Because of a nagging foot injury, Manchester Valley senior Lizzie Colson moved from midfield to attack this spring to cut down on her running. That made her even more of a scoring threat.
She broke the Carroll County single-season record with 108 goals and led the No. 2 Mavericks (19-1) to their third straight Class 2A-1A championship.
In the state final, she set a Class 2A-1A championship record with 12 points. She had eight goals and four assists in the 22-3 victory over Fallston. She finished her career with 300 goals, second in Carroll County only to the 307 by former Century star Katie Schwarzmann who went on to win the Tewaaraton Award twice while at Maryland.
Colson, who will also play for the Terps, is a three-time All-Metro pick, twice a first-team selection. Throughout her career, she has been a go-to player in the biggest games. With her in the lineup, the Mavericks have gone 53-3 over four years.
"When the score's close, Lizzie's the one who steps up and the team turns the corner because of what she's doing," Century coach Becky Groves said. "Not only does she score, but she makes great defensive plays, she wins the draw and she really sets up her team for big plays. She is so quick, you just can't stop her. If you face-guard her, it doesn't matter. She does everything."
In addition to her 108 goals, Colson added 39 assists and 43 draw controls. A three-time Carroll County Player of the Year, she finished her career with 396 points and 220 draw controls.
"She's just our leader," Manchester Valley coach Shelly Brezicki said. "She sets the momentum for us. She makes absolutely every player around her better — and she's able to finish just about everything."
Opponents threw all kinds of defenses at her, including face guards and backers, and she still found a way to score. Colson showed off a versatile attacking game, able to finish from almost any spot around the crease or from up top.
"She kind of does it all," Brezicki said. "She has amazing stick skills. Her ability to catch the ball behind her, to the side, in front of her and finish is just incredible. There was one play in the state championship where she grabbed the ball behind her, brought it around, across her body and down and shot. It was like, 'How did the ball stay in the stick?'"
Colson is an Under Armour All-American and will play in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic July 2 at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium.
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