THE DEFENSE RESTS: After yielding three first half goals, Dulaney's first-year starting goalie Alex Williamson (in front) and defenders (from left) Jordan Keeney (6-foot-3), Mackey Scanlan (6-6) and Patch Ronald (6-5) did not allow another goal to be scored by two-time Virginia AAA state champion Robinson during Saturday's 8-3 victory in a game played at Georgetown Prep School in Rockville. Williamson made 10 saves as the Lions rose to 1-0.
FIVE-FOR-FIVE: It's good that he wears jersey No. 5. For Dulaney's Notre Dame-bound All-American midfielder Eric Keppeler (above) totaled five points in Saturday's 8-3 victory over Virginia's two-time defending state champion Robinson on one goal and four assists. "We wanted to come out and get some payback," said Keppeler, whose Lions lost last year's game to Robinson. "This a great win."
by Lem Satterfield
(See video highlights, interviews below)
Coach Jake Reed gave his Dulaney Lions something to think about before loading them onto the bus for a nearly, hour-long drive to Rockville's Georgetown Prep for Saturday's game opposite three-time Virginia AAA state champion Robinson.
"Before we left for the game today, we sat down in the gym, and I said, 'look up at that wall up there,'" said Reed, a Dulaney High alumnus. "I said, 'our goal is to put another banner up on that wall from a state championship. That's our goal."
In Saturday's 8-3 victory over Robinson, the Lions played as if they were inspired.
Notre Dame-bound midfielder Eric Keppler scored a goal and assisted on four others, Cody Lehrer scored three times, Kenny Naylor had a goal and an assist, and Brad Ruzicka, Mike Roe and Jay Mann scored once each as the Lions won their season-opener and dropped Robinson to 1-1.
Holding a 4-3 halftime lead, the Lions scored five unanswered goals in the second half of a game that avenged a 12-11 loss of a year ago, when Dulaney blew an 11-7, fourth-quarter advantage.
"Last year, we were up, 9-6, in the third quarter and we let it slip away," said Reed, whose Lions were Class 4A-3A state semifinalists last season. "This year, we came back with a strong second half and kind of took control."
Defeating Robison represents a favorable omen to players such as
Keppeler, who, as a freshman, experienced the Lions' 14-13, overtime
victory over Severna Park of Anne Arundel County for the program's last
of its six Class 4A-3A state titles.
Since then, Keppeler has experienced losing the state title game to
Severna Park as a sophomore, as well as last year's state semifinal
setback to eventual state runner-up Wootton of Montgomery County.
"We wanted to come out and get some payback, and this is a great win. States is our ultimate goal every year," said Keppeler.
"This is a great confidence booster right now. First game of the
season, to come out with an 8-3 win -- that's great for us," Keppeler
said. "I think we're coming together as a group real well."
Dulaney scored early for leads of 1-0, and, 2-1, with the latter being the advantage the Lions took into the second quarter.
Each time, however, Robinson rebounded to tie the game at 1-1, and, 2-2, respectively, with its second goal being an unassisted score by Walton early in the second period.
The Lions scored two straight -- with four minutes, and, with 3:25, respectively, left in the first half -- to go up, 4-2.
But Lloyd ended the scoring to bring his squad within, 4-3, with a minute left in the first half.
"We came out a little sluggish in the first half, I thought, and we were only up by one at halftime. But we talked everything over at halftime and we came out a lot better in the second half," said Lehrer, who scored the Lions' sixth goal.
"This is a big year for us. It means a lot. Some of us have been on this team for a couple of years and experienced the highs and the lows," Lehrer said. "We really want to get back to states again."
Dulaney's defense then clamped down on Robinson.
"The real difference between us from this year and last year is that we graduated eight kids, so we're very young on the offensive side of the field. Teams recognize that for right now, and they're able to take advantage of that," said Robinson coach Justin Fitzgerald.
"Dulaney pressed out on us, and we were fairly one-dimensional on offense and that showed," Fitzgerald said. "I don't think we possessed the ball any more than a minute, to a minute and a half on any time down, and then, it seemed like we were back on defense."
Robinson, nevertheless, received a brilliant effort in goal from sophomore keeper Keeney Kevan, who finished with 17 saves.
Meanwhile, the Lions' defense came up with a nice effort of its own, thanks to 6-foot-6 Mackey Scanlan, 6-5 Patch Ronald and 6-3 Jordan Keeney -- all of whom stood tall in front of first-year goalie, Alex Williamson..
Williamson finished with 10 saves.
"[Last year's loss] was a really big motivator for us this year," said Keeney. "This was a revenge game to kind of stick it to them this time like we should have the last time."
Dulaney 8, Robinson (Va.) 3.
(Played at Georgetown Prep of Rockville)
Goals: R- Ruddy, Walton, Lloyd. D- Lehrer 3, Ruzicka, Roe, Mann, Keppeler, Naylor.
Assists: R- McNulty. D- Keppeler 4, Naylor, Hearn.
Saves: R- Kevan 17. D- Williamson 10
Half: 4-3, D