Dulaney girls lacrosse took advantage of Hereford’s miscues and penalties Thursday evening.
The Lions played with a two-player advantage for 23 minutes over the final three quarters. A four-goal deficit in the second quarter turned into a tie game midway through the third.
That’s not to say Dulaney didn’t earn its stripes, though. Attacker Heidi Schmidt and midfielder Elena Emde combined for eight goals, most of them coming during a crucial run that changed the game’s momentum and powered the Lions to an 11-10 win.
“We were talking a lot, we were staying composed,” Emde said of the team’s second-half. “I think sometimes, when a team is up by two players, it can be easy to pressure a lot, but we were trying to remain calm and that helped us get the ball back multiple times.”
Dulaney evened its season record at 3-3, while handing 11th-ranked Hereford (6-1) its first loss of the season.
The Lions held a 5-2 draw control edge in the first quarter, but struggled to get shots into the goal. Hereford goalkeeper Grace Berquist recorded three saves in the first quarter alone, helping Hereford neutralize Dulaney’s draw advantage.
Even while down two players for most of the fourth quarter, Berquist allowed just two goals. She was aggressive in leaving the crease, typical for Berquist, and helped try to spark offensive momentum for her team.
“Grace Berquist had the game of her young, little life so far,” Hereford coach Kelly Swift said. “They were taking some really great shots and she was coming up with really big saves. I couldn’t be more proud of that kid; just so impressed with her today.”
Berquist’s strong play at the start of the game made it difficult for Dulaney, but the team adjusted where it shot the ball and started to find success.
“It was definitely frustrating, but we play against goalies every single day against the same kind of competition,” Schmidt said. “We weren’t faking and finishing. We were just shooting right to her stick; that was on us. But we adjusted and we started to finish the ball.”
Once Dulaney adjusted, its work on draws began to pay off. The Lions won the draw control battle, 16-9, and coupled with a two-person advantage, the possession edge really began to pay off. In the third quarter, Dulaney outscored Hereford, 3-1.
But Hereford, down two players and struggling to win draws, refused to quit. Its defense held Dulaney two goals in the fourth quarter as the Bulls tried to make a comeback.
“This is my third year coaching at Hereford and one thing that you will never not be able to say about my girls is that they do not give up, and they fight until the last whistle,” Swift said. “They are gritty and they just have that fire in them to not stop no matter what is happening on the field.”
Hereford eventually cut its deficit to one goal in the fourth quarter, but Dulaney gained possession of the ball and kept it the rest of the way to win the game.
The win restores a positive mindset and momentum for Dulaney after handing their neighboring rival its first loss. With playoffs coming up, coach Kristi Korrow hopes the game gives the team confidence heading into the final stretch.
“We’re about three-quarters of the way through,” Korrow said. “We’ve got some more big games left and then into playoffs. This is a huge win for us and I think just a fantastic confidence booster, which we needed.”