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Apparently, the Severna Park boys lacrosse program has a nearly limitless supply of talent to keep the Falcons winging toward another run at a state title.
With a largely new cast on the offensive end of the field, the Baltimore Banner/VSN’s 9th-ranked team still had way more than enough firepower to subdue No. 11 Glenelg on Tuesday afternoon in Howard County in the season-opener for both schools.
The Falcons rattled off the game’s first eight goals with sophomore midfielder Jack Fish, senior midfielders Kevin Bredeck and Ryan LaRocque, junior midfielder John Burkhardt and sophomore attackman Tim Sullivan inflicting the damage.
Meanwhile, a defense anchored by seniors Evan Stroble, Brett Hussey and Talan Livingston, with classmate Ashby Shepherd (10 saves) in the goal, shut out the Gladiators for the first 29 minutes and 47 seconds of the contest to help secure a solid 11-3 verdict.
The only meaningful retort for Glenelg came during a 3-0 five-minute run on goals by sophomore midfielder Connor Hammond, sophomore attackman Brandon Klopp and junior attackman Tim Iannarino near the end of the third quarter that cut Severna Park’s lead to 8-3.
Although Fish converted a LaRocque feed with 41 seconds remaining in the period to make it 9-3, the Gladiators had a chance to further cleave into the deficit until Shepherd snuffed Iannarino on the doorstep early in the final quarter.
The Falcons wrapped up the satisfying win when Bredeck and Sullivan notched their third goals of the contest to close the scoring.
Severna Park coach Dave Earl said that he thinks his team has a chance to be really good this season “when we do what we practice, and we execute that.”
However, he added that, “but when we get away from that, that’s when we look sloppy and things get a little crazy out there. It was good stuff, but I think we’ve got to do a little better off the ground and our man-up (offense) needs a whole lot of work,” alluding to a two-minute, non-releasable penalty that the Gladiators efficiently killed in the second quarter.
Nevertheless, an eight-goal win with a new group says it all about how a program that continues to remain at an elite level refuses to become complacent.
LaRocque said that it was “reassuring that the effort was there,” and Bredeck chimed in that “every year we have a good group of seniors” who lead until younger teammates “step up. We did a good job of starting hot today.”
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On the defensive end, Shepherd said that he likes the way the group is constructed as they all attempt “to stay on the same page.” But he cautioned against thinking everything is rosy, just because they handled a young Glenelg squad.”
We’re not satisfied,” he added. “We look to improve.”
Echoing that theme, Bredeck noted that the Falcons are looking forward rather than celebrating their past accomplishments.”
When the season begins, we try to forget about last year’s state championship and start working on the next one,” he said.
Glenelg coach Josh Hatmaker said that his team responded well offensively and defensively in the third quarter.”
To come out and put a couple of goals on the board…They’ve got a very good defense and a very good goalie,” he said. “We had some young guys step up. Our face-off guys (junior Chris Iannarino and Hammond) played really well.”
He said that playing a team the caliber of Severna Park is a challenge.
“You see the speed, you see the way they play defense, the way they slide, the way they move the ball,” he said. “I told our kids, ‘This is something we can learn not just from our mistakes,’ you see the caliber that it has to be. It’s always good to face them — I wish we’d win a little bit more. That’s a great program.”
NO. 9 SEVERNA PARK 11, NO. 11 GLENELG 3
Severna Park 3 3 3 2 — 11
Glenelg 0 0 3 0 — 3
Goals: Severna Park-Tim Sullivan 3, Kevin Bredeck 3, John Burkhardy 2, Jack Fish 2, Ryan LaRocque 1.Glenelg-Connor Hammond, Bandon Klopp, Tim Iannarino.
Assists: Severna Park-Andrew Myers 2, Ryan Larocque 2, Hunter Reed 1, Nolan Grizzle 1.Glenelg-Drew LaPointe 1.
Saves: Severna Park-Ashby Shepherd 10. Glenelg-Zach Coughlin 8.
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