Bruins Field Hockey Team Is Finding Their Stride

As the season approached, the chief question for Broadneck’s field hockey team mirrored that of the other prominent school teams in the area: now what?

Virtually all of the prominent programs in Anne Arundel County graduated a decorated class of 2025 that represented a multi-year core of success. Now, though, the understudies have been given their chance to shine.

For the Bruins, it’s not been perfect, but the signs of future success are there.

Broadneck nears the midway point of the season with a 3-3-1 mark. The Bruins had a couple of rough games with a 6-0 setback against Glenelg and a 4-3 defeat by Liberty, but they picked off Patuxent 7-1 and Southern 6-0 before playing their most complete game of the season thus far in handling Crofton 5-1.

Though the two teams are vastly different from the last couple of seasons, there was some satisfaction in the Bruins getting one over on a Cardinals team that had won three of the last four meetings and pipped them to the last two state championships.

“We really had no expectations because we had no idea,” said Broadneck coach Shannon Hanratty. “I knew how young and fresh and changed over our players were, and I knew numbers had left (elsewhere). We’ve been trying to work on process and making progress. We’ve been making progress every game and it’s been great. These kids have been so eager to learn, and I’m proud of how well we’ve connected and played together as a team.”

Charlotte Robertson and Cate Imber each netted early for the Bruins against Crofton. The duo is helping to spearhead an attack light on experience but still healthy in firepower. Once Broadneck got the lead, the Bruins defense took over, anchored by returning starter Laurie O’Leary and goalie Trish Maloney, who made key saves to backstop the defense and keep Crofton at bay.

The contributions, instead of being headlined by a handful of big-time players, are now more spread across the roster. That goes from back to front, for players who have been patiently waiting their turn to shine.

“Trish has been waiting for her time, and she’s really been working hard and preparing herself for it,” Hanratty said. “She’s been playing nice and aggressive, and growing in confidence each game.

“We have three sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup, and we only return two starters and one of those is a sophomore,” Hanratty said. “This is such a good changeover that it doesn’t matter what grade you are: if you’re on the field, you’re on the team, and your grade doesn’t matter. Go do what you’re supposed to do for your team. It’s about experience, confidence, and showing the way.”

Broadneck tied Severn School 2-2, following that up with a 2-1 loss to South River.

As they head into the back half of the season, the Bruins are confident that things will be where they need to be when the playoffs roll around in late October.

“We’ve had to be focusing so much on building us, and we have plenty of room to grow. But the progress is being made,” Hanratty said. “Whether it’s in small increments of bigger steps, it doesn’t really matter, as long as progress is being made.

“Game to game, I wonder how things are going to go, but we just worry about the things we need to do. We’re still perfecting what we’re doing. We’re not at our peak yet, but this simplifies our focus. Where are we on our own path? And that’s the enjoyable part, painting the big picture.”