Falcon Girls Soccer Keeps Things Rolling Along

New faces, same status: Severna Park girls soccer is on the short list of teams to beat.

The Falcons ended September with a perfect 6-0 record, having conceded just twice; they haven’t yielded more than one goal in a single game in more than two years, since conceding three in a win over Crofton on September 13, 2022.

Despite replacing significant portions of the attack and defense, and having only five seniors on the roster, Severna Park has rolled right along. Though many of the faces are different, the results are still the same, as is the recipe.

“Last year is last year,” said Severna Park coach Rick Stimpson. “We’ve never talked about it, and we’ve never talked about doing anything other than winning the next game. It’s kind of cliché, but that’s our approach. That’s what worked for us (last year), and the girls have really taken to that. They work hard, they play well together, and they’re playing very well again.”

The Falcons bookended their month with 8-0 wins over Meade on September 10 and Glen Burnie on September 26. In between, they beat Arundel 2-1, South River 4-1, and then Chesapeake and Broadneck by identical 2-0 score lines.

Perhaps the most promising aspect of the season so far is Stimpson’s assessment that the Falcons are only now hitting their stride. He called the victory over Broadneck their best performance of the season, one in which they created plenty of scoring opportunities, even though it took two second-half goals to secure the win.

It was a vintage Severna Park performance, if for some self-professed profligacy in front of goal. But the patience, the willingness to possess the ball, and denying the opponent any sustained pressure were all hallmarks of the invincible team of a year ago.

With a forward line of junior Maria Bragg and seniors Erin Hussey and Ellie Ballard in front of an experienced midfield led by seniors Bella VanGieson and Abbey Cover, along with junior twins Ava and Emerson Scott, the Falcons have the makings of a team that can consistently put opponents under pressure. That would be a departure from a squad that was content to poke and prod, patiently looking for the right way to pick the lock of opposing defenses.

That suits a wingback like Emerson Scott just fine, allowing her to roam freely while her defensive teammates shift to compensate. This unspoken, understood nature of team shape allows her to satisfy her attacking sense while keeping their rearguard solid.

“It’s great, because we just have that trust with each other that we know where we’re supposed to be all the time,” she said. “As a junior now, we have definitely tried to take what we’ve learned from those who went before us and build on it going into the future.”

It’s a future that looks bright based on the present, but also the upward trajectory possible with such a young squad finding its feet.