Terps Field Hockey Team Features Two Former Broadneck Stars

Last year, Broadneck’s Faith Everett was being heavily recruited by an array of colleges that recognized her stellar field hockey skills. Originally, she did not want to follow the path of her older sister, Maya Everett, currently a junior at the University of Maryland. But the thought of battling opponents on the same team outweighed the other offers, so Faith joined her sister and became a Terp.

“We’re very close and we’ve been teammates since we were 4 or 5 years old,” said Faith, a freshman. “I really wanted to play on the same team as Maya again, so the final decision was pretty easy.”

The Everett sisters were paramount in the recent success of the Bruins’ field hockey program, which won the 4A state title in 2022.

The Everett sisters achieved high praise during their playing days at Broadneck with both being named first-team All-Metro by the Baltimore Sun and All-County by The Capital Gazette. Maya was named Maryland Field Hockey Player of the Year in 2022 by MaxPreps.

“Both Maya and Faith had an immense impact on our program,” said Broadneck field hockey coach Shannon Hanratty. “We were lucky to have six years of the Everett sisters overlapping our program and both are phenomenal players.”

Hanratty emphasized that the Everett sisters’ year-round commitment to field hockey, as well as their leadership abilities, enabled them to become four-year varsity players and team captains.

“Speed is their big asset,” Hanratty said. “They are both very fast, and because of their speed and stick-handling skills, they shut down the middle part of the field for our opponents.”

Those skills and their tireless work ethic were just a few of the reasons why both sisters were highly recruited by numerous colleges.

“They are two of the three fastest players on our squad,” said University of Maryland field hockey head coach and Severna Park resident Missy Meharg. “The Everett sisters are disciplined in physical and mental preparations and that is a testament to their coaching they received at Broadneck and Freedom Hockey, which is why they were ready to play at Maryland and the Big Ten conference.”

Freedom Hockey is a club field hockey team located in the Crownsville area. Maryland’s associate field hockey coach, Kasey Tapman Asper, was the Everett sisters’ coach for those club teams.

“I have had the opportunity to coach the Everett sisters throughout their youth field hockey careers,” Tapman Asper said. “It is exciting to have them here at Maryland as each brings a unique outlook on the game. They are Marylanders at heart and bring a sense of loyalty, hard work and commitment to the field every day.”

Faith and Maya’s parents, Caroline and Trent, were highly involved when their girls began playing field hockey with Broadneck Area Youth Sports (BAYS). Caroline played field hockey at the University of New Hampshire and coached in the BAYS organization.

The sisters are family-oriented and one of the reasons why both players chose Maryland was to enable their parents to drive a mere 45 minutes to watch them play.

“We love being close to home and having our parents seeing us play,” Faith said. “Because of field hockey and being on so many teams together, we are very close and we always have encouraged each other.”

Both sisters remarked that the college game is so much more intense than high school and the pace of the game is quicker.

“When I first arrived at Maryland, there was so much to learn,” Maya said. “You really had to prepare for the mental aspect of the game as well as different strategies.”

Also, the daily and weekly preparation of the season is more demanding than high school athletics.

A typical week for the Everett sisters is either morning or afternoon practice, followed by strength and conditioning throughout the week as well as film study on their opponent. Their remaining time is consumed with classes, papers and exams.

“Our circle of friends is really our teammates because that is who we spend the most time with,” Maya said.

The Terps’ season ended with a 2-1 loss to No. 7 Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament in November. Prior to that, Maryland hovered around the top 10 in ESPN’s national field hockey rankings. The team beat the No. 17 team, Rutgers, 1-0 in overtime on October 24. They also beat Iowa, which was ranked in the top 10, 2-1 on October 10. Maya started that game for the Terps and played vital minutes for Maryland all season. Faith spent most of the fall recovering from an injury she sustained early this season.

“The Everett sisters are physically gifted with speed and consistent energy,” Tapman Asper said. “They are a true representation of the state, and Maryland is thrilled to have this dynamic duo on our squad.”

Given that speed is one of their greatest assets, which sister is faster?

“I’m faster in shorter distances but Faith is faster in longer distances,” Maya said.