by Michael Natelli ’14 and Kaleigh Homer ’15

After a long, unprecedented run, the Warriors’ season came to an end at the hands of the Broadneck Bruins in the 4A/3A Girl’s Lacrosse State Championship on May 22. The final score of the game was a lopsided 21-5, but don’t be fooled. While Broadneck was the dominant team, the Warriors certainly deserved to be in the dance.

The Warriors fully knew what they were up against in Broadneck, which is located in lacrosse-obsessed Annapolis. Sherwood’s plan for the game was to match up with Broadneck very early in the game and then try to keep possession of the ball. Unfortunately, the Bruins were the team to control the game.

“We knew they were going to be a fast, athletic team so we tried to mentally prepare for that as much as possible,” said junior Natalie Sebeck. “Broadneck was our first game at that level of play. They have 10 or more Division 1 recruits. We really had to know going into it that they were going to be aggressive and score. Knowing that, we wanted to get possession as much as possible, although that proved easier said than done.”

After defeating Howard 17-14 in the state semi-final on May 18, the Warriors became the first ever team from Montgomery County to clinch an appearance in the state championship. The MPSSAA, which hosts the state championship tournament, was founded in 1946, and after 67 years of this format, the Warriors finally accomplished a feat that no team from any of Montgomery County’s 26 high schools has ever managed to achieve.

The Warriors were led by senior Maddie Doan and junior Emily Kenul, who combined for a jaw-dropping 137 goals on the season (71 and 66, respectively). To put that in perspective, opposing teams combined to score a mere 119 goals on the Lady Warriors in their 16 wins this year. The next three leading scorers for the Warriors (senior Taylor Polhemus, junior Kristen Lauda and Sebeck) were not far off from that mark, combining for an additional 95 goals.

The Warriors’ offensive production this season was certainly one for the history books, and when combined with the strong effort from the defense and the consistent goaltending of senior Jamie Langbein, resulted in the Warriors winning each game by an impressive average margin of 9.11 goals. As the Warriors cruised through the season, they did not become complacent and worked hard to raise their level of play to that of the best teams in the state.

“We’ve been preparing all season to play teams out of our region and out of our county,” explained Coach Kelly Hughes. “Almost every drill we did, we would stop and ask, ‘Was that good enough to beat an Anne Arundel team?’  That’s how we have been practicing all along. “

It was apparent that the team recognized what they had accomplished this year after the final horn sounded in the state championship game. Hugs were given all around, and smiles were worn as if part of the team’s uniform.  While falling a game short of perfection is as bittersweet as it gets, it was truly a season for the ages, and the greatest that Montgomery County has ever seen.

Hughes notes that the way a team carries itself in defeat says as much about a squad of players as a long winning streak. “We learned about our self-control and our true natures,” said Hughes about the state championship game. “This team is incredibly competitive and losing is never easy for people like that. But we learned about how we are as losers, and that’s a great notion to take with you throughout your life. If you can lose with class and not stop fighting, then losing doesn’t really matter, does it?”