Mount de Sales celebrated its first-ever field hockey title, thanks to a stonewall defense, relentless midfield play and a timely goal by Amanda Ignacio in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference championship game at Goucher College on Nov. 6.
The Sailors (16-4-1, 10-2-1 league) defeated Maryvale Prep, 1-0, handing the Lions (14-4, 11-1) their first conference loss of the season.
"Everybody on this team plays offense and defense very well, and that's how you win championships," Mount de Sales coach Mary Gentner said.
Ignacio scored when she drilled a pass from Caroline Butler into the cage just 6:13 into the contest.
"That was a beautiful feed," Gentner said.
The rest of the game was survival of the penalty corners, and the Sailors responded by stifling 18 of them, including six in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
"Once we stop them we have the momentum, so when we get another one, we kind of catch on to what they are going to do," said senior defender Caroline O'Ferrall, a key to stopping the corners with Lauren Hiltz, Courtney Geier and Butler and goalie Eve Lukowski. "We get out there and do what we do to stop them."
"We had 18 corners and no finishes," Maryvale coach Michelle Thaniel said. "It's just about finishing."
The Sailors, who lost 2-0 during the regular season to the Lions, watched film to figure out the best way to stymie Maryvale's corner plays.
"We all worked so hard on defending the corner, and we did that today," Lukowski said. "We got the job done."
Geier was the gunner on corners, doing her best to disrupt the Lions' flow.
"Because we never over-committed, it broke up their rhythm, which was our game plan," Gentner said. "They had the momentum with their corners, but we had the confidence of knowing what was coming and how to defend it. "Our girls never stopped."
Maryvale created several opportunities in the circle, thanks to strong midfield play from Samantha Darcangelo, Maggie Fuggi and forward Miranda Ibello.
The Sailors countered with outstanding defense from midfielders Kayley Jones, Ashley Lesniewski and Leah DiGianomenico, and forward Julianna Shearer.
"That was the best defensive game she (Shearer) has ever played," said Gentner about the team's leading scorer. "And, our senior midfielders (Jones and Butler) just hold that middle and they can get up and back on defense."
In the end, it was a tough team defense and timely offense in the first half that proved to be the difference for the Sailors, who concluded an outstanding season that also included two wins over Seton Keough and triumphs over Westminster, Mariotts Ridge and A Conference finalist McDonogh.
"16-4-1. What a season, and our first banner ever," Gentner said.
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Shearer knew exactly what to do with Butler's pass with 3:27 left in the first overtime against Seton Keough in a 1-0 victory in a IAAM B Conference semifinal.
"I can't believe that just happened," Shearer said after the score. "I am so in shock right now."
The sequence leading to the game-winning goal started in the defensive zone when Hiltz broke up a Seton Keough penalty corner and cleared it to Ignacio, who motored up the sideline and dropped off a pass for Shearer. Her subsequent drive into the circle set up a penalty corner.
From there, Jones passed to Butler, whose first thought was to shoot — until she spotted an unguarded Shearer.
Seton Keough (15-6-1) had the first scoring opportunity in overtime when junior midfielder Anna Stumme's cross to freshman Zoe Smith set up a penalty corner.
But Stumme's pass to Clarra Saunders was eventually disrupted by Hiltz.
Seton Keough also received standout defense throughout from juniors Emani Byrd, Hannah Tavik and Kathleen Sigwart and goalie Becca Wallace, who faced 12 shots on goal while Lukowski stopped half as many.
Wallace's rejection of a Shearer shot in the first minute of the second half set the tone for what turned into a defensive struggle.
"Out defense rocks," Sailor coach Gentner said.