Falcon Boys In Pair Of Streak-Stoppers

Two long boys lacrosse winning streaks ended in April, and Severna Park had a hand in both of them.

The first, an 11-4 win over Broadneck on April 12, snapped the Bruins’ 26-game win streak. But the very next time out four days later, the Falcons’ own 16-game run went by the wayside when they lost 12-6 to South River.

Despite the setback, though, Severna Park feels like an eighth straight state title is well within reach.

They flexed their muscle against Broadneck by capitalizing on turnovers and showing ruthless efficiency on their offensive sets. Tim Sullivan led the attack with four goals, as normal spearhead Jack Fish was far more content to play facilitator and attract Broadneck’s attention away from his teammates.

“That’s a great win, but really it was a great performance from the guys. We had a great week of practice and we came out strong,” said Sullivan. “They’re a great team, and it’s always fun to play them. Always a great battle, and it’s fun during and after the game.”

Though the offense gets the highlights, the defensive unit has proven especially sound, despite replacing a couple of key cogs. That has made life much easier for new goaltender Calvin Winship, who has thrived on the season and made 12 saves against Broadneck.

“I’m just so proud of this team and our defense to make those saves saveable. Everybody’s on their A game and when the lights are brightest, they play great,” Winship said. “The first saves are always important, as they set the tempo for the whole game. Being able to play from ahead early on is really important as well. Just knowing the entire team is ready and able to defend and go forward really helps me a lot.”

Severna Park beefed up in early season play, which left the Falcons with a lighter schedule heading into county tournament play. By the time they strap up for their county quarterfinal game on April 30, the Falcons will have had two separate weeklong breaks between games: after beating Marriotts Ridge 16-4 and then topping Broadneck, the Falcons lost to South River on April 16 and beat Southern 19-5 on April 23.

With that length of time between games, it’s easy to think Severna Park will be rusty. That, they believe, would be a mistake.

“That’s one of our huge goals is to come out fast with a lot of energy,” said Sullivan. “We do this every day in practice, and we have great chemistry. You have to take a deep breath before big games.”