Spalding Snaps Broadneck Field Hockey Win Streak At 30

For the first time in nearly two years, the Broadneck field hockey tasted defeat last Thursday.

Archbishop Spalding rallied from a one-goal fourth-quarter deficit, scoring a penalty stroke with under three minutes remaining to stun Broadneck 3-2 and end the Bruins’ 30-game win streak.

With the Cavaliers down a player due to a penalty, Skyler Gilman intercepted a loose pass and sprinted toward the Broadneck cage, stopping only when she was fouled to prevent a goal. That sent Spalding to the spot, where Stella Bumgarner remained perfect to put the Cavaliers ahead for good in a clash between two of Maryland’s field hockey titans.

The game, rescheduled from September 9 due to thunderstorms, lived up to the billing and gave each team the test it craved — and later in the season, it may benefit both teams more than had it been played on the original date.

Paige Sanborn gave Spalding the lead less than four minutes into the game, but Broadneck answered with the first of two goals from recent Maryland commit Faith Everett to tie the game in the second quarter. Late in the third, Everett netted again to put the Bruins in front, and it seemed like Broadneck may have finally broken Spalding’s stubborn resistance.

But the Cavaliers ended the game the way they started: their smothering defense turned the Bruins away time and again, setting the stage for Lily Mullen’s tying goal and then the penalty stroke to win.

“After the third quarter, we just told the girls that we were proud of them no matter the score, and that we believed in them,” said Cavaliers coach Leslee Brady. “That seemed to give them a lot of confidence to go play.”

Raleigh Kerst and Katelyn Kearns had assists on Everett’s goals, while Paige Reilly made seven saves in goal for Broadneck.

Though the undefeated record and win streak are now gone, the Bruins focused on the positives of this kind of game at this stage of the season, as they turned their attention to North County on Tuesday, a match Broadneck won 3-0.

“If you’re going to lose, you need to turn it into a lesson or it’s wasted,” said Broadneck coach Shannon Hanratty. “We’re confident that they’ll turn it into a lesson.”