Southern Maryland players and coaches gather for a group photo last Sunday afternoon in Bel Air after competing in the Junior Girls Lacrosse Tournament. Pictured are, from left, in front row, coach Cynthia Lisa, Gina Jaffurs, Brooke Boyd, Promise Morgan and Mackenzie Blackwell, and back row, Carley Tepel, Kendra Defilippo, Eliza Cochran, Hannah Schiemer, Ella-Rae Cox, Abby Alderman and coach Michael Barnhardt.
Southern Maryland players and coaches gather for a group photo last Sunday afternoon in Bel Air after competing in the Junior Girls Lacrosse Tournament. Pictured are, from left, in front row, coach Cynthia Lisa, Gina Jaffurs, Brooke Boyd, Promise Morgan and Mackenzie Blackwell, and back row, Carley Tepel, Kendra Defilippo, Eliza Cochran, Hannah Schiemer, Ella-Rae Cox, Abby Alderman and coach Michael Barnhardt.
On the same weekend in which Boston College captured the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship at Towson University, nearly a dozen local high school lacrosse players with aspirations of playing at the highest level in college had the chance to participate in U.S.A. Girls Lacrosse tournament at Cedar Run Park in Bel Air.
With their sights set on leading the Northern High School girls’ lacrosse team to a 3A South and state title this spring, Patriots’ junior Mackenzie Blackwell and sophomore Brooke Boyd were part of the Maryland Metro Team One that won all three of its games in pool play before falling in the tournament championship. Wins and loss aside it was a genuine invaluable experience for both players.
“Just to be able to be selected for Team One and play against some of the best girls’ lacrosse players in the country really meant a lot,” said Blackwell, whose Northern squad is looking to avenge two prior setbacks to rival Huntingtown in the 3A South region final on June 11. “It was a great experience. We won all three of our pool games then we lost in the championship. But just to be part of it was a great experience.”
“It was really a great experience,” said Boyd, who also plays field hockey for the Patriots. “We had the chance to play against some of the best high school girls lacrosse players in the country. It gave me a really good gauge of where I stand among the best players. It showed me that I can compete at a very high level, but I still have some things to work on.”
Only days before their teams clashed in the final Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Chesapeake Division game, Huntingtown junior Hannah Schiemer and Leonardtown junior Promise Morgan were both part of the Maryland Metro Team Three squad that went undefeated in pool play before falling in the championship.
“It really was a great experience,” said Morgan, who scored once when the Raiders were upended by the visiting Hurricanes 16-4 on June 1. “There were so many great players there. Just to be selected for one of the teams meant a lot. Then to be able to compete was something really special.”
Blackwell, Boyd, Morgan and Schiemer were among the contingent of players from Southern Maryland that had the chance to compete for the Maryland Metro teams. The others included Northern junior Eliza Cochran, North Point junior Kendra Defilippo, Patuxent junior Abby Alderman, Huntingtown sophomore Ella-Rae Cox and St. Mary’s Ryken juniors Carley Tepel and Gina Jaffurs.
