Falcons Tie For Top Spot In Region

Turns out rumors of the Severna Park girls soccer team’s demise were largely unfounded.

Though heavy turnover took place between last year’s third straight state championship and this year’s edition, at the end of the regular season the results were largely the same: playing for a county championship and vying for a region title and a return to the state playoffs.

The Falcons have played 13 games and won 11. Their only two losses were to Broadneck early in the season, and again to the Bruins in overtime in the county championship game, which ended their three-year reign atop the county.

It took them some time to get this edition of the team balance right, but once they did, the season really took off.

“They’ve been improving every single game. We left (the first Broadneck) game disappointed but we weren’t disappointed with the way we played,” Severna Park coach Rick Stimpson said. “I don’t think the score was reflective of how that game went, but we had some things we needed to tighten up and we were still, in that point of the season, figuring a few things out. The girls have done a really good job of being open to moving around to different positions.

“It’s really about finding that cohesion. I knew we had a lot of talent coming back but we had to find a way to get it all to fit together, and we’ve seen that happen over the course of the season.”

The two goals surrendered to Broadneck in the county championship game were the first two goals Severna Park allowed in the month of October. They closed the regular season with eight straight shutouts, a hallmark indicative of the traditional Severna Park style: keep possession, knock the ball around, pull the opponent out of position, and strike like a coiled snake.

It worked to ruthless effect as they strung together 10 straight wins and the eight straight shutouts, against Northeast (1-0), Crofton (3-0), North County (4-0), Chesapeake (1-0), Severn School (4-0), Arundel (2-0), Southern (3-0) and Old Mill (5-0).

“Ever since our loss in the beginning of the season, our mentality has been to attack and go forward, having each other’s backs,” said senior midfielder Izzy Burleson, who scored both goals in the win over then-undefeated Arundel. “Our communication has been really good, and I’m super proud of us to continue going forward.”

Severna Park finished the regular season tied atop the 3A East 2 region standings on win percentage, alongside Stephen Decatur. They’ll get a first-round bye and will open the region semifinals at home on October 31.

Depending on the results of a coin toss held October 26 after press time, they will either be the 1 seed and host the winner of Arundel and South River, or the 2 seed and host the winner of Old Mill and James M. Bennett.