South River and Spalding go 2-0 at Pioneer Shootout

by Aaron Gray
agray@digitalsports.com

(See photo gallery and videos below)

The Archbishop Spalding and Severna Park High School girls soccer teams were decimated by graduation last year but it appears neither program has lost a step.

Eight starters from a Falcons squad that advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals last season have been replaced and two of the state's premiere players in Christine Nairn and Karen Blocker have left the Cavaliers to join the Division I college ranks.

Yet, when the squads met Monday night, Severna Park proved it can still hang while Spalding showed that when it plays together as a team, few defenses will be able to contain its explosive offense.

Junior Olivia Tomoff tallied an assist and capped an impressive pass sequence with the game-winning goal to lead the Cavaliers to a 3-2 victory over the Falcons in the nightcap of the Pionner Shootout at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold.

Spalding went 2-0 during the two-day, six-team tournament, that started Friday and was postponed Saturday because of rain.

"Everyone has to go out there and chip in," said Cavaliers' coach Bob Dieterle, whose team also upended Arundel, 3-0, on Friday. "They played very unselfish. No one is worried about stats or anything like that. They have to play the best they can in the hopes that we can put something together. I think they did that tonight."

The play that put the Cavaliers on top for good started in the midfield when senior Erica Page found sophomore Maggie Morrison on the right flank. Morrison had room to operate but instead of charging the goal, she sent a dangerous cross-field pass to a streaking Tomoff, who collected the ball and fired it into the far-post netting of the Severna Park goal.

"I saw (Tomoff) flying in and she had a better shot than I did," said Morrison, who found Tomcoff with 13:02 left. "I knew she was going to put it in the back of the net."

Tomoff, who fed Page with a picture-perfect through ball on her team's first score, wasn't surprised when Morrison's pass hit her in stride.

"I knew Maggie had the ability to play it to me," said Tomoff, who is primarily a marking back for Spalding. "I saw the keeper coming out on me so I just focused and try to play it over her."

Junior forward Courtney Hoyes collected a pass inside the goalbox and was converged upon by a defender and Severna Park freshman goalkeeper Lexi Cavey (nine saves). Hoyes held her ground, however, and was awarded with an empty net.

"I saw the goalie and the defender coming out," said Hoyes, whose goal gave the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead with 16:52 left in the first half. "I pulled it back, shot and it went in."

The Falcons (0-1) answered back when senior striker Jenny Thornton, one of the few starters back from last season, converted on a breakaway to slice Spalding's lead in half before the intermission.

Senior defender Caroline Lay converted a penalty kick for Severna Park with 19:44 remaining to tie the score.

"I thought we started a little slow because it was our first match," Falcons coach Gary Lam said. "The reason I took this game is because I wanted to learn a lot about this group. It was a learning experience and it's all about getting better."

Sophomore goalkeeper Jocelyn McCoy tallied eight saves for Spalding.

Spalding (2-0)           2    1   -    3
Severna Park (0-1)    1    1   -    2
GOALS: AS - Hoyes, Page, Tomoff; SP - Thornton, Lay. ASSISTS: AS - Tomoff, Morrison. SHOTS: AS - 12; SP -11. SAVES: AS - McCoy 8; SP - Cavey 9. CORNERS: AS - 2, SP - 0.

SOUTH RIVER 5, ST. MARY'S 1: The Seahawks' multi-faceted offense came to life after halftime as five different players scored to lead South River. Seniors Christine Flanagan and Kimberly LaBarge, sophomores Sarah Mansager and Kari Cunard, and junior Lyndse Hokanson each found the net for the Seahawks, who outscored its opposition 11-1 in the tournament.

"St. Mary's came out with some fire and I think that sort of shocked us," said Seahawks coach John Sis, whose team peppered the Saints' goal with 21 shots in the game.

"In the second half, we improved on our enthusiasm and our effort level. We also started to finish and we capitalized on our opportunities."

Drawing up a starting lineup is proving to be a difficult task for Sis because so many players have the ability to score. Even the goalie.

Hokanson started as goalkeeper, tallied five first-half saves, and then moved into the Seahawks' offense. She scored off a header after a teammate headed a corner kick ball back into the fray. The goal lifted South River to a 4-1 lead with 18:16 left.

"Coach said that I bring in some energy," said Hokanson, who has scored two goals in as many games. "I'm not a field player but it's fun to get out there."

Cunard, who played at St. Mary's last season, got a little pep talk during halftime and was ready to go in the second half. She finished on a breakaway just 33 seconds after the break to get the Seahawks on the board.

"They were trying to shut me down," Cunard said. "I enjoyed (playing against former teammates) ... it was competitive."

South River went wide right on a penalty kick but made up for it less than a minute later when Flanagan converted on her breakaway.

With 28:33 left, junior midfielder LaRel Rogers beat her defender on the end line and sent a cross to Mansager. The sophomore midfielder had little angle to work with but still managed to fit a lofting shot past Saints junior goalkeeper Lizzie Roeble (14 saves) to open a 3-0 advantage.

Senior midfielder Becky Rey, a team captain, scored the lone goal for St. Mary's.

"We played our hearts out in the first half and gave it everything we had," Saints' first-year coach Meredith Beard said. "We just didn't have enough gas in the second half. It's something we've struggled with and something we'll focus on."

South River (2-0)    0    5   -    5
St. Mary's (1-1)       0    1   -    1
GOALS: SR - Flanagan, LaBarge, Mansager, Cunard, Hokanson; STM - Rey. ASSISTS: SR - LaRel Rogers. SHOTS: SR - 21; STM - 8. SAVES: SR - Hokanson 5, Grieg 4; STM - Roeble 14.  CORNERS: SR 6; STM - 1.

ARUNDEL 3, SEVERN 1: Wildcats coach Laura Coe said her team improved on its last performance but that there is still work to be done.

"The one thing I'm proud of is that the girls always fight to the end," said Coe, whose team surrendered its one-goal lead in the second half but rallied back with two more goals. "That makes a big difference."

A pair of juniors -- Caprice Kelty and Sydney Keer -- along with senior Sydnie Major scored for the Wildcats (1-1). Freshman Shauna Lancey beat her defender and her shot went off the post to an unmarked Kelty, who finished for Arundel's first goal.

"We're slowly getting it together and finding out where people should be playing," Severn coach Adam Ritchie said. "I think we picked some high-level teams to play out of conference and that should prepare us."

Freshman striker Abigail Ritter stole the ball on the Arundel back line and scored for the Admirals (0-3).

Severn (0-3)     0    1   -    1
Arundel (1-1)    1    2   -    3
GOALS: SE - Ritter; AR - Kelty, Keer, Major. SHOTS: SE - 4; AR - 11. SAVES: SE - Hough 8; AR - Ross 3, Hedgepath 2. CORNERS: SE - 1; AR - 1.

Friday's Games
Spalding 3, Arundel 0
South River 6, Severn 0
St. Mary's-Broadneck (forfeit)

Monday's Games
Spalding 3, Severna Park 2
South River 5, St. Mary's 1
Arundel 3, Severn 1