Junior B Green Hornets Lock Down, Trade Punches

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Story And Photos By Colin A.J. Murphy

The turf at Glen Burnie High School was host to a tight battle between two Severna Park Junior-level boys’ lacrosse teams on Thursday, April 19, as Chris Wood’s Green Hornets rode an outstanding defensive performance to defeat Joe Baker’s Green Hornets, 4-2, improving to 3-1 on the season and handing Baker’s group its first loss of the spring.

“Two very evenly-matched teams,” said Wood following the win. “We knew it would be a close matchup from the first minute. Any time we hold a team to two goals, we couldn’t be happier. It was a great team effort on defense.”

Holding Baker’s squad to two goals worked on April 19, but the teams met for a rematch just two days later at Broadneck High School, and Baker’s Hornets delivered a defensive gem of their own, turning a scoreless fourth-quarter tie into a 2-1 victory. As of April 28, both teams sit near the top of the 14-team County Junior Topside League with identical 5-2 records.

On April 19, the match was fiercely contested from the opening whistle. Baker’s squad took an early 1-0 lead when Mark Baldiswieler took a pass from Joey Baker and rifled home a goal. Camden Bathras answered for Wood’s Hornets with a hard shot from seven yards out on the right wing, and the first quarter ended with the teams tied at 1-1.

In the second quarter, sound midfield play by Chris Crosby, David Burke, and Coleman Guthrie and swift ball movement on offense from Lucas Wright, Leland Heckel, Jack Whaling, Conor Mackrell, and Jacob Meier allowed Baker’s Hornets to get some good looks on goal, but Wood’s keeper Nick Chappell stuffed a handful of shots to keep the game even through most of the period. Meanwhile, Baker’s defensive corps of Steve Darley, Connor Murray, Madigan Horne, Sam Siska, and Eddie O’Neill frustrated the Wood Hornets’ offense at every turn. After an outstanding save by Baker’s Austin Hancock in goal regained possession for the green jerseys, Teddy Girard capitalized by firing a bullet of a shot just under the crossbar from 15 yards out, giving his side a 2-1 edge. Wood’s group got the score back when a shot by Justin Raff ricocheted first off a defender, then off teammate Brendan Defeo and into the goal, and the teams were knotted at 2-2 at halftime.

The second half was defined by an outstanding defensive and midfield performance by Wood’s Hornets. Playing without key contributors Reese Clark and Matthew Killpatrick, the Wood midfield corps of Pete Kirchner, John Badman, Luke Smith, Dakota Watson, and Connor Egan was the faster and more aggressive side in the battle for ground balls. Wood’s defensive unit turned in an absolutely menacing performance in holding Baker’s Hornets scoreless in the half, powered by the hounding play of Merrick Wood, Connor Feick, Matt Thomas, Cam Schaefer, and Owen Jaccard. Offensively, Raff, Defeo, Nick Rizzo, Jack Zuschnitt, and Jake Hoffman were among the many to pressure Hancock by putting shots on goal. Wood’s Hornets took a 3-2 lead midway through the third on a left-side drive and unassisted goal by Raff. Late in the third, Rizzo found a curling Raff, who blasted a shot past Hancock from 15 yards out, pushing the lead to 4-2.

That was all Wood’s defensive-minded squad needed, as they relentlessly harassed Baker’s Hornets the rest of the way. Wood’s crew put the exclamation point on the victory by quashing a Baker man-up opportunity, highlighted by an amazing, point-blank save by Chappell. Wood’s squad milked possession to run out the clock and close the 4-2 win.

“They out-hustled us to ground balls, and that was a big difference,” said Baker in the moments following the game. “They played great, and they earned the victory.” Anticipating a rematch win that came to fruition two days later, Baker expressed confidence despite the loss. “We’ll fix it, and we’ll be back.”

See a full photo slideshow of this game and others at www.severnaparkvoice.com/in-focus/sports-galleries.

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