Catonsville senior Casey Fisher scored six goals and added an assist as the host Comets rolled to a 16-2 victory over Loch Raven in girls lacrosse action.
It was the first loss of the season for the Raiders (3-1), while the Comets improved to 2-4.
Goals by Fisher and Kaitlyn Welsh (two goals, one assist) gave the Comets an early 2-0 lead, but Loch Raven’s Charlotte Gongon cut the lead in half on a free position goal with 8:31 left in the first quarter.
After that tally however, the Raiders went scoreless for nearly 29 minutes before Alli Henning scored their only other goal with 3:42 left in the third quarter. During that span, the Comets reeled off 12 consecutive goals.
Fisher attributed the added firepower and confidence to a 13-10 loss the day before against private school Mount de Sales.
“I think yesterday really propelled us into today, just being close to a really great team and really having great team bound last night. I think it really helped us to trust ourselves and have confidence going into this game,” said Fisher, who will play at High Point next year. “I think today was just really fun and to be able to play loose and just have a great game is always nice for confidence.”
Catonsville coach Cantey Bailey agreed.
“They had that in them. Yesterday we were down 6-1 and we went on an eight-goal run. So we are a big momentum team, so it was nice to have the momentum in our favor today,” Bailey said.
Fisher scored three goals in just over a minute to give the Comets a 9-1 lead after one quarter.
Led by goalie Rain Shinnick, the Raider defense held the Comets to a pair of goals in the second quarter. Shinnick had 11 of her 15 saves in the first half, but the Comets controlled time of possession thanks to center Maggie Kubofcik, who helped the Comets win 15 of 19 draws and 12 of 13 in the opening half.
“Maggie has been doing great on the draws, we love her, she’s such an asset to this team,” Fisher said.
Catonsville’s Katie DeWitt defends Loch Raven’s Charlotte Gongon in the Comets’ victory. Gongon scored a goal for the Raiders. (Craig Clary/Staff)
Despite the deep hole, Loch Raven coach Sarah Miller praised her senior leadership for keeping the team focused in the second half.
“We have five girls that are seniors that have been with us all four years and they are definitely the heart,” she said. “In the third quarter they were the ones talking, they were the ones leading. They’ve just been a really big heartbeat.”
Unlike last season when she saw a letdown in the second half of a loss to Towson, the coach was pleased with the way her team never gave up against the Comets.
“We had a really tough game last year against Towson and we came out strong the first four or five minutes and then the endurance and the skill level just toppled us and we really let our heart go I think in that game,” she said. “And this game I was happy to see that even though we were struggling to get the ground balls and even though we were struggling with simple fundamentals throwing and catching and dropping, I felt like they didn’t give up on themselves. Their energy stayed where it needed to be and they always do try to support each other.”
Fisher, an All-County first team selection the past two seasons, scored a team-high 63 goals last year and has also got her teammates more involved this year.
“That’s something she’s really learned learn to do, starting the end of last season and the beginning this one, where she’ll drive and draw the double and then dump it off to her teammates,” Bailey said. “Being able to be unselfish and make her teammates look good is what she’s working on now and I’m really proud of how she’s doing with that.”
Although they weren’t tested much by the Raiders, the coach praised experienced senior defenders Sophia Aquino, Sydney Mah and Emily Bartlett.
“They’ve been playing together forever, they work really well,” Bailey said.
Catonsville — 9 2 3 2 — 16
Loch Raven — 1 0 1 0 — 2
Goals: Cat — Casey Fisher 6, Kate Roberson 3, Kaitlyn Welsh 2, Maeve Miller 2, Sydney Mah 1, Maggie Kubofcik 1, Anna Woody 1; LR — Charlotte Gongon 1, Alli Henning 1; Assists: Cat — Kubofcik 2, Fisher 1, Roberson 1, Welsh 1, Anna Bollinger 1 Saves: Cat — Ava Bruns 2, LR — Rain Shinnick 15.