From the beginning of the season, Glenelg's field hockey team knew what its target was — state championship. And, the team knew what target it was wearing — a bull's-eye.
Such is the fate of a defending state champion whose squad happens to include Alyssa Parker, one of the best high school field hockey players in the nation.
Except for one week during the season, Glenelg was ranked No. 1 in the Baltimore Sun poll. The Washington Post never moved the Gladiators from the top spot.
Glenelg lived up to its expectations Saturday, Nov. 12, defeating Poolesville, 3-0, to win this year's Class 2A state title. The contest was played at Washington College, in Chesterstown.
In the past four years, Glenelg has won two state titles, finished as a finalist once and a semifinalist once and gone 67-8-1 overall. The team will be the benchmark that other teams will compare themselves to.
"I don't think I will ever see a team like this again," said coach Ginger Kincaid, now in her 35th year as coach.
"I would put them up against any team. They are truly the best I've ever seen," she added.
"To come back a second time and being favored to win, it was like this was our game to lose," said Parker, a member of the U-19 Junior National Squad. "The odds were against us because the odds were for us, you know what I mean?"
"I think last year, we weren't expected to win it all. We just came out of nowhere," said Mary Kate Olson, a four-year starter.
Parker had a goal and an assist against Poolesville, completing the season with 37 goals and 36 assists and upping her four-year career total to 114 goals and 108 assists. The national statistics aren't complete, but it is thought that only one or two other players have ever surpassed the 100-100 mark.
The Gladiators (18-1) scored a phenomenal 151 goals this fall — and gave up only eight — and 108 of their shots were assisted. The 151 goals places the team 10th in the National Federation of State High School Association's field hockey record book.
Before the boo-birds jump on Glenelg for running up the score, no one on the team ever scored more than four goals a game, and of the 20 players on the squad only three (two were defenders) did not get a goal or an assist.
"We were very balanced," said Kincaid. "We have people who can do it all over.
"For sure, Alyssa's the catalyst, but she's not out there by herself. …She has brought everybody along with her. One day it's Mary Beth (Blonchek) doing a great thing, the next day, it's Mary Kate, the next day it's Emily Russo. All of them show up every game."
Meagan Guthrie led Glenelg's scoring against Poolesville. She had two goals.
"I just backed up every shot the goalie saved," she said. "Our whole team kept pushing the ball back in and crossing it over (to the other side of the goal) and it ended up going in."
"We never care who gets the credit, but especially today, it was get it in," Parker said after the Poolesville game. "As long as the ball's in the goal, we're good. We don't care who scores."
Meghan Milani assisted on Guthrie's first goal.
Parker, who accepted a full scholarship to the University of Maryland, the defending NCAA champions, as a junior, had two spectacular plays against Poolesville. On the first, she dribbled the ball 70 yards up the middle of the field, dodging four Poolesville defenders to reach Glenelg's offensive circle just as the goalkeeper, Amy Defnet, was coming out to challenge.
"The idea was to pass off to Meagan, Meghan or Danielle (Baker), but the defenders peeled off on them and I just shot it. It wasn't a very good shot, but you do what you've got to do," Parker said.
The ball rolled over the goal line to give Glenelg a 2-0 lead.
But Defnet got the better of Parker on a 3-on-1 breakaway in the second half. Just as Parker reached the top of circle and was deciding which teammate to pass to, Defnet came out to meet her and dove to break up what would have been a sure goal.
"That goalie was absolutely incredible," Parker said.
Defnet's 17 saves included a penalty stroke. "She did things we don't normally see," Kincaid said.
Glenelg's keeper, Amanda Hoyt, never had the opportunity to touch the ball, as her team recorded its 14th shutout of the season.
So what makes Glenelg so special?
There's team speed, outstanding stickwork and team depth, and there's this: "They absolutely love each other," Kincaid said. "The practice before the state championship game, they kept begging for 5 more minutes. They didn't want to go home. This time of year most people don't even want to come to practice."
And there's something else: Glenelg was determined to win the state championship.
"Literally, I've never wanted to win so badly for anybody like I wanted to win this for Miss Kincaid. … We wanted to win this for her more than we wanted it for ourselves," Parker said.