By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager, DigitalSports.com
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Lake Braddock was one of the most dominant Northern Region teams in recent memory last year, rolling to a 23-2 record, outscoring its opponents 57-18. The Bruins won the regional title and reached the state semifinal, ultimately falling to Princess Anne, 1-0.
But it is not what Lake Braddock gained last year that will dominate the early-season headlines, but what it lost in the offseason. The Bruins graduated 12 seniors — nine of whom started — and for the first time in coach Diane Miller’s 29-year career, will feature no seniors on the roster.
“I think that’s the problem. The expectations every year for Lake Braddock are very high,” said Miller, one of 37 known members of the 400-win club. “And, of course, my standards are very high. Just the reputation alone — and they want to try and live up to that and they want to work towards that — we have so many new people on the field.
“It’s going to take time to develop into a solid team.”
Notable departures include: co-Northern Region Player of the Year Annie Stephens (Michigan State), first-team all-region forward Laura Brodner, first-team all-region forward Katie Klatt, second-team all-region midfielder Ann Marie Gambescia (Central Florida) and Sarah Morehouse (William & Mary), who missed last season with an ACL tear.
But the Bruins’ leading scorer from 2008, junior forward Brittany Hopkins (19 goals) is one of its two returning starters, joining third-year starting junior forward Ali Froede. Joining Hopkins and Froede in captaincy is junior defender Melanie Brodner, anchoring a defense with all new faces in its starting lineup.
Lake Braddock also features one of the area’s top freshman, forward Maria Pastor, who moved to Burke from Argentina. Miller praised Pastor’s stick work, fluidity and shooting accuracy and predicts — once Pastor is accustomed to American officiating — she will be a fixture in the Bruin lineup for the next four seasons.
“She said to me last night, ‘They blow the whistle for everything,'” Miller said. “You know how when somebody has the ball and somebody cuts across and then takes it? In field hockey, that’s obstruction.
“That’s what she was doing, getting her body to knock people off, and she didn’t understand why it was being called. She just has to learn things like that.”
The likely favorite in the Patriot District is defending champion South County. The Stallions only graduated three seniors, but just one that started, first-team all-region midfielder Megan Rea.
South County was 18-4 last season, with three losses to Westfield and one to Lake Braddock. Coach Leah Conte is focusing on defense and — with just five seniors on the current roster — may be at the forefront of a Stallion dynasty.
Feature players include junior midfielder Patty Raferty, sophomore defender Rachel Binzer, junior forward Maddy Tettelbach, senior keeper Kirsten Olson and senior forward Megan Wears — the leading scorer last season.
“I think we all have very high expectations, but we’re very realistic,” said Conte, the program’s only coach in its five-year history. “We only lost three seniors, but we also had a few girls that decided not to come out for the team this year. So we are pretty young; we have a ton of sophomores on this team.”
Annandale was the only Northern Region team to beat Lake Braddock last year, eliminating the Bruins from the Patriot District Tournament in the semifinals, 2-0.
And under coach Cindy Hook, the Atoms reached the regional semifinals and were the youngest team aside from the Stallions in the final four. They graduate second-team all-region defender Amy Steinbuechler, but return most of their starters.
“I don’t think [Hook] lost very many [players] at all,” Miller said. “I remember looking at the district tournament and going, ‘Uh oh!'”
In the offseason, Woodson joined the Patriot District and will line up the favorite to repeat as Northern Region Player of the Year, senior midfielder Shelly Montgomery. The Cavaliers won the regional title in 2007 and are the two-time defending Liberty District champions.
Woodson graduated 12 seniors, including first-team all-region midfielder Mary Beth Barham (Yale) and second-team all-region midfielder Becca Geist, but have eight seniors on the current roster and are saturated with experienced juniors.
“Both of those teams are very well-coached,” said Conte of Lake Braddock and Woodson, the two times most likely to threaten a South County repeat. “I have a lot of respect for both Diane and Becky [Preston]. I know they’ll put great teams on the field.
“We’re not going to take any team lightly this year.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
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