Scholastic Notes
Delmarva region
District of Columbia
SISTER ACT, PART XXVII
Washington Georgetown Visitation (D.C.) is used to having sisters on its field hockey or lacrosse teams.
Maggie and Melissa Hayes, along with Cory and Shelby Samperton, helped torture defenses in the Independent Schools League (ISL) in the late 1990s.
Well, it seems as though the Cubs are getting sisters into the act again. In a 4-1 win over Bethesda Stone Ridge (Md.), Casey and Annie Hunt, along with Beth and Mary Veith scored single goals.
Naturally, this isn't the first time this has happened; not with prominent sister acts in places like Florence (N.J.), where the team had three sets of twins in the early 1990s.
However, given the form of Visitation thus far in 2001, it won't be the last time.
SIDWELL REOPENS STRONG
Washington Sidwell Friends (D.C.) is located less than five miles from the Pentagon, where, on Sept. 11, 2001, a terrorist attack left death and destruction in its wake.
Courageously, Sidwell's field hockey team took to the pitch two days later in a game against Kensington Holy Cross (Md.) And the Quakers won, 2-1.
"Considering we hadn't played in six days, we did pretty well," head coach Anne Monahan told The Georgetown Current.
But everywhere there were the reminders. Military aircraft were patrolling the skies. Nearby, Washington National Cathedral School (D.C.), along with its other two satellite schools, had closed.
And if you got the right angle, you could see wisps of smoke from Arlington, Va., where the Pentagon attack occurred.
"When we came out, our minds were elsewhere. And once we got into the game, we were able to focus. But," said senior captain Deb Low, indicating the American flag flying at half-staff above the field, "the flag is right there."
Delaware
RELENTLESS TOWER HILL SUBSUMES ST. MARK'S
Robin Adair has seen her share of confident and athletic players come through the doors of Wilmington Tower Hill (Del.). Rarely, however, were they as relentless as they were in the 2001 Delaware State title game. In a 3-1 win over Wilmington St. Mark's (Del.), the Hillers showed an offensive flair which might have been as fine as any in the nation in 2001.
The Sackovich twins -- Jane and Beth -- along with sisters Paige and Hillary Schmidt, and Beth Giddons, not only were able to play and pass inside St. Mark's defensive third, but attacked the goal the way only a few other teams in the sports world: the Maryland women's lacrosse teams of the mid-1990s, the Los Angeles Lakers of the "Showtime" era, Brazil's soccer teams of the 1960s.
"We work really well together," Beth Sackovich said. "We seem to have this connection, and we know who should have the ball."
"Killer instinct," said Jane Sackovich. "This was our last game together."
"First of all, they get excited just playing on the turf," Adair said of the University of Delaware's Rullo Stadium pitch. "It really helps out their passing skills."
And, shooting. Tower Hill kept on finding open space all evening, firing shot after shot on the St. Mark's cage from the opening minute to the final whistle.
"We didn't give up, and they definitely were a better team," said St. Mark's head coach Bill Eichinger. "Losing to them doesn't destroy our season."
Maryland
B-CC AND SCHLOSSBERG WIN ANNUAL BATTLE OF BETHESDA
For the 2002 season, Bethesda-Chevy Chase (Md.) moved back home to its old campus after a few seasons at the Northwood campus in the nearby town of Wheaton.
The Barons came home to a new Bermuda grass field that is obligated to hold up under the stress of numerous home dates for two genders of soccer teams, field hockey, and football.
Oh, and of course, the junior varsities for all four sports.
But Amy Wood and her Barons are doing just fine with the new surface in trying to not only defend their Maryland class 2A title, but defending a little of their honor.
You see, Bethesda Holton-Arms (Md.) bested B-CC in 2001, a development that made the team look within for answers, especially after graduating a number of top players from senior classes who helped string together a National Federation record eight straight state championships.
But after this year's 2-0 win on the part of Wood's team, there is little doubt of one thing: the Barons rule Bethesda at least for the next year.
"We just wanted to try to get the ball into the circle this game," Wood said. "Our corners haven't been very good this year, so our objective was just to shoot (upon getting possession in the circle)."
Goalkeeper Elizabeth Schlossberg was perfect on the evening in a showdown of the town's best goalkeepers; highly-touted senior Katherine Keeley, who stunned B-CC in 2001 with her acrobatics, was on the other end this time.
"The way I see revenge is that it has a nasty connotation," Wood said. "However, retribution is talent and effort put together. And that's what happened."
For last year's notes from this region, click here.