Sev. Park girls pull together and pull away

When Todd Clark took over the girls varsity soccer squad at Severna Park, he knew he'd be overseeing a dangerous team. But no one could have expected this.

With a balanced blend of youth, experience, confidence and skill, Clark's girls have jelled to become a force at both ends of the field and have established themselves as a serious threat in the Class 4A playoffs.

Following last season's exit from the region semifinals, a 1-0 loss to Leonardtown, Gary Lam ended his eight-year tenure as the Falcons' coach. Athletic director Wayne Mook promoted Clark from junior varsity in February, and he's repaid him by leading Severna Park (13-1) to the inaugural District V championship game.

"I was still trying to figure out who goes where and putting together the pieces: Who was going to be most effective at what positions?" Clark said. "But I had a good idea of what I had."

And he's got almost everything.

While Aly Truesdale, Amanda Ross and Amanda Novy provide experience and flexibility at midfield - scoring when needed and playing back in tight games - Gabby Moreno and Marisa Kresge are potent up front. Combining for 16 goals and 10 assists, Moreno and Kresge hooked up during the first half against Arundel to propel the Falcons to a 1-0 victory.

Moreno stole the ball at midfield and delivered a picturesque through-ball past a defender right at Kresge's feet on the corner of 18-yard box. Kresge's initial shot was blocked by Ariel Ross, but she delivered a strike on the rebound to give the Falcons all the scoring they needed.

"We lost a lot of good people, but we're making up for it, and we're doing great," Kresge said. "That's what counts."

Great might be an understatement.

Since a 3-0 loss to Archbishop Spalding (17-0-1) at the Pioneer Classic on Sept. 4, the Falcons have allowed just one goal and have outscored their opponents, 46-1.

LaRel Rogers is the only public-school player to score on Severna Park's Lexi Cavey, who has recorded 10 straight shutouts since a 2-1 victory over South River five weeks ago.

"I've just been having a good run," said Cavey, who started last season as a freshman and boasts 89 saves and a .955 clip in 14 games.

Cavey stopped 14 shots against Arundel, including several late in the first half. Shauna Lancey directed a crossing shot from inside the 18 toward the left post, but Cavey dived and got her right hand on the ball to avert disaster.

"If that had been any other keeper," Wildcats coach Laura Coe said, "I think that would have been in."

Cavey's had plenty of help. Clark calls Stephanie Pack and Kelly Murphy "the heart of the defense," and Erika Spilker and Morgan Taylor patrol the sidelines with persistence.

During the Falcons' shutout stretch, they've scored 42 times and given up just 59 shots on goal.

"It's a true team in every sense of the word," Clark said. "They take care of each other, and they look out for each other. They've got each others backs every minute of every game. It's beautiful to watch."

It could've been much different, though.

Lam left following a 13-4 season that ended in disappointment. Severna Park hadn't lost that many games since 2004, when it suffered a 2-1 loss to Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the Class 3A state semifinal - ending a chance for a third consecutive title.

Lam led the Falcons back to one more semifinal appearance - in 2007 - and they had trouble during the regular season, losing to South River and Arundel last year. The Falcons hadn't lost to both those schools during the same season in four years.

Severna Park made sure that didn't become a trend this season.

"Our coach left and we thought it was going to be a bad year," Cavey said. "But we said we can pull together as a team and just do it for ourselves rather than doing it for our coach or our county."

Aside from the season-opening loss to the Cavaliers (17-0-1) - ranked fifth in last week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll - everything's gone just as planned for Severna Park.

The Falcons have beaten both front-runners for county supremacy and will attempt to take down Reservoir, the Howard County champion, in tomorrow's District V title game.

"I still think we're the underdogs," Moreno said. "We can't come out cocky."

That might change.

Regardless of the outcome, Severna Park will still be the hunted. South River (12-2) will be looking to avenge its only county defeat, and Arundel - which has lost three consecutive games - should be back at full strength by the postseason.

In order to accomplish everything Clark had planned, the Falcons need to win six more games. They won't be satisfied until that seventh state title is resting safely at Severna Park.

"As long as we have the mind set that we can still win, and as long as everybody wants that," Kresge said, "then we can win this."