By Jon Buzby
MaxPreps.com
Loyola Earns Title Defense Opportunity
Loyola-Blakefield will look to become the first team to repeat in the storied history of the MIAA A Conference Tuesday.
They earned that opportunity when Virginia-bound Steele Stanwick scored with 1:50 left in the second overtime to catapult the No. 3 seed Dons into Tuesday’s final against the No. 1 team in the country, Gilman, with a 10-9 win over No. 2 seed Calvert Hall.
Stanwick, held in check for most of the game by a stingy Cardinal defense, proved why he’s considered by many to be the top player in the country, scoring the Dons’ final three goals in their come-from-behind win.
"My teammates set me up in some good positions and I did my best to just be patient with the game," Stanwick told the Baltimore Sun. "There were some openings in the defense and I just did my best to take advantage of them."
It was Patrick Fanshaw (two goals), following an interference penalty called against the Dons, who forced the overtime with a Cardinal goal with 32 seconds left in regulation.
Calvert Hall finished its season with an impressive 16-3 record, with its only losses coming against Gilman (twice) and Loyola.
Gilman Right Where It Belongs
National No. 1 Gilman (18-0) advanced to Tuesday’s final with a 6-4 victory over No. 4 seed McDonogh (15-6).
Gilman went ahead, 2-1, when Ty Kimball scored with 8:53 left in the first half and never trailed from that point on.
The Eagles kept the game close on goals by Kyle Rice and Brian Hess, but Greyhound defenseman Harry Prevas put the game out of reach with a late fourth-quarter goal.
Six different players scored for Gilman and Marcus Holman assisted on two of them.
For McDonogh, Kyle Rice scored twice and Tyler Frederick had a goal and an assist.
Princeton-bound goalie Tyler Fiorito, considered by many to be the top player in the United States at his position, finished his outstanding prep career with another stellar effort, recording 21 saves.
Gilman (18-0) will face defending MIAA A Conference champion Loyola (12-4) Tuesday at Towson at 7:30 p.m.
MIAA A Championship Preview
When Gilman (18-0) and Loyola-Blakefield (12-4) square-off in Tuesday night’s MIAA A conference championship at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the Towson University campus, the Dons are hoping to keep the game much closer than when they hosted the Greyhounds during the regular season on April 22.
Like every other team Gilman faced this season, the Dons fell to the Greyhounds in their regular season match-up, 17-7. However, it was the number of goals they lost by which is alarming. Only Friends lost to Gilman by more than 10 goals during the MIAA A regular season. Every other A opponent managed to keep their final score against the No. 1 team in the country closer than Loyola did.
Loyola will try to put thoughts of its worst loss of the season behind and instead rely on their 2007 championship game experience when they defeated Boys Latin, 10-6.
Some might even consider Gilman to be the underdog against the experienced Dons, including Greyhound attackman Jack Doyle.
“We've wanted to get here since last year," Doyle told the Baltimore Sun. "[Loyola's] the defending champs and I think we might be the underdog in that game. We'll just have to come out, play like we can and see what happens."
Gilman is seeking its first championship since the 2000 season and coach Brooks Matthews knows their regular-season win over Loyola has to be put in the past.
“Loyola is a great team, and we know that any game a few weeks ago is not too relevant at this point in the season, especially in a championship setting,” Matthews said. “They are talented, very tough, and well-disciplined; not to mention being the defending champs, and so we face a great challenge on Tuesday.”
MIAA B and C Finals
Archbishop Curley goes for its second-straight championship when it squares off against John Carroll in the B finals at Towson University on May 20 at 5:15 p.m. John Carroll last won in 2004, when it captured its second consecutive conference championship.
In the C division, St. John’s Catholic Prep will take on Cardinal Gibbons at 3 p.m., also at Towson University.
Public School Finals Set
Girls 4A/3A: The Severna Park High School girls will not only be vying for their second-straight state title on Tuesday night at University of Maryland-Baltimore County, they will be hoping to win their 40th consecutive game.
The Falcons advanced to the 4A/3A public school state finals with a lopsided, 20-9 lopsided win over Westminster in the semifinals on Saturday at North Carroll.
"At practice, we say, 'Be the best,' " senior Allison Behringer told the Washington Post. “That's what we shoot for, and 40-0, that would be the best."
Behringer was at her best on Saturday, scoring four goals for Severna Park. Julie Gardner chipped in with six goals and Hayley Rausch had four goals and an assist for the undefeated Falcons (19-0).
The Falcons will play Catonsville (14-6) in the championship game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at UMBC. Catonsville advanced to the finals by defeating previously-undefeated Wooton in the other semifinal.
Girls 3A/2A: Winters Mill, 11-10 winners over Centennial, will face Towson in the finals. Towson defeated Annapolis, 15-6, to advance to the state championship.
Girls 2A/1A: The Glenelg Gladiators will join their boys’ team in the finals as they take on the Loch Raven Raiders. Glenelg routed Rising Sun, 23-0, and Loch Raven defeated Southern-AA, 12-5, in the semifinal games.
Boys 4A/3A: In the semifinal games Dulaney defeated Wootton, 9-6, and Urbana eliminated defending-champ Severna Park, 12-6. Dulaney will face Urbana in Tuesday’s championship game.
Boys 3A/2A: Walkersville and Hereford will meet in Tuesday’s championship game. In the semis, Walkersville trounced Centennial, 21-10, and Hereford soundly defeated Kent Island, 10-4.
Boys 2A/1A: Southern-AA edged Eastern Tech, 7-5, to advance to the finals against Glenelg, 13-1 winners against Joppatowne.
