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Jan. 24, 2020 — Programs of the Decade
This is a difficult list to cobble together, because of the absolute dominance of Owings Mills McDonogh (Md.) over the course of the last 10 years. But we’re going to try to spread out the plaudits as best we can.
10. Westwood (Mass.) 2014
Record: 24-0, MIAA Division 1 Champion
Led by future UNC star Ela Hazar, the Wolverines bested Longmeadow (Mass.) 9-7. Westwood, already having sent a number of its alumnae to Northwestern, was also spreading its wealth to other campuses during the 2010s.
9. Moorestown (N.J.) 2013
Record: 26-0, won NJSIAA Tournament of Champions
This Quakers team featured senior Marie McCool, and the team won comprehensively against teams like Greenwood Village Cherry Creek (Colo.), Tredyffrin Conestoga (Pa.), and against ancient foe Medford Lakes Shawnee (N.J.) in the Tournament of Champions final. Moorestown only yielded double-digit goals twice all season.
8. Alexandria St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes (Va.) 2013
Record: 29-1, won VISAA Class A championship
For much of their time together on varsity, it was the Besser Dyson and Carly Reed Show for the Saints. But just as good at the other end of the field was their teammate from as early as the U-8 days, Gussie Johns, currently your goaltender for the U.S. senior women’s national team.
7. Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy (N.Y.) 2016
Record: 20-0, won NYSPHSAA Class A championship
The Brothers beat Pittsford (N.Y.) 11-6 to win the title, but in the process pulled off a unique treble. The program, as a private school, sometimes may not know exactly which bracket it will be in from year to year because the administrators may tend to move the squad up from its size designation. During the decade, CBA won state titles in Class A, B, and C.
6. Delray American Heritage (Fla.) 2018
Record: 21-1, won FHSAA championship
If you hadn’t heard of American Heritage and wunderkind Caitlyn Wurzburger before, you certainly knew after this title season. The Stallions beat Orlando Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) in the state final, and Wurzburger had her third straight 100-goal, 100-assist season.
5. Glenelg (Md.) 2017
Record: 20-0, won MPSSAA Class 3A/2A championship
The Gladiators dominated the competition during this dream season, including a 12-3 win over Bel Air C. Milton Wright (Md.). Highlights included wins over Marriottsville Marriotts Ridge (Md.) and Towson Notre Dame Prep (Md.)
4. Garden City (N.Y.) 2016
Record: 21-1, won NYSPHSAA Class B championship
The Trojans parlayed dominance on the draw circle into a 16-5 win over Yorktown (N.Y.). Kate Muldoon won the first eight draws as the Trojans built an early lead and never let go. Garden City had 17 seniors, and their experience proved critical all season.
3. Owings Mills McDonogh (Md.) 2017
Record: 22-0, won IAAM Class A championship
This was the McDonogh side that beat Towson Notre Dame Prep (Md.) in the final thanks to a dominating draw performance by Maddie Jenner. The Eagles went 18-for-22 on draws, and 14 of those were Maddie Jenner solo draw controls — similar to what she did here.
2. Towson Notre Dame Prep (Md.) 2018
Record: 17-4, won IAAM Class A championship
This is the Blazers team that looked McDonogh’s winning streak in the eye, and didn’t blink. Thanks in large part to Hannah Mardiney’s all-around game in the midfield, NDP never trailed in the 2018 final, which was moved to Tierney Field at U.S. Lacrosse Headquarters, adding to the gravitas of the occasion.
1. Owings Mills McDonogh (Md.) 2012
Record: 18-0, won IAAM Class A championship
This is a team which posted a pair of “no doubt about it” wins in the New York-Maryland Lacrosse Challenge, thanks to an all-star team including Elizabeth George, Taylor Cummings, Sammi Burgess and Megan Whittle. The team, for most of the season, averaged an eight-goal margin of victory, a ridiculous average score given the fact that the national average for goals scored by both teams in any game the previous three seasons was about 21.
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