Baltimore area girls lacrosse games to watch

Anticipated battles will have local and national implications this spring

By Katherine Dunn

Published on: March 16, 2023 9:55 PM EDT|Updated on: March 17, 2023 10:10 AM EDT

St. Paul's lacrosse coach Mary Gagnon will try to direct the No. 1 Gators to a third straight IAAM A Conference titles and another national championship. St. Paul's has a national 1-vs-2 match with Connecticut's Darien in April at U.S. Lacrosse.
St. Paul's lacrosse coach Mary Gagnon will try to direct the No. 1 Gators to a third straight IAAM A Conference titles and another national championship. St. Paul's has a national 1-vs-2 match with Connecticut's Darien in April at U.S. Lacrosse. (VSN file)
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Bryn Mawr at McDonogh, March 23, 4:30 p.m.

This early-season match-up will tell a lot about a veteran Bryn Mawr team and a rebuilding McDonogh team. Last year, the Eagles won easily, 17-7, but the Mawrtians have one of the top defenses in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference this spring. On the other hand, the Eagles boast some of the best young talent. The winner will be an early favorite to challenge defending champion St. Paul’s.

Liberty at Manchester Valley, March 30, 6:15 p.m.

With defending champ Century facing an extensive rebuild, this early meeting could play a pivotal role in determining the Carroll County champion. Manchester Valley defeated the Lions, 9-6, last spring and Liberty hasn’t beaten the Mavericks since 2013. Both teams bring back veteran squads and the Lions are coming off their second straight Class 1A state championship.

4 Causes 4 Champions Tournament at Troy Park, April 8, 9 a.m.

An excellent idea for a tournament, Liberty coach Thomas Brandel brings the four defending state champions together to play for bragging rights and for charitable causes. The Class 1A champion Lions play Class 3A champ Marriotts Ridge and Class 4A champ Broadneck meets Class 2A champ Century in the semifinals at 9 a.m. The winners play at 11 as will the losers. Century won last year.

Archbishop Spalding at Severna Park April 12, 6:15 p.m.

Despite their close proximity, these two teams haven’t played a real game since 2015 when the Cavaliers slipped by Severna Park, 13-10. Spalding, the top private school program in Anne Arundel County, and the Falcons, the defending public school county champion, scrimmaged a year ago, but now they’ll face off as strong contenders for the top spots in their respective conferences.

St. Paul’s vs. Darien (CT) at US Lacrosse, April 15, 1 p.m.

This showdown between the top two teams in the country pits the two-time defending IAAM A Conference champion Gators against a veteran Darien team that fell in its conference finale a year ago. St. Paul’s, the consensus national No. 1 last season, sits atop Inside Lacrosse’s preseason Top 25 with Darien second. The Nike/USA Lacrosse Top 25, however, has the Blue Wave No. 1 and St. Paul’s No. 2.

C. Milton Wright at Fallston, April 20, 6:45 p.m.

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The Mustangs dominated the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference last season, winning by an average of 9.1 goals. They beat Fallston, 15-6, but the Cougars didn’t lose to another conference team. The Cougars have more holes to fill than the Mustangs, who look solid at both ends of the field. This game could again decide the UCBAC championship which goes to the regular-season winner.

Marriotts Ridge at Glenelg, April 20, 7 p.m.

Each of these Howard County rivals won a championship last season, but Glenelg had the upper hand in their back yard. The Gladiators went unbeaten in the county and sealed the county title with a 17-4 win over Marriotts Ridge. That was the only league loss for the Mustangs, who went on to claim the Class 3A state crown. Graduation hit the Gladiators a bit harder, but that won’t lessen the intensity of this showdown.

St. Paul’s at Glenelg Country, April 25, 4:15 p.m.

A year ago, the Gators and the Dragons battled it out as the top two teams in the IAAM A Conference. The Dragons won the regular-season meeting 20-7, but St. Paul’s came back for a 15-7 win in the title game. Although both teams have some rebuilding to do, the Gators return a solid veteran core while the Dragons took a bigger hit from graduation that claimed their top two scorers and their goalie.

Hereford at Towson, April 26, 5:15 p.m.

The Bulls and the Generals staged perhaps the most exciting game of the 2022 season in the Baltimore County championship. Hereford rallied for a monumental comeback after falling behind 11-1 late in the first half to win 13-12 in double-overtime. Both teams return veteran squads for the rematch which could be critical to earning another berth in the county title game.

Severna Park at Broadneck, April 28, 5 p.m.

The top two public school teams in Anne Arundel County as well as two of the best in the state, the Falcons and the Bruins play what could be the first of two meetings in this regular-season showdown. Severna Park won both times last spring by a total of six goals and beat the Class 4A state champion Bruins, 11-9, for their first county title in five years. Both teams return a lot of scoring power but are rebuilding on defense.