Mercy and John Carroll to claim the Catholic League. It was a strong defense that anchored the team throughout, recording 12 shutouts with a freshman in goal. "They all just love the game of soccer. They'll play soccer at the drop of a hat," said Dieter. "The biggest clue came at the half in the championship against John Carroll. It was windy and the game was played in terrible conditions. We were down 1-0 when [sophomore] Natalie Loftus came up to me and said, 'Mr. Dieter, we're not going to tie this game.' " The Cubs tied John Carroll midway through the second half and went on to claim a 2-1 win in overtime.
The teams
Player of the Year: Laurie Schwoy, McDonogh
9- Coach of the Year: Jerry Dieter, Catholic
First team
Name ............. School .......... Year .... Position
Beth Blasi ....... Fallston ........ Senior .. Forward
Ginny Dye ........ Oakland Mills ... Senior .. Forward
Laurie Schwoy .... McDonogh ........ Senior .. Forward
Carina Sonberg ... Old Mill ........ Senior .. Forward
Shanna Ziegenfuss. Liberty ......... Junior .. Forward
Amy Goetzinger ... John Carroll .... Senior .. Midfield
Lauren Molinaro .. Centennial ...... Junior .. Midfield
Lindsey Poland ... Severna Park .... Senior .. Midfield
Ali Schuch ....... Dulaney ......... Senior .. Midfield
Jamie Baier ...... South Carroll ... Senior .. Defense
Nicole Froman .... Loch Raven ...... Junior .. Defense
Jess Miller ...... Severna Park .... Senior .. Defense
Tania Riismandel.. Centennial ...... Senior .. Defense
Shannon Chaney ... Severna Park .... Senior .. Goalkeeper
Kate Macfarlane .. Hereford ........ Junior .. Goalkeeper
Second team
Name ............. School .......... Year .... Position
Courtney Benner .. Fallston ........ Senior .. Forward
Amanda Berman .... Wilde Lake ...... Sophomore Forward
Michelle Clare ... Centennial ...... Senior .. Forward
Sara Gustafson ... Franklin ........ Sophomore Forward
Kristen Smeby .... Arundel ......... Senior .. Forward
Angelini ...... Catholic ........ Junior .. Midfield
Julie Baker ...... McDonogh ........ Senior .. Midfield
Erin Lesh ........ C. Milton Wright. Junior .. Midfield
Jenn Cook ........ Fallston ........ Senior .. Defense
Katie Douglas .... Wilde Lake ...... Senior .. Defense
Jill Harrison .... Severna Park .... Junior .. Defense
Miranda James .... C. Milton Wright. Senior .. Defense
Jennifer Mazzola.. Old Mill ........ Senior .. Defense
Carrie Tamburo ... South Carroll ... Senior .. Defense
Rima Sidhu ....... Centennial ...... Senior .. Goalkeeper
Picking the teams
The Baltimore Sun 1995 All-Metro girls soccer teams were selected by the local sports staff through game observations and after consultation with area coaches. The capsules were written by Glenn P. Graham.