Springbrook bedevils Lady Blazers in 9-2 rout

APRIL 13, BLAZER FIELD—

The girls' lacrosse team lost to the Springbrook Blue Devils, 9-2, extending a four-game losing streak and bringing their record to a disappointing 2-4.
The game started off sloppy, with poor handling and passing from both teams.

The Blue Devils soon got their act together, but the Blazers remained uncoordinated and unable to hold off Springbrook's strong offensive attacks.
The Blue Devil offense, led by Lauren Kessler, easily moved past a bumbling Blair defense and scored four unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. Blair's offense lagged throughout the first half until senior captain Devon Madison scored off a rebound from a blocked penalty shot.

But Madison's goal was never replicated in the first half, as the Blazers struggled to move the ball upfield, complete passes and even keep control of the ball. Blair ended the first half facing a 7-1 deficit. "We didn't show up in the first half. We watched our girls get double- and triple-teamed. We're better than that," said coach Mike Horne said. "We need to get back to the basics."

The beginning of the second half followed nearly the same path of the first half — with a Springbrook goal, bringing the score to 8-1. The Blazers soon pulled together on the defensive end, and sophomore attacker Susie Branson gave the Blazers hope with an impressive breakaway goal midway through the second half.

Blair's defense clamped down in the second half and held the Blue Devils to only two goals. While keeping the same man-to-man coverage they used in the first half, the Blazer defenders began to aggressively pursue the ball carrier, eventually moving into double coverage as the game came to a close.

The increased pressure paid off and gave sophomore goalie Katelyn Luker a better chance against the Springbrook offense. Luker put forth a good effort to stall the Blue Devils' attack in the game's latter stages, but Blair's offense could not match their Blue Devil counterparts.

Senior captain Karla Berberich was upset by Blair's performance. "We need to work on the little things: accurate passing, getting ground balls and starting the game off strong," Berberich said. She emphasized the importance of playing to the team's full potential from whistle to whistle. "Starting the game off strong is huge, because the first half was 7-1 and the second half was only 2-1."

Berberich hopes Blair can pull off some solid wins later in the season and that the Blazers can continue to develop their skills and come together as a team.

With the county playoffs approaching, the Blazers must prove their worth against a daunting schedule. In the coming weeks, Blair will face off against perennial county stalwarts, including Sherwood and Northwest, before finishing the season against downcounty rivals Kennedy and Wheaton.
Blair plays Gaithersburg next Wednesday at home at 7:15 p.m.