Girls lacrosse: First team

Sun staff

June 4, 2008

Casey Ancarrow, John Carroll

Double-teamed almost every time she had the ball, the senior attacker knew how to get in position on the crease to catch and shoot before she was smothered. Other times, she was quick with the pass to find the open player for a shot.

In every critical situation, the Patriots put the ball in her hands and she responded with 50 goals and 39 assists. In the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference title win over McDonogh, she had a goal and four assists. A repeat All- Metro first team pick and a regional Tewaaraton winner who will play in the Under Armour All-America game, Ancarrow is headed for James Madison.

Kristy Black, Glenelg

The Howard County Player of the Year broke school marks for career goals (172), assists (143), points (315) and draw controls (221). Black, a Maryland-bound senior midfielder, also set a state tournament record for most points (11) in a Class 2A-1A title game and tied the all-classification record with five assists in leading the No. 12 and county champion Gladiators to a 17-11 win over Loch Raven.

Black had 70 goals and 58 assists but also came up with 84 draw controls and 66 ground balls. Skilled, unselfish and speedy, she also came up with key plays on the defensive end. Named to the regional All-Tewaaraton team, Black will play in the Under Armour All- America game.

Kitty Cullen, McDonogh

Whenever she got a pass from the defense, won a draw or picked up one of her 58 ground balls, Cullen was off to the races. The junior midfielder was especially effective on the clear. With the ball in her stick, it easily made it into the Eagles' attacking end and gave Cullen plenty of options in initiating the offense.

Her ability to hit the open person while racing down field opened up the transition game for the IAAM A Conference runners- up. Cullen, who has orally committed to Florida, was also a key cog in a crafty set offense. She scored game-winners against No. 8 St. Mary's and No. 10 Bryn Mawr. As part of a balanced attack, she had 26 goals and 15 assists.

Grace Gaeng, John Carroll

While teammates Allyson Carey and Casey Ancarrow were getting most of the attention, Gaeng was busy doing a lot of the things that don't make headlines. The senior midfielder could make something out of nothing for the IAAM A Conference champion and No. 1 Patriots. She could turn a ground ball into a quick goal, a draw control into a transition break or a knock down into a caused turnover.

Opponents had to be aware of her all the time, because she didn't need a set play to be dangerous. Gaeng finished with 46 goals, 24 assists and 32 ground balls. Headed for Maryland, she will play in the Under Armour All- America game.

Julie Gardner, Severna Park

A two-time All-Metro first-team pick and a two-time Anne Arundel County Player of the Year, Gardner was the centerpiece of a No. 2 Falcons team that went 20-0 and won its second straight Class 4A-3A title. The senior midfielder took on a more defensive role this season, lowering her scoring stats but not her game.

She often marked the top midfield player and was rarely beaten. A catalyst in transition, Gardner had 53 goals and 23 assists. She scored six goals in the 17-6 win over Catonsville that capped a two-year 40-0 run for the Falcons. A member of the regional Tewaaraton team who will play in the Under Armour All-America game, Gardner is headed for Virginia.

Karri Ellen Johnson, Broadneck

As an All-Metro firstteam pick last season and veteran of the world champion U.S. Under-19 team, Johnson drew a lot of defensive attention this season, but she used that to her advantage, scoring when she could and finding her teammates when they were the better option. One of her best games came in the regional final, when she scored four goals and had four assists.

Johnson ran the midfield and played a key role on defense for the No. 5 Bruins. She had 57 goals, 25 assists and 65 draw controls. Selected for the regional Tewaaraton team and the Under Armour All-America game, she is going to Maryland.

Cosette Larash, Archbishop Spalding

Coach Moira Leavitt called her junior goalkeeper the biggest influence in a turnaround season. Larasch played the pivotal role in the No. 9 Cavaliers improving from 5-13 a year ago to 13-6. In two years, the Cavaliers had gone 0-26 in the A Conference regular season, but this season they were 7-5.

Larash had a 60 percent save rate and allowed about nine goals per game. A quick, aggressive keeper who anticipates the action, she played her best in some of the biggest games, including a 22-save effort in a 10-6 loss to No. 3 McDonogh. She also made 17 saves against No. 8 St. Mary's and 13 against No. 10 Bryn Mawr--bothwins.

Erin Laschinger, Notre Dame Prep

The junior midfielder did a little bit of everything for the No. 6 Blazers, who pushed No. 1 John Carroll to overtime in the IAAM A Conference semifinal before falling 14-12. She led her team in scoring with 48 goals and 10 assists, but she was even more valuable in her ability to contribute on defense.

Her speed and stickwork made Laschinger difficult to contain on the attacking end and hard to outmaneuver on defense. She has the footwork, patience and controlled check to get the jump on attackers in the set offense or in the open field.

Carly Napora, McDonogh

The best word to describe the Eagles senior defender is fearless. That showed in Napora's willingness to stand her ground and take a charge. She took 11 of them this season and has 43 for her career. Her quick feet and anticipation allow her to get in the right spot just a fraction of a second before the oncoming attacker. Those same skills along with her quickness and controlled stick made her a shutdown defender.

Able to handle some of the IAAM A Conference's best players one on one, she was a big part of an Eagles defense that allowed only 6.9 goals per game. The Baltimore County Player of the Year, Napora is headed for Georgetown.

Josie Owen, Severn

A repeat first-team selection, Owen polished an already formidable all-around game, by becoming more of a quarterback on the attack and a bigger threat on defense. The senior midfielder led the No. 4 Admirals in assists (36), points (73) and caused turnovers (27).

She brought her experience as leading scorer for the world champion U.S. Under-19 team to her game and shared it with her teammates. Owen had three goals and two assists in the Admirals' 11-9 overtime win over St. Mary's in the IAAM A Conference quarterfinal. A member of the regional Tewaaraton Team selected for the Under Armour All- America game, Owen is headed to Virginia.

Alex Priddy, Severn

The leading goalscorer for the Admirals for two years, Priddy had a rocket of a shot. With an incredibly quick release and accuracy, the senior midfielder scored 54 goals. Although she scored some of the biggest goals, she was the model of consistency.

A year ago, Priddy was a surprise to opponents when she came back from a broken ankle in her sophomore year, but she continued to put up the numbers this season despite drawing more pressure. She understood how the ball moved around the crease and she excelled at getting open and having her stick open to take the pass. Priddy will play next year at Vanderbilt.

Hayley Rausch, Severna Park

Rausch scored the biggest goal of the season for the No. 2 Falcons, the game-winner in overtime to beat Broadneck, 11-10, in the regional final. That paved the way for the Falcons to finish 20-0 and repeat as state Class 4A-3A champs. The seni o r midf i e lder showed she had completely recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined her for her sophomore season.

Great in transition with a high-powered shot, Rausch was difficult to stop on the run or attacking in the set offense. She finished with 42 goals, including four in a season-opening 12-8 victory over No. 4 Severn. Rausch, who also had 21 assists, is headed for NewHampshire.

Katie Schwarzmann, Century

The Carroll County Player of the Year got the most attention for scoring 94 goals this season --37more than the next highest in the county. Her quickness and great acceleration make her a tremendous threat inside the eight-meter arc. Excellent on the backdoor cut, she couldmake defenders think she was out of the play and zip back in to take the pass and score.

In three years, Schwarzmann has accumulated 201 goals and 93 assists. She did a lot of damage on the defensive end and came up with 92 ground balls. In addition to routinely causing turnovers, she was instrumental in converting them.