Later today at Tierney Field in Sparks-Glencoe, Md., an intersectional girls’ scholastic lacrosse game will be played with two of the best scholastic teams in the U.S.
Darien (Conn.) is currently the No. 1 team in the TopOfTheCircle.con Top 10, and Brooklandville St. Paul’s (Md.) was the No. 1 team for last year. Each team has elite players who are going to make an impact on the national and international levels.
While most of the attention is going to be focused on the athletes on the pitch, there is going to be a wrinkle in this game that has been rarely seen. Published reports say that the coaching staffs have agreed to the use of the 90-second possession clock during the game, just like college games.
There are a couple of significant points to this. One, St. Paul’s plays in one of only two leagues in the United States that plays with the possession clock; both the “A” and “B” divisions of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland use the clock, but only in IAAM matches.
A lot of teams, coaches, and administrators will be keeping an eye on how Darien handles the possession clock todau. There are some states, chiefly New York, which are considering the imposition of the possession clock for girls’ scholastic lacrosse as early as the 2024 season.
Aside from the possession clock debate, one which is sure to extend for several years, there’s a game scheduled for 1 p.m. Here’s a look at the two sides:
DARIEN
Nickname: Blue Wave
Colors: Royal blue and white
Head coach: Lisa Lindley
Current record and TOTC ranking: 5-0, No. 1
Last year’s record and TOTC ranking: 20-1, No. 9
One year ago: Finished second in the CIAC Class L Tournament with a 14-13 loss to New Canaan.
Key players: Chloe Humphrey (sr., a), Ryan Hapgood (sr., m), Kaci Benout (sr., d), Hope Schoudel (jr., g), Elizabeth Gonnella (jr., g)
Darien wins this game if: they commit less than five possession clock violations. Also, I think the defense needs to come up with at least 12 saves, no matter who is in the goal cage.
ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Nickname: Gators
Colors: Forest green and white
Head coach: Mary Gagnon
Current record: 11-1
Last year’s record and TOTC ranking: 17-1, No. 1
One year ago: Won IAAM Division A Tournament with a 15-7 win over Glenelg (Md.) Country School
Key players: Natalie Shurtleff (sr., m), Frannie Hahn (sr., a), Lauren Steer (sr., m), Anna Regan (sr., d), Caroline Hoskins (so., m), Kira Balis (jr., m), Susan Radebaugh (jr., g)
St. Paul’s wins this game if: the Gators’ defense can limit Humphrey’s touches. I’ll be interested to see what kind of defense St. Paul’s throws against Darien; will they double the ball?
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