Falcon Girls Reclaim 3A Lax Title

In the final seconds of the 3A girls lacrosse state championship game, Marriotts Ridge had the ball and a plan, setting off in search of a late equalizer against longtime foe Severna Park.

The Mustangs had beaten Falcons goalie Kelsey Begin over her shoulders with regularity in the contest. With the chips down, they took one last dip into that well.

The ball hit net — but this time, it was the mesh attached to Begin’s stick and not to the goal frame.

Defender Bella Mazzola and midfielder Maria Bragg raced to embrace each other, and the Falcons’ bench erupted. Time had yet to expire, but all Begin needed to do was move behind the cage and bleed off the last few seconds. Everyone knew that Severna Park had their title back.

The horn sounded, and the Falcons raced off to celebrate their third championship in four years, and their state record-extending 17th in program history, with a 9-8 win over Marriotts Ridge at Stevenson University on May 19. The win avenged not only an earlier-season 10-6 loss to the Mustangs but also an 11-10 setback in the 2025 3A title game.

“Redemption is sweet,” Bragg said. “I was thinking about (last year’s) team the whole game, and nobody wanted to feel like that again.”

As can be expected between longtime rivals — this was the fourth time in five years these two teams contested the 3A state championship — the battle was cagey from beginning to end. Five times Marriotts Ridge took the lead, and five times the Falcons pegged them back.

Coming out of halftime, Severna Park trailed 5-4, but four straight third-quarter goals and a defensive effort that kept Marriotts Ridge off the board for more than 16 minutes handed the Falcons a lead they would never yield.

“It turned into a mental battle,” Mazzola said. “But we knew we could all take a deep breath together, and we can look to the left and the right of each other, and we can realize we’re doing it for something more than just ourselves.”

Bragg scored four goals in the game and had two assists as well. Quinn Makarovich netted twice, while Gracie Ciuba, Teagan Cavanaugh and Ava Deegan also hit the goal column.

There were performances aplenty in the entirety of the playoffs. Deegan netted five times in a 13-3 semifinal win over Linganore. Cavanaugh made her mark in the county championship win over Broadneck. Mazzola and Co. kept things tight in the back night after night, and the Falcons rolled through three goalies with equal confidence. But it was the Florida-bound senior’s virtuoso performance that willed the Falcons to ultimate victory one more time.

All of the Falcons did their part, but as much as the team has required from Bragg, she seemed to give even more on the big stage: drawing the entire side of defenders to herself so Makarovich could roll into empty space like a basketball pick-and-roll for the decisive goal; scoring; harassing opposing players to chop the ball free; draining time simply by running around with the ball; and sitting a defender down on her backside from a head fake-and-turn.

“A phenomenal player. She does everything, but at the same time she’s a humble player. We did something in the middle of the season, and when it was her turn, she said she wanted everyone to know she loves assisting sometimes even more than scoring,” Severna Park coach Annie Houghton said. “She’s the epitome of a team player, all over the field. She wanted it for the team, not just for herself, but when she gets out there, it’s like a great white shark, so watch out.”

Bragg is one of 11 seniors the Falcons send off at the pinnacle of high school lacrosse: joining her in graduating are Mazzola, Ciuba, Quinn Allison, Brooke Klima, Reese Johnson, Naomi Batty, Brooke Vaught, Megan Krause, Lizzy Thompson and Addison Ensor.

“I love this team and this family and this school so much,” Bragg said. “I just gave it my all for everyone. I always try to give my best, but it’s really good to go out this way.”