Player of the Year

Meredith Gill, North Carroll, senior, midfield: A two-time All-County selection, she dominated her team's play end-to-end. Playing in the center, she worked well with Erin German to give the Panthers a solid midfield combination. She finished with three goals and five assists. A four-year team member, she said, "This year was special because it was my senior one, and we had a good group of veterans and new players. I started by giving pep talks to some of the younger players, and by midseason they were giving them back to me. This was a fun season, and I think what brought us along together so well was we had no superstars. It was a team effort." A 4.0 student, she is considering education or physical therapy as possible college studies.

Coach of the Year

Denean Koontz. North Carroll: It is sometimes harder to coach a team that expects to do well than one that isn't. Koontz, a former county and metro coach of the year, is honored this time for clearing up some question marks on her team and guiding it to county, Central Maryland Conference and regional championships. The Panthers lost to Walter Johnson in the state semifinals and finished 14-2. "This coaching year actually came so easy because I was blessed with talent and good people," Koontz said. That's easy for her to say, but it still takes someone to direct traffic. The team had lost two all-county players, including its leading scorer, to graduation and there was a question of who would fill that void. It turned out to be seniors Jessica Bradford and Katie Mullinix, whose play earned all-county recognition. For much of the season, the coach, in her seventh season (71-20-5), blended five seniors, five juniors, and a freshman into a starting lineup.

First team at a glance

Becky Arnold, F.S. Key, junior, goalkeeper: er: As the county leader in goals allowed, she played a big part in the success of the Eagles (11-2-1). The team lost only to North Carroll and tied Middletown during the regular season. She allowed seven goals in 13 games, and one of her eight shutouts was against Class 3A champion Fallston. Of 77 shots faced, she had 67 saves or clears. She was an honorable mention on the All-State team.

Jessica Bradford, North Carroll, senior, forward: A second-team choice last year, she stepped up her efforts this year to become the leading goal-scorer for her team and the county with 16. There were also five assists. She asserted herself in the opening game of the season with two goals and went on to a half-dozen multiple-goal games. She was a second-team all-state selection, the only Carroll County player in this group.

Lisa Cavanaugh, Westminster, junior, defense: fense: A smart player and the team's defensive leader, she was able to throw the switch and start (or create when necessary) offensive attacks for her side by successfully thwarting offensive thrusts from the opposition. She had a knack for finding and passing to an open space for a teammate to get the ball. "A smart player with a high skill level and good game sense," said coach Brenda Baker.

Erin German, North Carroll, senior, midfield: field: A physical presence in the midfield, this wing and Meredith Gill took charge of the transition game. Her long drives could be counted on to bail the team out of a defensive situation as well as set up the offense.

Krissy Hill, Liberty, senior, defense: Equally at home in the midfield or on defense, she was one of the senior leaders who helped ease the transition to new coach Diana Weinapple. The Lions produced two more wins than a year ago (5-8), and after going 0-3 and 1-4, bounced back to win three in a row. Hill is a tough player who goes to the ball well. North Carroll could attest to this team's improvement, as it won the opener handily, 3-1, then struggled in getting a 2-1 victory in mid-October (the Lions played Westminster and North Carroll on successive days).

Katie Holmes, North Carroll, senior, defense: fense: The sweeper for a team that allowed a total of 10 goals in 16 games, and no more than two in any one of them, she was an excellent defender. What Holmes and her defensive mates didn't get, junior goalkeeper Devan Bosley did, and the result was nine shutouts, including three in the regionals, where the Panthers had an 8-0 scoring edge.

Stephanie Lawrence, F.S. Key, senior, forward: ward: An outstanding performer who always seemed to play best in the big games, she was a three-year all-county selection, and her team's leading scorer each year. She had 12 goals and two assists this season for career totals of 31 goals and 14 assists. The team captain earned honorable mention on the all-state squad.

Kim Mathias, F.S. Key, junior, midfield: She was a solid field player, working in the middle for a team that had forward Lawrence and defender Laura Thompson. A two-year starter who recorded two goals and four assists, she was a proficient distributor in the transition game, whether on offense or defense. She was an honorable mention All-State selection.

Lindsay Mercier, South Carroll, senior, defense: Neither South Carroll nor its opponents scored more than two goals in 13 games (5-7-1), which says much about its offense and defense. Certainly coach Erin Soulen had no complaints about a defense, one of the stingiest in the county, anchored by Mercier and senior goalkeeper Sarah Jenkins, who faced 145 shots, with 126 saves and allowed 11 goals. Mercier was termed by her coach "a communicator," as she not only worked well with Jenkins, but teamed with the other defenders in directing play out of the circle. The Cavaliers were involved in a scoreless tie and 10 one-goal games (4-6).

Katie Mullinix, North Carroll, senior, forward: ward: A dependable player who could set up others as well as score herself, she had the only goal in two of her team's three 1-0 victories, and finished with nine goals and five assists.

Jessie Ray, Westminster, senior, defense: A co-captain who led by example on and off the field, Ray was the Owls' most consistent player. She directed plays on offense from the midfield, and was able to drop back and play defense, excelling in both capacities.

Katie Sciukas, Westminster, senior, forward: ward: The leading scorer (seven goals, four assists) for the Owls, she quietly showed a fierce determination and, as a co-captain, led by example. A second-team choice a year ago, she moves up on the strength of improved play where she became equally strong in scoring and creating scoring situations.

Laura Thompson, F.S. Key, senior, defense: fense: This center back, who coach Mindi Wagner said improved dramatically from her freshman season, came up big in front of Arnold, playing a determined role for a team ranked fourth in the metropolitan area. Perhaps her best effort came in a 1-0 regional loss to eventual Class 2A champion Bethesda-Chevy Chase. The Eagles played the Montgomery County team, which set a record with five straight state titles, as close as anyone for the season.

Emily White, Westminster, senior, goalkeeper: keeper: Rated by many metropolitan coaches as the best keeper in the area, she is a two-time all-county choice, and this season added first-team all-state to her resume. She was the only Carroll player accorded this distinction. She helped a young defense grow up, but there were some unaccustomed bumps along the way. However, the Owls came along to win six of seven and they reversed the loss to North Carroll before going out of the regionals in a sudden-death shootout with Chesapeake-AA. White ended with 97 saves against 115 shots, and allowed 17 goals. She was picked for the Maryland All-Star game and for Team Maryland.

1998 All-Carroll County field hockey team

Player of the Year: Meredith Gill, North Carroll

Coach of the Year: Denean Koontz, North Carroll

EName .. .. .. .. .. .. .School .. .. .. .. Class .. .. .. ..Position

Jessica Bradford .. .. .North Carroll ... .Senior .. .. ... Forward

Stephanie Lawrence .. ..Francis Scott Key .Senior .. .. ... Forward

Katie Mullinix .. .. .. North Carroll .. ..Senior .. .. ... Forward

Katie Sciukas .. .. ... Westminster .. .. .Senior .. .. ... Forward

Erin German .. .. .. .. North Carroll .. ..Senior .. .. ... Midfield

Meredith Gill .. .. ... North Carroll .. ..Senior .. .. ... Midfield

Kim Mathias .. .. .. .. Francis Scott Key .Junior .. .. ... Midfield

Jessie Ray .. .. .. ... Westminster .. .. .Senior .. .. ... Midfield

Lisa Cavanaugh .. .. .. Westminster .. .. .Junior .. .. ... Defense

Krissy Hill .. .. .. .. Liberty .. .. .. ..Senior .. .. ... Defense

Katie Holmes .. .. .. . North Carroll .. ..Senior .. .. ... Defense

Lindsay Mercier .. .. . South Carroll .. ..Senior .. .. ... Defense

Laura Thompson .. .. .. Francis Scott Key .Senior .. .. ... Defense

Becky Arnold .. .. .. . Francis Scott Key .Junior .. .. .. Goalkeeper

Emily White .. .. .. .. Westminster .. .. .Senior .. .. .. Goalkeeper

Honorable mention

Forwards: Lisa Evans, Liberty; Kristin Little, South Carroll; Teresa Sleeper, Liberty; Melanie Slessinger, North Carroll

Defense: Mandy Snyder, South Carroll; Rachael Wilson, South Carroll

Goalkeepers: Devan Bosley, North Carroll; Sarah Jenkins, South Carroll

Team selection

The Baltimore Sun 1998 All-Carroll County field hockey and volleyball teams were selected by John Stewart and Jeff Seidel, respectively, after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.

Pub Date: 11/25/98