FROSTBURG — The Mountain Ridge High boys and girls soccer teams resume their quests for soccer state championships today, with both going up against Loch Raven of Baltimore County.
While the opponent is the same, the site of the games is not. The Mountain Ridge-Loch Raven girls game is today, at noon, at North County High School in Anne Arundel County.
The Mountain Ridge-Loch Raven boys game is tonight, at 7:30, at North Hagerstown High School.
Both Mountain Ridge teams are in the state tournament for the first time in the school’s brief history.
“These wins by both the girls and boys teams has forged a tradition and established a school spirit at Mountain Ridge that will carry on for years to come,’’ said Mountain Ridge boys coach Tim Nightengale.
The semifinal winners advance to next week’s state championship games. All state championship games will be at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, at Catonsville.
Girls
The Mountain Ridge girls beat Boonsboro 3-1 in the West Region championship game on Tuesday night. Stephanie Fazenbaker had two goals and Shyler Phillips one, while Janelle Walbert, Kristin Knotts and Quincy Hegeman had assists.
Goalie Heather Shipe made six saves. She and the Miners defense have an area record 11 shutouts, including six in a row at one point during the season.
Mountain Ridge, at 17-0, is one of three undefeated teams remaining in the state, the others being the Hereford girls (Class 3A, 13-0-1) and Northern Calvert boys (Class 3A, 17-0).
The Miners have scored 82 goals, an average of nearly five per game. The defense has been equally as impressive, perhaps more, with 11 shutouts and only 10 goals allowed.
“Our defense and our goalkeeper have stepped up every time they needed to this year,’’ said Mountain Ridge coach Martha Mauzy. “I know Shyler Phillips has saved five goals for us. There’s been a number of occasions when only one person was in the goal and saved goals by clearing balls out of the area.
“It’s been a total team effort on both ends of the field. This team has an awful lot of heart. I credit the assistant coaches for their dedication and hard work, too. And the fan support has been really great.”
The Loch Raven girls (13-4-1) edged Sparrows Point 4-3 in the South Region final after having blasted Owings Mills 8-0 and Pikesville 4-0.
Loch Raven won the girls state title in 1993, 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2003, and was runner-up in 1992.
Both 1A semifinals are today at North County. Mardela (7-7) plays Harford Tech (12-3-2) at 2:30.
Boys
The Mountain Ridge boys won the West Region over Williamsport, 5-3, in a penalty-kick shootout on Tuesday. The teams had played to a 0-0 draw through regulation and two overtime periods.
The Miners nailed all five of their penalty kicks, with Brandon Rodgers, Justin Winebrenner, Zach Saylor, Brandon Cutter and Joao Toulson converting. Goalkeeper Connor Eberly had eight saves in getting his ninth shutout of the season.
“We are really proud of our boys. They have done everything we’ve asked them to do and have been our most improved team in our eight seasons,’’ said Nightengale. “Our coaching staff has done an outstanding job. We have made many adjustments and the boys have responded.
“We went back to work to prepare for the state tournament and a talented Loch Raven team. We’ll keep our same mentality of hard work, with some good luck, and good things will happen.”
Mountain Ridge is 14-2-1, has won eight in a row and 12 of its last 13. The Miners scored five goals in three regional games.
“The fan support has been fantastic all year but especially in the playoffs. Our parents, faculty and student body, known as the ‘Miner Maniacs,’ were the 12th man on the field, and are greatly appreciated.”
Loch Raven (13-4-1) beat Pikesville 2-1 in the South Region final. Loch Raven, which beat Owings Mills 6-3 in the semifinals, scored 11 goals in the South tournament.
Loch Raven won state championships in 1974, 1975 and 1977, and were runners-up in 1976, 2006 and 2007.
Today’s winner will play Pocomoke (15-2-1) in the state final. Pocomoke beat Brunswick, 1-0, last night.
Mike Mathews is a Cumberland Times-News sportswriter. Contact Mike Mathews at mmathews@times-news.com.
Boys Soccer
MR booters face Loch Raven in state semifinals
- Boys Soccer
-
-
League champ Allegany places six on All-City team
Allegany, which won a pair of one-goal games and rallied for a tie in its Homecoming game with Fort Hill to win the City League championship, had six players named to the All-City boys soccer team, which was chosen by the league’s head coaches.
-
Mtn. Ridge’s Martha Mauzy, Tim Nightengale soccer coaches of year
Mountain Ridge’s Tim Nightengale and Martha Mauzy, whose teams dominated area play and marched all the way to the state finals in record-setting fashion, were named the Pepsi-Cola High School Soccer Coaches of the Year.
-
FH’s Moyer voted player of year
When it comes to scoring goals, no one did it better or more often this year than Fort Hill’s Michael Moyer.
-
Mountain Ridge boys win it all
Opportunity knocked, Zach Norris answered, and the Mountain Ridge Miners celebrated, all in a matter of minutes Saturday afternoon at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County’s Retriever Stadium.
-
Miners hoping to strike gold today at UMBC
CATONSVILLE — The Mountain Ridge soccer teams have seen a lot of each other throughout the playoffs.
There have been three home doubleheaders in the regional playoffs, and they both played a week ago in the state semifinals in Anne Arundel County. -
Ranker’s pair helps Miners return to state tournament
Chris Ranker scored the first goal unassisted with only 19.2 seconds left in the first half to give the Mountain Ridge boys soccer team the momentum that carried over to a dominating second half as the top-seeded Miners defeated second-seeded Clear Spring 3-1 for the Maryland Class 1A West Region championship on Tuesday night at Mountain Ridge Stadium.
-
Mountain Ridge tops Williamsport
Nothing comes easily in the playoffs, but the wins keep piling up for the Mountain Ridge boys soccer team.
-
Maryland playoff quarterfinals tonight
FROSTBURG — Maryland high school soccer playoffs hit full stride today, with Class 1A West Region doubleheaders scheduled at Mountain Ridge and Greenway Avenue Stadium.
-
Alco booters blank Southern
CUMBERLAND — Matt Class, Sam Dusenbery and Jaron Lutton scored first-half goals and the defense did the rest as second-ranked Allegany topped Southern, 3-0, in high school boys soccer Wednesday night at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
-
Goretti beats BW for Maryland title
HAGERSTOWN — St. Maria Goretti’s Thomas Blake scored off a deflection early in the second half and the Gaels held on the rest of the way to beat Bishop Walsh, 1-0, in the Maryland Private Schools State Championship game Sunday at the Hagerstown Soccer Complex.
- More Boys Soccer Headlines
-
League champ Allegany places six on All-City team
