SPark U14 Girls Win Junior Premier Indoor Tournament In Shootout

SPark field hockey’s U14 Blue team represented Severna Park with a victory in the championship game of the Junior Premier Indoor League Tournament in Pittman, New Jersey, defeating Central Penn Purple in a thrilling shootout on February 8.

The team of Kylie Corcoran, Marisol Torreyson, Avery Ruckman, Emily Najarian, Kelsey Rowe, Madeline Lancione, Kelly Webber, Tori Miller, Libby Russell and Ryleigh Osborne played Central Penn to a 3-3 tie through a 40-minute regulation period. From there, SPark endured a 22-shot-attempt marathon in the shootout finale to emerge as 6-5 winners.

Osborne, the team’s goalie, made a save on Central Penn’s final shot attempt to seal the victory.

Corcoran was named Player of the Tournament with 19 goals. Torreyson (15 goals), Ruckman (15), Najarian (12), Rowe (6), Lancione (6), Webber (5), Miller (2) and Russell (1) all contributed scoring and playmaking.

The championship victory came after a 4-3 semifinal win over Main Line Mayhem earlier on the same day. SPark U14’s championship win also avenged its only loss of the season, a 4-3 defeat to Central Penn Purple in early January. In total, the team finished 12-1, in first place atop the 16-team standings in the JPIL, with a league-high 81 goals (the next closest was the South Jersey Edge with 58 goals).

In addition to SPark’s fantastic JPIL season, the U14 SPark Blue also won the Leaping Into NIT’s tournament at API on February 2, going 4-0 in pool play.

At another tournament, the National Indoor Tournament over the weekend of February 14-16 at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the team went 4-1 in the Top A pool, losing a close game 5-3 to the undefeated WC Eagles Blue team on the tournament’s final day. Osborne had another outstanding performance in goal, and as a team the Sparks Blue U14’s conceded a tournament-low nine goals overall.

For the season, the SPark U14 Blue team posted a 20-2 cumulative record.

The team was coached by Katie Corcoran.

“I am extremely proud of these girls as they are the true definition of a team!” said Corcoran. “They worked so well together, supporting each other and pushing each other to be the best they could be. Their never-give-up attitude was apparent from the beginning of the season, and it was an honor to have coached these girls and see them grow this season. They all are fantastic field hockey players.”