It was a moment Jake Pace had dreamed about his entire life.
In the first overtime of last year's Class 2A state championship game against Loch Raven, the River Hill midfielder knew he had positioned himself perfectly just inside the penalty area as teammate Tony Riso lined up a corner kick. As the ball curled toward the near post, Pace timed his run through the box to meet it. The Loch Raven defenders tried to clog the penalty area, but they were left helpless as Pace jumped and fiercely headed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Pace is one of several players in the metro area who has a reputation for making a difference when the game is on the line. Whether scoring game-winning goals in overtime, converting penalty kicks or clearing the ball off the back line, a number of area players are thriving in the clutch.
McDonogh coach Steve Nichols has seen his share of big-game players in his 12 years at the school. The Eagles graduated national Player of the Year Chris Agorsor, but Nichols has a wave of underclassmen who will make the Eagles a force again this season. Among them is junior Mamadou Kansaye, who will help control the midfield after scoring the winning goal in the under-15 national club championship with the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays in July.
The Eagles have two other players, juniors Marquez Fernandez and Joseph Meyer, who played with the Bays and declined invitations to participate in the U.S. National Team Residency Program in Florida to stay at McDonogh. Senior captain Joe Vidmar has won two national championships with the Bays' under-18 team.
Nichols said the difference in the players who respond in the big games is a mix of confidence, skill and a relentless will to win.
"Some kids are born with natural talent, but they are also born with an attitude where they refuse to lose," said Nichols, who coached the Bays' under-15 and under-18 national championship teams. "When the game is on the line, special players step up, while some players hide. Players like Mamadou always step up to the forefront."
River Hill coach Matt Shagogue said what separates clutch players from others is their commitment to the sport. They often play as hard in practice as they do in a game.
Pace "is the kind of kid that even in a training session, if he loses the ball, he is coming back at you really hard," said Shagogue, The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro Coach of the Year last season. "He is extremely competitive. That is what sets him apart from everyone else. He plays for the regional team and has collected a bunch of accolades where he could easily say, 'I don't need to do all of these things.' But it is just the opposite for him."
Senior Ben Tritsch, a three-year starter for Bel Air, was instrumental in helping the Bobcats reach the Class 3A state championship game. Bel Air advanced to the final by beating Fallston, Centennial and Franklin on penalty kicks. Tritsch was the fourth shooter in those games and had the game-winner against Fallston.
"I felt a little bit of pressure, especially against Fallston," Tritsch said. "I try not to think about how much it means and just take the kick."
These types of players, however, are not restricted to goal-scorers. Senior Oumar Ballo, who controls the back line for Archbishop Curley, is just as likely to take over a game
Curley coach Barry Stitz, who was a standout for Towson University and played professionally for the Blast and Spirit, said the big-time players embrace the pressure of important games. Ballo, who has started every game since his freshman year, has what Stitz called the "mentality of big-game players," in which they allow the most crucial situations to take them to new levels as a player.
"Oumar is not going to score many goals, but he always steps up in big games," Stitz said. "He is an intimidating presence back there. He plays hard every minute of every game."
Another player who is expected to turn a lot of heads this season is junior Geaton Caltabiano, a center midfielder for Mount St. Joseph who has won two consecutive national championships with the Bays and is an Olympic Development Program player. Gaels coach Mike St. Martin said Caltabiano is the best passer he has ever coached.
"He is not always going to be the one scoring goals, but he will come up with the biggest assist," St. Martin said. "He plays a lot of simple balls, but he is never under pressure. He receives the ball with his back to things and he knows where all of the outside midfielders are to lay the ball. He is making passes right on-foot that are just unbelievable."
In the first overtime of last year's Class 2A state championship game against Loch Raven, the River Hill midfielder knew he had positioned himself perfectly just inside the penalty area as teammate Tony Riso lined up a corner kick. As the ball curled toward the near post, Pace timed his run through the box to meet it. The Loch Raven defenders tried to clog the penalty area, but they were left helpless as Pace jumped and fiercely headed the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Pace is one of several players in the metro area who has a reputation for making a difference when the game is on the line. Whether scoring game-winning goals in overtime, converting penalty kicks or clearing the ball off the back line, a number of area players are thriving in the clutch.
McDonogh coach Steve Nichols has seen his share of big-game players in his 12 years at the school. The Eagles graduated national Player of the Year Chris Agorsor, but Nichols has a wave of underclassmen who will make the Eagles a force again this season. Among them is junior Mamadou Kansaye, who will help control the midfield after scoring the winning goal in the under-15 national club championship with the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays in July.
The Eagles have two other players, juniors Marquez Fernandez and Joseph Meyer, who played with the Bays and declined invitations to participate in the U.S. National Team Residency Program in Florida to stay at McDonogh. Senior captain Joe Vidmar has won two national championships with the Bays' under-18 team.
Nichols said the difference in the players who respond in the big games is a mix of confidence, skill and a relentless will to win.
"Some kids are born with natural talent, but they are also born with an attitude where they refuse to lose," said Nichols, who coached the Bays' under-15 and under-18 national championship teams. "When the game is on the line, special players step up, while some players hide. Players like Mamadou always step up to the forefront."
River Hill coach Matt Shagogue said what separates clutch players from others is their commitment to the sport. They often play as hard in practice as they do in a game.
Pace "is the kind of kid that even in a training session, if he loses the ball, he is coming back at you really hard," said Shagogue, The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro Coach of the Year last season. "He is extremely competitive. That is what sets him apart from everyone else. He plays for the regional team and has collected a bunch of accolades where he could easily say, 'I don't need to do all of these things.' But it is just the opposite for him."
Senior Ben Tritsch, a three-year starter for Bel Air, was instrumental in helping the Bobcats reach the Class 3A state championship game. Bel Air advanced to the final by beating Fallston, Centennial and Franklin on penalty kicks. Tritsch was the fourth shooter in those games and had the game-winner against Fallston.
"I felt a little bit of pressure, especially against Fallston," Tritsch said. "I try not to think about how much it means and just take the kick."
These types of players, however, are not restricted to goal-scorers. Senior Oumar Ballo, who controls the back line for Archbishop Curley, is just as likely to take over a game
Curley coach Barry Stitz, who was a standout for Towson University and played professionally for the Blast and Spirit, said the big-time players embrace the pressure of important games. Ballo, who has started every game since his freshman year, has what Stitz called the "mentality of big-game players," in which they allow the most crucial situations to take them to new levels as a player.
"Oumar is not going to score many goals, but he always steps up in big games," Stitz said. "He is an intimidating presence back there. He plays hard every minute of every game."
Another player who is expected to turn a lot of heads this season is junior Geaton Caltabiano, a center midfielder for Mount St. Joseph who has won two consecutive national championships with the Bays and is an Olympic Development Program player. Gaels coach Mike St. Martin said Caltabiano is the best passer he has ever coached.
"He is not always going to be the one scoring goals, but he will come up with the biggest assist," St. Martin said. "He plays a lot of simple balls, but he is never under pressure. He receives the ball with his back to things and he knows where all of the outside midfielders are to lay the ball. He is making passes right on-foot that are just unbelievable."