Anne Arundel County field hockey teams learned what their path to the state tournament looks like when the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association.
Attention will understandably fall on Crofton and Broadneck, two programs that were state champions in 2022 turned Class 4A state tournament rivals when the Cardinals moved up last year.
The region tournaments won’t last long, as field hockey numbers around the state only allow for three to four teams per region (with a few exceptions). The semifinal round begins on Thursday and finals will take place next Tuesday.
The county champion Cardinals (11-3-1) are the No. 1 seed in 4A East Region I and will face the winner of No. 2 Glen Burnie (5-7) and No. 3 Meade (0-12) in the final. In 4A East Region II, Broadneck (11-2-2) is the No. 2 seed and hosts No. 3 Annapolis (5-7) on Thursday at 6 p.m. The other two members of the foursome, No. 1 Leonardtown and No. 4 North Point, also compete Thursday.
The Cardinals did not have Meade or Glen Burnie on its schedule this year, but did play their program-rival Bruins twice to a split result.
A year after falling short by a goal in a 3A semifinal, Severna Park (8-4) has proven itself another viable candidate to go far this postseason. The Falcons, seeded at the top in 3A East Region I, played to one-goal finishes with Crofton and Broadneck this season and beat St. Mary’s. The Falcons will play Old Mill, who beat Severn Run in a rare region quarterfinal.
On the other side of that region’s bracket are No. 2 South River (7-5) and No. 3 Arundel (4-7), which fell to the Seahawks on Sept. 10, 7-0.
The Falcons beat Arundel 10-0 and the Seahawks in closer fashion: 1-0, in overtime.
Also fortunate enough to take a bye to the final is Chesapeake. The No. 1 Cougars (8-4) will host either No. 2 C. Milton Wright or Pasadena rival No. 3 Northeast (4-5), which the Cougars beat, 7-0, this fall, in the 2A North Region II final.
North County stands alone in 4A North Region I, which worked out pretty well for the Knights last year when they claimed the first region title in program history. No. 1 North County (7-5) hosts fourth-seeded Paint Branch Thursday.
Southern is likewise used to being apart from its neighbors, as the No. 1 Bulldogs (6-6) await No. 4 Kent County in the 1A East I region semifinal, with No. 2 Bohemia Manor and No. 3 Elkton battling on the other side.
After the region tournament concludes, the top eight teams from each class will be reseeded according to regular season winning percentage for the state quarterfinals, to be played on Thursday, Oct. 31 or Friday, Nov. 1 on the field of the higher seed. State semifinals will occur the following Wednesday, Nov. 6, or Thursday, Nov. 7 at sites to be unveiled later, while the state championships will be held at Stevenson University this year on Nov. 9.
Class 2A will compete at 11am, followed by Class 3A at 1, Class 4A at 3 and Class 1A at 5.
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