A state championship generates two emotions — happiness and sadness. Howard County teams experienced both at Saturday's state field hockey tournament at Washington College in Chestertown.
Glenelg defeated Poolesville, 3-0, to successfully defend its Class 2A state title. Mt. Hebron, however, suffered a 1-0 double overtime loss to Westminster in the Class 3A final.
It was a repeat title for Westminster, which won the Class 4A a year ago.
Meagan Guthrie scored two of Glenelg's goals, one in each half.
"I backed up every shot the goalie saved," Guthrie said. "We never gave up, our whole team kept pushing it in."
Alyssa Parker had the other Glenelg goal on a 70-yard run in which she dodged four defenders and the goalkeeper.
"It wasn't a very good shot," Parker said modestly. She also had an assist.
Glenelg outshot Poolesville, 20-2, during the game, and the score could have been much worse had not Poolesville keeper Amy Defnet made 17 saves. When needed, Defnet fearlessly dove on the ground to make a save.
One of her stops was on Morgan Philie's penalty stroke.
Defnet got her glove on the ball, which deflected off the goal post before going wide.
Defnet said she has stopped several strokes this season, "But that was really a good stroke. I don't think I've stopped a stroke that good."
Since the first practice in August, Glenelg has pointed toward one game — the state championship game.
"The whole season has been just for this," Guthrie said. "We know Mrs. Kincaid wanted it so bad and we wanted it for her more than us."
Being state champion "is the best feeling," Parker said.
"This has been as perfect a four years as you could ask for," coach Ginger Kincaid said.
"We've been state champions twice and state finalists once."
The Glenelg seniors are 67-8 in their high school varsity careers and 37-2 the past two years.
Glenelg 3, Poolesville 0
Goals: G - Meagan Guthrie 2, Alyssa Parker. P - none
Assists: G - Meghan Milani, Alysssa Parker.
Saves: G - Amanda Hoyt 2. P - Amy Defnet 17.
Halftime: Glenelg, 2-0.
Class 3A
In the preseason if anyone had asked Westminster or Mt. Hebron if they thought they would finish the year in the state championship game, the answer would have been "No."
Westminster graduated the bulk of a team that went undefeated. Mt. Hebron also had a lot of replacing to do.
"If you'd asked us at the beginning of the year if we'd be here, I would have laughed," said Mt. Hebron senior Kelly Jones. "We didn't have the skills and e didn't play for each other, but we started to do that. We started to play for each other and (coach Jeannette Ireland). It's amazing to get this far."
Westminster thoroughly tested Mt. Hebron's defense. Keeper Maddy Fisher had 11 saves on 12 shots. At the opposite end of the field Westminster freshman keeper turned back the only shot she faced.
Meghan Macera, Westminster's leading scorer, got the game's only goal with 7:27 remaining in the second sudden victory overtime period. Maddy Walsh had the assist.
"Maddy pushed a cross to about the stroke mark," Macera said. She drove the ball past Fisher's left side and into the cage.
"We played as hard as we could the whole time. We knew they were a really great team and that we had to play hard," Fisher said.
By the time the second overtime came, both teams were wearing down.
"They passed around us and we passed to their players," Jones said. "We couldn't dodge anybody they had. They had a really good defense."
"We held them back," said Tianna Wallpher. "They just had that one run when they got the game-winning goal."
Westminster 1, Mt. Hebron (2OT)
Goals: W - Meghan Macera. MH - none.
Assists: W - Maddy Walsh.
Saves: W - Hailey Poisal 1. MH - Maddy Fisher - 11.
Halftime: tied, 0-0. First overtime: tied 0-0.
Check back tomorrow for more on the championship games.
